toner cartridge

Abstract

This invention relates to a toner cartridge, comprising a cylindrical body, a base, a slide, a linkage, a swivel member, and a lifting member. The cylindrical body has an opening. The base has a cover fitted onto the opening, a toner outlet disposed on the cover, a first guide and a second guide adjacent to and disposed on a first side of the cover, and a third guide disposed on a second side of the cover. The slide has a body slidably disposed on the base and a through hole disposed on the body. The linkage and the lifting member are slidably disposed on the slide. The swivel member is pivotally mounted on the linkage. When the slide moves from a first position to a second position, the linkage is guided downward by the first guide. When the slide moves from the second position to a third position, the swivel member is guided to swivel by the second guide. When the slide moves from the second position to a fourth position, the lifting member is guided downward by the third guide. The toner outlet and the through hole are interconnected. In this way, when the toner cartridge is inserted into the electronic imaging device, the originally closed toner outlet is opened and connected to the toner inlet of the electronic imaging device to input toner into the electronic imaging device, and toner leakage during the assembly process can be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to electronic imaging devices, and in particular to a toner cartridge with a toner outlet alignment mechanism. Prior Technology

[0002] Most electronic imaging devices, such as photocopiers or office machines, have toner cartridges. When storing or transporting toner cartridges, their outlets must be sealed. When installing a toner cartridge in an electronic imaging device, the outlet of the toner cartridge must be aligned with the inlet of the electronic imaging device to allow toner to be input into the device. Since the inlet structures of different models of electronic imaging devices vary, a compatible toner cartridge must be designed to ensure that toner is successfully input from the cartridge into the device. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One objective of this invention is to provide a toner cartridge that, when assembled into an electronic imaging device and positioned, opens its originally closed toner outlet and connects it to the toner inlet of the electronic imaging device to input toner into the electronic imaging device, thereby preventing toner leakage during assembly.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the toner cartridge of the present invention includes a cylindrical body, a base, a slide, a linkage, a swivel member, and a lifting member. The cylindrical body has an opening at one end. The base includes a cover fitted onto the opening, a toner outlet disposed on the cover, a first guide portion disposed on a first side of the cover, a second guide portion disposed on the first side of the cover and adjacent to the first guide portion, and a third guide portion disposed on a second side of the cover. The slide has a body slidably disposed on the base and a through hole in the body. The slide can move from a first position toward the cylindrical body to a second position. The position then moves to a third position and finally to a fourth position; the linkage is vertically and flexibly mounted on the slide block. When the slide block moves from the first position to the second position, the linkage is guided downward by the first guide part; the swivel member is pivotally mounted on the linkage. When the slide block moves from the second position to the third position, the swivel member is guided by the second guide part to swivel; the lifting member is vertically and flexibly mounted on the slide block. When the slide block moves from the second position to the fourth position, the lifting member is guided downward by the third guide part; when the slide block is in the fourth position, the toner outlet and the perforation are interconnected. Therefore, when the toner cartridge of the present invention is assembled into the electronic imaging device and positioned, the originally closed toner outlet can be opened and connected to the toner inlet of the electronic imaging device to input toner into the electronic imaging device, and toner leakage during assembly can be avoided. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0005] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a toner cartridge according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded view of a toner cartridge according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of a toner cartridge according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figures 4 and 5 are partially exploded views of a toner cartridge according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figures 6-10 are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the toner cartridge slide in the first position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figures 11-13 are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the toner cartridge slide in the second position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figures 14-16 are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the toner cartridge slide in the third position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figures 17-20 are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the toner cartridge slide in the fourth position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Implementation

[0006] The technical content and features of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings. As shown in Figures 1-5 and 10, a toner cartridge 1 provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The toner cartridge 1 includes a cylindrical body 2, a base 10, a slide 20, a linkage 30, a swivel member 40, a lifting member 50, and a cover 60.

[0007] The cylinder 2 is cylindrical and is used to contain carbon powder. It has an opening 4 at one end and an axial direction A.

[0008] The base 10 includes a cover 12 fitted onto the opening 4, a powder outlet 13 located on the bottom side of the cover 12, a first guide 14 located on the first side 121 of the cover 12, a second guide 15 located on the first side 121 of the cover 12 and adjacent to the first guide 14, a third guide 16 located on the second side 122 of the cover 12, two sliding joints 17 located on the lower left and right sides of the cover 12, two elongated grooves 18 respectively located on the two sliding joints 17, and an upper sliding joint 19 located above the cover 12.

