Powder boxes and electronic imaging equipment

Abstract

The application provides a powder box and an electronic imaging device, wherein the powder box is arranged in the electronic imaging device, the powder box comprises a box body, an installation cavity is arranged in the box body, a developer container, a developing roller, a photosensitive drum and a charging roller are arranged in the installation cavity, an opening is arranged on the box body, the opening is communicated with the installation cavity, a cleaning sponge assembly is arranged in the installation cavity, the cleaning sponge assembly comprises a cleaning sponge, the cleaning sponge is adjacent to the radial outer surface of the charging roller, the cleaning sponge moves towards the opening and penetrates through the opening, and the above structure is adopted. When the cleaning sponge is replaced, the cleaning sponge can be taken out from the opening, and the cleaning sponge is installed into the installation cavity through the opening. In the process of replacing the cleaning sponge, the box body does not need to be disassembled, the replacement difficulty of the cleaning sponge is reduced, and the replacement time is effectively shortened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of electronic imaging, and in particular to a powder box and electronic imaging equipment. Background Art

[0002] Electrophotographic imaging devices typically include a removable toner cartridge. The cartridge typically contains a photosensitive drum, a charging roller, a developing device, and a developer container. The developer container stores developer and supplies an appropriate amount of developer to the developing device. The developing device then supplies developer to the photosensitive drum surface. The charging roller charges the drum surface by contacting it. The developer supplied by the developing device transforms the electrostatic latent image formed on the drum surface into a visible image. This visible image is then transferred to paper, fixed, and printed, and then discharged from the device.

[0003] In a powder cartridge, the charging roller contacts the surface of the photosensitive drum to charge the drum. Occasionally, developer from the photosensitive drum surface is transferred and attached to the charging roller. Therefore, to reduce the impact of excessive developer adhering to the charging roller and affecting the charging effect, a cleaning sponge is also provided in the powder cartridge with the charging roller. The cleaning sponge is fixed to the upper cover of the powder cartridge and has a suitable interference fit with the charging roller. As the charging roller rotates, the sponge rubs against the surface of the charging roller, thereby cleaning the developer from the charging roller. However, in existing powder cartridges, the cleaning sponge is sealed and fixed within the powder cartridge body. Each time the sponge is replaced, the cartridge body must be disassembled, making replacement more difficult. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A first object of the present invention is to provide a powder box that reduces the difficulty of replacing a cleaning sponge in the powder box.

[0005] A second object of the present invention is to provide an electronic imaging device comprising the above powder box.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned first purpose, the present invention provides a powder box including a box body, an installation chamber is provided in the box body, the installation chamber is used to install a developer container, a developing roller, a photosensitive drum and a charging roller, an opening is provided on the box body, the opening is connected to the installation chamber, a cleaning sponge assembly is provided in the installation chamber, the cleaning sponge assembly includes a cleaning sponge, the cleaning sponge is adjacent to the radial outer surface of the charging roller, and the cleaning sponge is used to move toward the opening and pass through the opening.

[0007] It can be seen from the above scheme that since the cleaning sponge needs to be set in the installation chamber adjacent to the charging roller, an opening is provided on the box body. When replacing the cleaning sponge, the cleaning sponge can be taken out from the opening and then installed into the installation chamber through the opening. During the process of replacing the cleaning sponge, there is no need to disassemble the box body, which reduces the difficulty of replacing the cleaning sponge and effectively shortens the replacement time.

[0008] A further solution is that the cleaning sponge assembly includes a sponge fixing frame, and the cleaning sponge is arranged on the outer surface of the sponge fixing frame; an installation groove is provided on the inner side wall of the installation chamber, and the sponge fixing frame is arranged in the installation groove.

[0009] It can be seen that the installation groove is used to install the sponge fixing frame in the installation chamber. The installation groove supports or engages the sponge fixing frame, thereby fixing the cleaning sponge on the sponge fixing frame in the installation chamber, while achieving the adjacency between the cleaning sponge and the charging roller. The extension direction of the installation groove can also guide the installation of the sponge fixing frame in the installation chamber.

[0010] A further solution is that the fixing frame is long and extending in a direction parallel to the axis of the charging roller, and a plurality of cleaning sponges are provided on the outer surface of the fixing frame, which are radially arranged from the center line of the fixing frame in the length direction.

