WO2007095848A1

WO2007095848A1 - Developer cartridge for electrophotographic image forming apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2007095848A1
Application number: PCT/CN2007/000521
Authority: WO
Inventors: Zhibin Hu; Long Lin
Original assignee: Print-Rite Technology Development Co., Ltd Of Zhuhai
Priority date: 2006-02-23
Filing date: 2007-02-14
Publication date: 2007-08-30
Also published as: CN2909323Y

Abstract

A developer cartridge for electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided, which includes a columnar inner container for powder feeding and a shroud. Apertures are located at the two axial ends of shroud respectively. One of said apertures functions as the passage through which the inner container for powder feeding is inserted into the shroud. The other aperture is closed by an end cover.

Description

Developer cartridge for electrophotographic image forming apparatus

The present invention relates to a developer cartridge for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The present invention is based on a Chinese utility model patent application filed on Feb. 23, 2006, with the application number of 200620006550. 5, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background technique

Devices such as laser printers, facsimile machines, copiers, office centers, and the like are all image forming apparatuses using an electrophotographic principle, and an image developing device is usually provided with a developer cartridge for storing a developer during operation. Such a developer cartridge is often designed to be replaceable or reusable after being refilled with toner, which is correspondingly constructed as a plurality of components that can be attached and detached.

A developer cartridge of such an image forming apparatus has a structure in which the developer cartridge has a substantially cylindrical cylindrical shape, which is provided by an inner cylinder for storing toner and for positioning the toner cartridge relative to the developing device and has a protective effect. The shield is constructed. A shroud sleeve is placed over the cylindrical outer wall of the inner barrel. A toner supply port is opened in the cylindrical wall of the inner cylinder, and a stirring frame for stirring the carbon powder is disposed in the inner cavity of the inner cylinder. On the developing device frame for supporting the developer cartridge, a toner supply hole corresponding to the inner cylinder toner supply port is formed. The toner supply hole is matched with the inner cylinder toner supply port to provide a toner conveying passage for the toner to enter the developing device from the inner cylinder. A developing chamber is provided in the frame of the developing device, and a toner supply roller and a developing roller adjacent to each other are disposed in the developing chamber. Thus, after the toner supply hole is matched with the inner cylinder toner supply port, the toner input from the inner cylinder carbon «Η common supply port is transported to the developing roller through the toner supply roller.

In the developing chamber of the above developing device, the sheet member is extended outside the wall of the developing chamber. Corresponding to the cylindrical surface of the developing roller, the sheet member has a linear rim extending in the axial direction of the developing roller. The linear edge is in contact with the cylindrical surface of the developing roller, and a certain pressure is applied in the radial direction of the developing roller to adjust the thickness of the carbon layer adhered to the cylindrical surface of the developing roller. The photosensitive drum and the inner cylinder toner supply port are respectively opposed to both sides of the developing roller with respect to the developing roller, and the cylindrical drum surface of the photosensitive drum is in contact with the cylindrical surface of the developing roller. The image information output by the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is transmitted to the cylindrical drum surface of the photosensitive drum by a laser by a corresponding laser scanning device to form an electrostatic latent image. Further, the developing roller supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image on the drum surface of the photosensitive drum to develop the electrostatic latent image into a visible image. Thereafter, the visible image on the drum surface is rotated

1

Confirmation The transfer position is transferred to the transfer position, and the visible image is transferred onto a recording medium such as paper by a corresponding transfer roller to form image information recorded in writing.

A positioning mechanism is provided between the powder inner cylinder of the developer cartridge and the shroud. The positioning mechanism combines the powder inner cylinder and the shroud into a complete developer cartridge while allowing the powder inner cylinder and the shroud to reciprocate within a certain angular range about a common rotating shaft. Corresponding to the inner cylinder toner supply port, an opening/closing device is provided on the shield. The opening/closing device is an opening and a sponge seal which are sequentially disposed in the circumferential direction of the shield. Within the above range of rotation angles, the opening/closing means on the shield cooperates with the reciprocating rotation of the shield to open or close the inner cylinder toner supply port to achieve toner flow or block the flow of toner.