[0009] The cover 12 is round, and the powder outlet 13 communicates with the opening 4, as shown in Figure 12. The first guide section 14 is a guide groove, which, in the direction of the cylinder body 2, consists of a first initial horizontal section 141, a first downward sloping section 142, a first final horizontal section 143, and a first upward sloping section 144. The first final horizontal section 143 is lower than the first initial horizontal section 141. As shown in Figure 8, the second guide section 15 is also a guide groove and is located below the first guide section 14. In the direction of the cylinder body 2, it consists of a second initial horizontal section 151 approximately below the first downward sloping section 142, a second initial upward sloping section 152 approximately below the first horizontal section 142, and a second initial upward sloping section 152 approximately below the first horizontal section 142. Below the first final horizontal section 143, a second final horizontal section 153 is located approximately below the first final horizontal section 143, and a second final upward slope section 154 is located approximately below the first upward slope section 144. The position of the second final horizontal section 153 is higher than that of the second initial horizontal section 151. As shown in Figure 9, the third guide section 16 is also a guide groove, which consists of a third initial horizontal section 161, a third downward slope section 162, and a third final horizontal section 163 in sequence towards the cylinder body 2. The position of the third final horizontal section 163 is lower than that of the third initial horizontal section 161. Here, "horizontal" refers to being parallel to the axial direction A of the cylinder body 2, not an absolute horizontal concept.

[0010] Additionally, a first sealing element 11 is provided on the bottom side of the base 10 corresponding to the powder outlet 13. The first sealing element 11 has a central hole 111 corresponding to the powder outlet 13, as shown in Figure 10. The base 10 is made of plastic, but the material is not limited. The first sealing element 11 is made of foam. The extending directions of the lower sliding part 17, the long groove 18, and the upper sliding part 19 are all parallel to the axial direction A.

[0011] As shown in Figures 3-5 and 10, the slide block 20 has a body 21 slidably disposed on the base 10, a first sliding groove 22 located on the first side 211 of the body 21 and positioned opposite the first guide portion 14 and the second guide portion 15, a second sliding groove 23 located on the second side 212 of the body 21 and positioned opposite the third guide portion 16, two elastic arms 24 extending from the body 21, and a through hole 26 disposed on the body 21, wherein the ends of the two elastic arms 24 are... Two protruding hooks 25 extend outwards, and these two protruding hooks 25 respectively penetrate two long grooves 18 of the base 10. The main body 21 is generally annular and is slidably connected to the two sliding parts 17 and the upper sliding part 19, so that the slide 20 can move along the axis A from a first position P1 to a second position P2, then to a third position P3, and finally to a fourth position P4. The first sliding groove 22 and the second sliding groove 23 extend in the vertical direction and are approximately perpendicular to the axis A. The slide 20 is made of plastic, but the material is not limited.

[0012] The linkage 30 is vertically and vertically disposed between the slide block 20 and the first guide part 14. The linkage 30 has a first protrusion 32 extending into the first guide part 14, a first crossbar 34 passing through the first slide groove 22, and a first head 36 disposed at the end of the first crossbar 34 and located outside the first slide groove 22. The first protrusion 32 can move along the first guide part 14, the first crossbar 34 can move along the first slide groove 22, and the first head 36 restricts the linkage 30 from laterally disengaging from the first slide groove 22. Thus, as shown in Figure 12, when the slide block 20 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the first protrusion 32 moves from the first initial horizontal section 141 to the first downward inclined section 142, and the linkage 30 moves downward along the first slide groove 22 under the guidance of the first guide part 14; as shown in Figure 15, when the slide block 20 moves from the second position P2 to the third position P3, the first protrusion 32 moves from the first downward inclined section 142 to the first final horizontal section 143, and the linkage 30 does not move; as shown in Figure 18, when the slide block 20 moves from the third position P3 to the fourth position P4, the first protrusion 32 moves from the first final horizontal section 143 to the first upward inclined section 144, and the linkage 30 moves upward along the first slide groove 22 under the guidance of the first guide part 14.