[0011] It can be seen that multiple cleaning sponges are radially arranged along the center line of the fixed frame. A spacing is formed between the cleaning ends of each cleaning sponge in this structure. When one cleaning sponge is in contact with the charging roller, the other cleaning sponges are not in contact with the charging roller. When the cleaning capacity of one cleaning sponge is exhausted, the fixed frame can be rotated to make another cleaning sponge adjacent to the charging roller, thereby realizing replacement of the cleaning sponge.

[0012] A further solution is that the fixing frame is in an elongated strip shape, the length extension direction of the fixing frame is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the charging roller, and the cleaning sponge is coated on the outer surface of the fixing frame along the width direction of the fixing frame.

[0013] It can be seen that the cleaning sponge covers the outer surface of the fixing frame. When the fixing frame rotates, there is no need to limit the rotation angle. The cleaning sponge can be brought into contact with the outer surface of the charging roller by rotating the fixing frame at will.

[0014] A further solution is that the fixing frame is long and parallel to the axis of the charging roller. The cross section of the fixing frame cut along the width direction is square, and the cleaning sponge is arranged on one side of the fixing frame.

[0015] It can be seen that the square fixing frame is set on the fixing groove. When the charging roller contacts the surface of the cleaning sponge, the rotating charging roller is difficult to drive the fixing frame to rotate, so that the cleaning sponge on the square fixing frame is not easy to rotate with the rotation of the charging roller, so that the square fixing frame can clean the rotating charging roller more stably.

[0016] A further solution is that a mounting fixture is detachably provided on the inner side wall of the mounting chamber, and the mounting groove is located on the mounting fixture.

[0017] It can be seen that the installation groove is set on the installation fixture, and the installation fixture is detachably set in the installation chamber. The installation fixture is used as an intermediate medium to achieve the universality of the cleaning sponge installation in the box body, without the need for the cleaning sponge to correspond one to one with the box body.

[0018] A further solution is that a support surface is provided on the mounting groove, the support surface is used to support or interference fit the fixing frame, and the support surface is an inclined plane, an arc surface or a horizontal surface.

[0019] It can be seen that different shapes of the supporting surface can adapt to different shapes of the fixing brackets, so that the fixing brackets can be more firmly installed on the mounting groove.

[0020] A further solution is that a guide plate is provided at the opening, and the guide plate extends from the opening toward the installation chamber and is arranged obliquely.

[0021] It can be seen that the guide plate is used to guide the fixing frame when it passes through the opening and enters the installation chamber, so that it can move accurately toward the charging roller.

[0022] A further solution is that the cleaning sponge assembly includes a pull rod, one end of the pull rod is connected to the cleaning sponge, and the other end of the pull rod is located outside the box body.

[0023] It can be seen that when replacing the cleaning sponge, the cleaning sponge can be pulled by the pull strip so that one end of the cleaning sponge passes through the opening, and then the cleaning sponge can be removed from the installation chamber more quickly. The pull strip is thin and does not affect the closing of the box body itself.

[0024] To achieve the second objective, the electronic imaging device provided by the present invention includes the powder box as described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional diagram of an embodiment of a powder box of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a powder box of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 1 is a structural diagram of a first embodiment of a cleaning sponge assembly in a powder box embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 1 is a structural diagram of a second embodiment of the cleaning sponge assembly in a powder box embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 5 1 is a structural diagram of a third embodiment of the cleaning sponge assembly in a powder box embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 Enlarged view of point A.

[0031] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The powder box of the present invention is used in electronic imaging equipment, including printers, copiers, etc. The powder box of the present invention adopts an open cleaning sponge setting method to reduce the difficulty of replacing the cleaning sponge in the powder box body.

[0033] See also Figure 1 The powder box of the present invention comprises a box body 1, which comprises an installation box 11 and a cover 12. The installation box 11 is provided with an installation cavity 13. When the cover 12 covers the installation box 11, the cover 12 covers the installation cavity 13. Figure 2 The mounting chamber 13 is used to mount a developer container 14, a developing roller 15, a photosensitive drum 16, and a charging roller 17. The developer container 14 is located at the bottom of the housing 1, the developing roller 15 is positioned adjacent to the developer container 14, and the photosensitive drum 16 is positioned between the developing roller 15 and the charging roller 17. During printing, paper passes between the photosensitive drum 16 and the developing roller 15. The housing 1 is also provided with a gear transmission assembly for driving the developing roller 15, the photosensitive drum 16, and the charging roller 17 to rotate.