In order to realize the assembly of the inner cylinder of the powder storage and the shroud, the locking positioning claw of the inner cylinder of the powder is matched with the positioning rail provided on the fixed closed end of the shroud to control the between the inner cylinder of the powder storage and the shroud Positioning. Since the closed end is in an assembled state integrally formed with the shroud, it is necessary to design a complicated production tooling mold to prepare the shroud during the production process, so as to ensure accurate assembly of the inner cylinder and the shroud of the powder storage. This is extremely unfavorable for the production of production tooling, one increases the production cost of the mold, and the second is that the maintenance and repair of the mold is complicated, which is not conducive to improving production efficiency and cost. Summary of the invention

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a developer cartridge for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus which is accurate and stable in positioning in a developing device and which is inexpensive in its corresponding production apparatus.

To achieve the above object, a developer cartridge for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus provided by the present invention comprises a cylindrical powder storage inner cylinder and a shroud. The inner cylinder has a substantially cylindrical shape, and has an inner cavity for storing carbon powder, and has an opening at one axial end for transmitting a rotational moment to the agitating frame, the opposite end is closed, and the cylindrical cylindrical surface is opened therethrough. A toner supply port for supplying toner to the laser printer developing device of the column wall, and a stirring frame for stirring the toner is disposed in the inner cavity of the inner cylinder. The shroud is substantially cylindrical and coaxially sleeved on the outer cylindrical wall of the inner cylinder of the powder storage, and is reciprocally rotatable with respect to the inner cylinder of the powder storage, and is arranged to control the toner supply port to be closed. State on/off mechanism. The utility model is characterized in that the two ends of the shroud have openings 212 and 213 respectively, wherein one of the openings 212 is a passage for the powder storage inner cylinder to be embedded in the shroud, and the two openings 213 are closed by the end cover 201.

A further solution is to fix a ring 214 having a larger diameter on the outer cylindrical wall of the second opening 213. A positioning hole 211 is defined in the ring 214. Further, the developer cartridge further includes an end cap 201. The end cover 201 is provided with a positioning card 208 corresponding to the positioning hole 211. The positioning card 208 is fixed in the positioning hole 211 in the installed state. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the outer shape of a developer cartridge for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to the present invention, showing a state in which a toner remaining amount detecting window on a powder storage inner cylinder is located on a visible surface;

2 is a second schematic structural view of the developer cartridge for the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention, showing a state in which the toner supply port on the inner cylinder of the powder storage is located on the visible surface;

3 is a schematic view showing the outer structure of a developer cartridge cover for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention, showing a state in which a shield observation window corresponding to a toner remaining amount detecting window on a powder storage inner cylinder is located on a visible surface;

4 is an exploded perspective view showing the outer shape of the developer cartridge cover for the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention, showing a state in which the shutter opening and closing mechanism corresponding to the toner supply port on the inner cylinder of the powder storage is located on the visible surface;

Figure 5 is a schematic view showing the outer structure of the inner cylinder of the developer cartridge for the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention, showing the state in which the toner remaining amount detecting window on the inner cylinder of the powder storage is located on the visible surface;

Figure 6 is a schematic view showing the outer structure of the inner cylinder of the developer cartridge for the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention, showing the state in which the toner supply port on the inner cylinder of the powder storage is located on the visible surface;

Figure 7 is a partial structural view showing the outer shape of the inner cylinder of the developer cartridge for the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention, showing the closed end state of the closed end of the powder storage inner cylinder for matching connection with the shield;

Figure 8 is a partial structural view showing the outer shape of the inner cylinder of the developer cartridge for the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention, showing the state of the open end of the powder storage inner cylinder for transmitting the rotational moment to the agitating frame;

Fig. 9a, b are schematic views showing the structure of the developer cartridge end cover for the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention, showing the front and back structural states of the end cap, respectively. The invention will now be further described in conjunction with the drawings and the preferred embodiments. detailed description