[0013] The oscillating component 40 is located between the slide block 20 and the first guide portion 14. The oscillating component has a second protrusion 42 that can extend into the second guide portion 15, a second crossbar 44 pivotally mounted at the bottom end of the linkage 30, and a second head 46 located at the end of the second crossbar 44 and outside the first slide groove 22. The second protrusion 42 can move along the second guide portion 15, the second crossbar 44 can move along the first slide groove 22, and the second head 46 restricts the oscillating component 40 from laterally disengaging from the first slide groove 22. Thus, as shown in Figure 12, when the slide block 20 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the second protrusion 42 enters the second initial horizontal section 151 while the oscillating member 40 does not oscillate; as shown in Figure 15, when the slide block 20 moves from the second position P2 to the third position P3, the second protrusion 42 moves from the second initial horizontal section 151 to the second initial upward inclined section 152, and the oscillating member 40 is guided by the second guide part 15 and oscillates around the second crossbar 44; as shown in Figure 18, when the slide block 20 moves from the third position P3 to the fourth position P4, the second protrusion 42 moves from the second final horizontal section 153 to the second final upward inclined section 154, and the oscillating member 40 moves upward together with the linkage 30.

[0014] The lifting member 50 is vertically and flexibly disposed between the slide block 20 and the third guide part 16. The lifting member 50 has a third protrusion 52 extending into the third guide part 16, a third crossbar 54 passing through the second slide groove 23, and a third head 56 disposed at the end of the third crossbar 54 and located outside the second slide groove 23. The third protrusion 52 can move along the third guide part 16, the third crossbar 54 can move along the second slide groove 23, and the third head 56 restricts the lifting member 50 from laterally disengaging from the second slide groove 23. Therefore, as shown in Figure 13, when the slide block 20 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the third protrusion 52 moves within the third initial horizontal section 161, and the lifting member 50 does not move up or down; as shown in Figure 16, when the slide block 20 moves from the second position P2 to the third position P3, the third protrusion 52 moves from the third initial horizontal section 161 to the third downward inclined section 162, and the lifting member 50 moves downward along the second slide groove 23 under the guidance of the third guide part 16; as shown in Figure 19, when the slide block 20 moves from the third position P3 to the fourth position P4, the third protrusion 52 continues to move within the third downward inclined section 162, and the lifting member 50 continues to move downward along the second slide groove 23 under the guidance of the third guide part 16.

[0015] The cover 60 is snapped together with the base 10, which can protect other internal components and make the structure of the base 10 (especially the sliding joint 17) more stable.

[0016] When the toner cartridge 1 is assembled into the electron imaging device, the toner outlet 13 needs to be connected with a toner inlet 70 to facilitate the delivery of toner into the electron imaging device, as shown in Figures 7-10. The toner outlet 13 is originally closed by the body 21 of the slide 20 located at the first position P1, while two pivotable and linked sealing doors 72 are provided next to the toner inlet 70 of the electron imaging device to cover the toner inlet 70. During the process of the toner cartridge 1 moving forward (i.e. moving in the direction of the arrow in Figure 10), the protrusion 25 protruding from the long groove 18 will first embed into the recess 74 of the electron imaging device, as shown in Figure 6, so that the slide 20 together with the linkage 30, the swinging member 40 and the lifting member 50 cannot move forward with the cylinder 2 and the base 10. As the base 10 continues to advance, its first guide 14 drives the linkage 30 and the swivel member downwards, while the lifting member 50 remains stationary, as shown in Figures 11-13. When the slide 20 reaches the second position P2, the swivel member 40 has moved downwards between the two sealing doors 72. When the base 10 advances further to the third position P3, the second guide 15 drives the swivel member 40 to swivel and turn the sealing door 72 in front forward. Since the two sealing doors 72 have a linkage structure (not shown), the sealing door 72 in the rear also rotates backwards. At the same time, the third guide 16 drives the lifting member 50 downwards to abut against the sealing door 72 in front, as shown in Figures 14-16. When the toner cartridge 1 moves forward to the positioning position, the slide 20 moves relative to the base 10 to the fourth position P4. The third guide 16 drives the lifting member 50 to move further downward and presses down the front sealing door 72. Simultaneously, the rear sealing door 72 rotates backward, so that the toner inlet 70 is fully opened. The first guide 14 drives the linkage 30 to move slightly upward, and the second guide 15 drives the swing member to move upward with the linkage 30 to avoid the front sealing door 72. As shown in Figures 17-20, the powder outlet 13, the perforation 26, and the powder inlet 70 are arranged from top to bottom and are correspondingly connected to each other. The first sealing member 11 is located between the base 10 and the slide 20, and the second sealing member 76 above the powder inlet 70 is attached to the bottom side of the slide 20. This forms a sealed channel, allowing the toner in the toner cartridge 1 to be smoothly transported to the electronic imaging device, and preventing toner leakage during the assembly process, thereby achieving the purpose of this invention.