[0034] A cleaning sponge assembly 2 is disposed within the mounting chamber 13 and is used to clean developer adhered to the charging roller 17. The cleaning sponge assembly 2 is installed in an open manner within the housing 1. Specifically, the cover 12 is provided with an opening 121, which communicates with the mounting chamber 13. When installing or removing the cleaning sponge assembly 2 from the mounting chamber 13, the cleaning sponge assembly 2 enters or exits the mounting chamber 13 through the opening 121. This eliminates the need to disassemble the housing 1 to replace the cleaning sponge assembly 2, thus simplifying replacement. In this embodiment, the opening 121 in the cover 12 extends axially along the charging roller 17. The length and width of the opening 121 are configured to accommodate the entry and exit of the cleaning sponge assembly 2.

[0035] The cleaning sponge assembly 2 includes a cleaning sponge 21, a mounting bracket 22, and a mounting fixture 23. The cleaning sponge 21 is mounted on the mounting bracket 22, which is then mounted within the mounting chamber 13 via the mounting fixture 23. Within the mounting chamber 13, the cleaning sponge 21 is adjacent to the radially outer surface of the charging roller 17. The cleaning sponge 21 can be positioned toward the opening 121 and can be moved through the opening 121. The relative positional relationship between the cleaning sponge 21 and the charging roller 17 can be various. The cleaning sponge 21 can be positioned above, at the same level as, or below the charging roller 17. The position of the cleaning sponge 21 only needs to meet the following requirements: adjacent to the outer surface of the charging roller 17 and able to move toward and through the opening 121.

[0036] See also Figure 3 In a first embodiment, the mounting frame 22 is elongated and extends parallel to the axis of the charging roller 17. Multiple cleaning sponges 21 are arranged on the outer surface of the mounting frame 22, radiating from the centerline of the mounting frame 22 in the longitudinal direction. This structure creates a gap between the cleaning ends of each cleaning sponge 21. When one cleaning sponge 21 is in contact with the charging roller 17, the other cleaning sponges 21 are not. When the cleaning capacity of one cleaning sponge 21 is exhausted, the mounting frame 22 can be rotated to bring another cleaning sponge 21 into contact with the charging roller 17, allowing replacement of the cleaning sponge 21. In this embodiment, the cross-section of the mounting frame 22 along its width is polygonal, with rounded corners between each pair of adjacent sides. The cleaning sponges 21 are rectangular.

[0037] See also Figure 4 As a second embodiment, the fixing frame 22 is in the shape of an elongated strip, and the length extension direction of the fixing frame 22 is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the charging roller 17. The cleaning sponge 21 is covered on the outer surface of the fixing frame 22 along the width direction of the fixing frame 22, and the cleaning sponge 21 is in the shape of a circular ring. When the fixing frame 22 is rotated, there is no need to limit the rotation angle. The cleaning sponge 21 can be adjacent to the outer surface of the charging roller 17 by rotating the fixing frame 22 at will.