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9a, 9b, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention The corresponding structural diagram of the developer cartridge, for the sake of clarity of explanation, the mixing frame is omitted in the related drawings. The developer cartridge structurally includes a powder inner cylinder 1 and a shroud 2. The shield 2 has a substantially cylindrical shape and forms a cylindrical cavity along its axial direction. The cylindrical cavity is axially closed at one end by the end cap 201 and at the other end in a naturally open state. The powder inner cylinder 1 is substantially cylindrical and has a cylindrical inner cavity 101 for storing toner. The cylindrical inner cavity 101 has an opening 102 for transmitting a rotational moment to the agitating frame at one axial end, and a plurality of mutually symmetric locking cards 108 are disposed on the cylindrical surface of the other end, through the locking card 108 and the locking end cap 111 on the corresponding surface. The mutual engagement between the locking recesses is provided, and the end port is closed by the latching end cover 111. The cylindrical inner cylinder 1 has a toner supply port 104 penetrating the wall of the column for supplying toner to the laser printer developing device. In the assembled state, the powder storage inner cylinder 1 is embedded in the cylindrical cavity of the shroud 2, and is locked by the locking positioning claw 1111 on the outer end surface of the locking end cover 111 to the end surface of the end cover 201 of the shroud 2 The positioning track is in 2011.

Referring to Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8, the cartridge storage inner cylinder 1 for the electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention is formed on the outer cylindrical surface of the powder storage inner cylinder 1 in the axially central portion of the powder storage inner cylinder 1 1 two recessed grooves 103 in the radial direction. Between the two grooves 103 is a portion 109 of the cylindrical wall of the inner cylinder 1 of the powder storage. The portion 109 has a certain axial width, which may be referred to as a toner detecting chamber 109, and the carbon powder may be along the cylindrical cavity of the inner cylinder 1 of the powder storage. 101 enters the toner detecting chamber 109, and the toner detecting chamber 109 and the groove 103 constitute a toner detecting window 110 adapted to the toner remaining amount detecting device provided on the developing device. The toner remaining amount detecting device emits detection light from one of the grooves 103, and axially traverses the two radial cavity walls of the toner detecting chamber 109 along the powder storing inner cylinder 1 to reach another corresponding groove 103, which is toner The receiving end of the remaining amount detecting device receives or is blocked by the toner in the toner detecting chamber 109 to achieve the purpose of detecting the remaining amount of the toner.

A toner supply port 104 is provided in the circumferential direction of the powder storage inner cylinder 1 at a predetermined distance from the toner detecting window 110 (see Fig. 6, in which the toner detecting window 110 is located on the back side of the inner cylinder 1). The toner supply port 104 and the carbon fj detecting window 110 are located substantially at the same axial center of the inner cylinder 1 of the powder storage. The toner stored in the powder inner cylinder 1 can flow out along the toner supply port 104. Along the axial direction of the powder storage inner cylinder 1, a ring 107 extending radially along the outer cylindrical surface of the inner cylinder 1 of the powder storage cylinder is respectively disposed on both sides of the toner supply opening 104 or the carbon powder detecting window 110 to strengthen the shield. 2 and the sealing effect between the inner cylinder 1 of the powder storage. In the direction toward the opening 102 of the powder storage inner cylinder 1 near the toner detecting window 110, a positioning projection 105 extending radially outwardly of the powder storage inner cylinder 1 adapted to the positioning position of the laser printer developing device is disposed on the ring 107 . In the axial cross section of the inner cylinder 1 of the powder storage, the positioning projection 105 has a rectangular layered structure. Near the toner detection window 110 The set position block 106 is additionally provided toward the side of the storage end tube 1 closing end cover 111. The set position block 106 is maintained at an axial distance from the positioning projection 105 so that the mutual rotation between the shroud 2 and the powder storage inner cylinder 1 can be smoothly realized without generating torque.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the lock positioning claws 1111, the toner supply port 104, the toner detecting window 110, the set position block 106, and the positioning projections 105 corresponding to the powder storage inner cylinder 1 are respectively disposed on the shield 2 The corresponding positioning rail 2011, the toner supply opening and closing mechanism 205, the toner detecting port 202, the positioning groove 204, and the positioning recess 203 formed by the cylindrical wall of the open end of the shroud 2 are recessed in the axial direction thereof. The cylindrical ends of the cylindrical cavity of the shield 2 are open openings 212 and 213, respectively. The opening 212 is a passage in which the powder inner cylinder 1 is fitted into the shield 2. A ring of larger diameter rings 214 is fixedly disposed on the outer cylindrical wall of the second opening 213. A positioning hole 211 is provided in the ring 214. In order to improve the assembly simplicity between the powder inner cylinder 1 and the shroud 2, the shroud 2 is divided into two parts 209 and 210 along its axial direction, both of which are fixed by a snap provided on the joint side. The toner supply port closing mechanism 205 is located on the shroud assembly 209, and the toner detecting port 202 is located on the shroud assembly 210.