[0017] Based on the design spirit of this invention, the structure of the toner cartridge 1 can have other variations. For example, the first guide portion 14, the second guide portion 15, and the third guide portion 16 are not necessarily guide grooves or recesses, but can also be changed to convex portions, while the linkage 30, the oscillating member 40, and the lifting member 50 have matching recesses; the first sliding groove 22 allows other parts of the linkage 30 and the oscillating member 40 to extend into it, and the second sliding groove 23 allows other parts of the lifting member 50 to extend into it. All such easily conceivable structural variations should be covered by the scope of the patent application of this invention.

[0018] 1: Toner cartridge 2: Body 4: Opening A: Axial 10: Base 11: First seal 111: Center Hole 12: Cover 121: First side 122: Second side 13: Powder outlet 14: First Guiding Section 141: First initial level segment 142: First downward slope 143: First final horizontal segment 144: First Upward Slope 15: Second Guiding Section 151: Second initial level segment 152: Second initial upward slope segment 153: Second final horizontal segment 154: Second final upward sloping section 16: Third Guiding Section 161: Third initial level segment 162: Third downward slope section 163: Third final horizontal segment 17: Slide down 18: Long slot 19: Upper sliding joint 20: Slide 21:Ontology 211: First side 212: Second side 22: First Slide 23: Second Slide 24: Flexible Arm 25: Convex hook 26: piercing P1: First position P2: Second position P3: Third position P4: Fourth Position 30: Linkage components 32: First convex post 34: First horizontal bar 36: First Head 40: Rotating Ornament 42: Second convex post 44: Second horizontal bar 46: Second head 50: Lifting component 52: Third convex post 54: Third horizontal bar 56: Third Head 60: Cover piece 70:Powder entry 72: Sealing off the door 74: concave part 76: Second seal

Claims

1. A toner cartridge, comprising: a cylindrical body having an opening at one end; a base including a cover sleeved to the opening, a toner outlet disposed on the cover, a first guide portion disposed on a first side of the cover, a second guide portion disposed on the first side of the cover and adjacent to the first guide portion, and a third guide portion disposed on a second side of the cover; a slide having a body slidably disposed on the base and a through hole disposed on the body, the slide being movable from a first position toward the cylindrical body to a second position, then to a third position, and finally to a fourth position; and a linkage disposed vertically on the slide, wherein when the slide moves from the first position to the second position, the linkage is guided downward by the first guide portion. A swivel component, pivotally mounted on the linkage, swings when the slide moves from the second position to the third position, guided by the second guide portion; and a lifting component, vertically mounted on the slide, moves downward when the slide moves from the second position to the fourth position, guided by the third guide portion; when the slide is in the fourth position, the powder outlet and the perforation are interconnected.

2. The toner cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slide further includes two elastic arms extending from the body, each of the two elastic arms extending outward with a hook, and the base further includes two elongated grooves through which the two hooks pass.

3. The toner cartridge as described in claim 1, wherein the first guide portion is a guide groove.

4. The toner cartridge as described in claim 3, wherein the linkage has a first protrusion extending into the first guide portion.

5. The toner cartridge as described in claim 1, wherein the second guide is a guide groove.

6. The toner cartridge as claimed in claim 5, wherein the oscillating member has a second protrusion extending into the second guide portion.

7. The toner cartridge as described in claim 1, wherein the third guide is a guide groove.

8. The toner cartridge as claimed in claim 7, wherein the lifting member has a third protrusion extending into the third guide portion.

9. The toner cartridge as claimed in claim 1 further includes a first seal disposed on the base and abutting against the slide, the first seal having a central hole corresponding to the toner outlet.

10. The toner cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first side of the body of the slide has a first groove into which the linkage and the oscillating member partially extend.

11. The toner cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second side of the body of the slide has a second groove for partial extension of the lifting member.

12. The toner cartridge as described in claim 1 further includes a cover that snaps onto the base.

13. The toner cartridge as described in claim 1, wherein the linkage does not move when the slide moves from the second position to the third position.

14. The toner cartridge as described in claim 1, wherein when the slide moves from the third position to the fourth position, the linkage is guided upward by the first guide.

15. The toner cartridge as described in claim 1, wherein the oscillating element does not oscillate when the slide moves from the first position to the second position.

16. The toner cartridge as described in claim 1, wherein the lifting element does not move up or down when the slide moves from the first position to the second position.