Referring to Figures 9a, b, the end cap 201. The end cover 201 is provided with a positioning card 208 corresponding to the positioning hole 211. In the mounted state, the positioning card 208 is fixed in the positioning hole 211 of the shield 2, so that the fixed connection of the shield 2 and the end cover 201 is achieved. On one side of the end cap 201 facing away from the cylindrical cavity of the shroud 2, a ring of positioning rings 206 with a break is provided at the periphery thereof. The positioning rail 2011 forms two sections 20111 and 20112 with different radial widths in its own circumferential direction. At the junction of the two sections and the same surface on which the positioning ring 206 is located, a reinforcing rib 207 is provided which is radially outwardly avoided by the positioning rail 2011 to the peripheral edge of the outer circumference of the end cap 201. The two-tracks of the positioning rails 20111 and 20112 correspond to the fractures of the positioning ring 206, and control the rotation angle between the inner cylinder 1 and the shroud 2.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, after the inner cylinder 1 is loaded into the shroud 2, the locking positioning claws 1111, the set position block 106 and the positioning protrusions 105 are respectively engaged with the positioning rails 2011, the positioning grooves 204, and the positioning recesses 203. in. The positioning rails 2011, the positioning grooves 204, and the positioning recesses 203 limit the movement strokes of the lock positioning claws 1111, the set position block 106, and the positioning projections 105 in the circumferential direction of the powder storage inner cylinder 1 at the same rotation angle. Thus, in the case where the toner inner cylinder 1 is fixed by the developing device, when the shroud 2 reciprocates relative to the powder inner cylinder 1, the opening/closing mechanism provided on the shroud 2 will cause the carbon of the inner cylinder 1 of the powder storage The powder supply port 104 is in an alternately interchanged state of opening or closing, thereby achieving toner supply or blocking of the toner inner cylinder 1 to the developing device. Industrial applicability

The electrophotographic image forming apparatus of the present invention uses a developer cartridge in which the shield and the axial end cap are separately provided, and the end cap is fixed by an outer ring attached to the end of the shield. In this way, the assembly simplicity between the inner cylinder of the powder storage and the shroud is improved. In addition, the split setting method can simplify the complicated production process of the existing shield, reduce the complexity of the corresponding production mold structure, reduce the difficulty of making the mold and corresponding products, and is more conducive to controlling the shield and the production process. The accuracy of the end cap structure avoids the difficulty in forming the shield due to the complexity of the original production mold structure, and the shape of the product is difficult to meet the design requirements, thereby improving the accuracy of the positioning between the inner cylinder and the shroud of the powder storage. And stability.

Claims

Claims developer cartridge for electrophotographic image forming apparatus, including

a cylindrical powder storage inner cylinder having a substantially cylindrical shape, having an inner cavity for storing carbon powder, having an opening at one axial end for transmitting a rotational moment to the agitating frame, and the other end being closed, a cylindrical powder surface is provided with a toner supply port for supplying toner to the laser printer developing device through the column wall, and a stirring frame for stirring the carbon powder is disposed in the inner cavity of the inner cylinder; 'shield The cover is substantially cylindrical and coaxially sleeved on the outer cylindrical wall of the inner cylinder of the powder storage, and is reciprocally rotatable with respect to the inner cylinder of the powder storage, and is arranged to control carbon The opening/closing mechanism of the powder supply port closed state,

It is characterized by:

Each of the two ends of the shroud has a mouth (212, 213), and one of the openings (212) is a channel in which the powder storage inner tube is embedded in the shroud, and two of the openings (213) It is closed by one end cover (201).

2. The developer cartridge for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein - the outer cylindrical wall of the opening (213) is fixedly provided with a ring having a larger diameter (214), a positioning hole (211) is disposed on the ring (214);

The end cover (201) is provided with a positioning card (208) corresponding to the positioning slot (211), and the positioning card (208) is fixed in the positioning slot (211) in the installed state.