[0038] See also Figure 5 In a third embodiment, the fixing frame 22 is elongated and arranged parallel to the axial direction of the charging roller 17. The fixing frame 22 has a square cross-section along its width. The cleaning sponge 21 is disposed on one side of the fixing frame 22 along its width. In this embodiment, the cleaning sponge 21 has a convex cross-section along its width. The side of the cleaning sponge 21 with a larger area serves as the cleaning surface, while the side of the cleaning sponge 21 with a smaller area serves as the mounting surface in contact with the fixing frame 22. This arrangement of the cleaning sponge 21 prevents the rotating charging roller 17 from driving the fixing frame 22 to rotate when the charging roller 17 contacts the surface of the cleaning sponge 21. This prevents the cleaning sponge 21 on the square fixing frame 22 from rotating with the rotation of the charging roller 17, allowing the square fixing frame 22 to more stably clean the rotating charging roller 17.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the length of the mounting bracket 22 is greater than the length of the cleaning sponge 21 along its lengthwise direction. A mounting groove 3 is provided on the inner sidewall of the mounting chamber 13, and the sponge mounting bracket 22 is disposed within the mounting groove 3. There are various ways to provide the mounting groove 3 on the inner sidewall of the mounting chamber 13, such as using a mounting fixture 23 as an intermediate medium, with the mounting groove 3 disposed thereon, or directly formed on the inner sidewall of the mounting chamber 13. Using the mounting fixture 23 as an intermediate medium improves the versatility of the cleaning sponge 21, allowing sponges 21 of various shapes to be readily installed within the housing 1. The sponge mounting bracket 22 is mounted within the mounting chamber 13 using the mounting groove 3. The mounting groove 3 supports or engages the sponge mounting bracket 22, thereby securing the cleaning sponge 21 on the sponge mounting bracket 22 within the mounting chamber 13 and ensuring abutment between the cleaning sponge 21 and the charging roller 17. Furthermore, the extending direction of the mounting groove 3 also guides the installation of the sponge mounting bracket 22 within the mounting chamber 13.

[0040] See also Figure 6 In this embodiment, the mounting member 23 is provided with a mounting groove 3, and the mounting groove 3 is provided with an opening 31. The fixing frame 22 enters the mounting groove 3 through the opening 31. The mounting groove 3 is provided with a support surface 32, which is used to support or interference fit the fixing frame 22. The support surface 32 is an inclined plane, an arcuate surface, or a horizontal surface. As in the first embodiment, the mounting member 23 provided with the mounting groove 3 is in a "concave" shape, and the fixing frame 22 is located in the mounting groove 3 at the center of the mounting member 23. The support surface 32 of the mounting groove 3 can be an inclined plane or a horizontal surface. Since the opening 31 of the mounting groove 3 can be set toward or away from the opening 121 of the box body 1, in order to ensure the stability of the fixing frame 22 in the mounting groove 3, an elastic block 33 can be provided on the inner side wall of the mounting groove 3, or the support surface 32 can be an elastic surface, so as to better clamp the fixing frame 22 by utilizing elasticity. In the second embodiment, the support surface 32 can be curved to facilitate supporting the cylindrical fixing frame 22. In the third embodiment, the support surface 32 can be an inclined plane or a horizontal plane to support the square fixing frame 22. In this embodiment, the opening 31 of the mounting groove 3 can be oriented toward or away from the opening 121 of the box body 1. The direction of the opening 31 of the mounting groove 3 determines whether the mounting groove 3 uses a supporting or engaging method to fix the fixing frame 22.

[0041] The mounting fixture 23 can be fixed or removably secured within the mounting chamber 13. When the mounting fixture 23 is removably secured within the mounting chamber 13, a support hook is protruded from the inner sidewall of the mounting chamber 13 at the location corresponding to the mounting fixture 23, and the support hook supports the mounting block. Along the axial direction of the charging roller 17, the mounting fixture 23 is provided on at least one of the two sidewalls of the mounting chamber 13. One end of the mounting bracket 22 extends through the housing 1 along the axial direction of the charging roller 17, facilitating charging of the mounting bracket 22. This allows the cleaning sponge 21 to be charged with an opposite charge to the developer, thereby better absorbing the developer attached to the charging roller 17.

[0042] A guide plate 4 is provided at the opening 121, extending and slanting from the opening 121 toward the mounting chamber 13. The guide plate 4 serves to guide the mounting frame 22 as it passes through the opening 121 and enters the mounting chamber 13, allowing it to accurately move toward the charging roller 17. A guide groove 41 may also be provided on the inner sidewall of the mounting chamber 13. The mounting frame 22 is positioned within the guide groove 41 and moves along the extension direction of the guide groove 41, which in turn moves toward the charging roller 17.

[0043] The cleaning sponge assembly 2 includes a pull strip, one end of which is connected to the cleaning sponge 21, and the other end of the pull strip is located outside the box body 1; when replacing the cleaning sponge 21, the cleaning sponge 21 can be pulled by the pull strip so that one end of the cleaning sponge 21 passes through the opening 121, and then the cleaning sponge 21 can be removed from the installation chamber 13 more quickly. The pull strip can be a sticker or a thin rope, so that the pull strip is thinner and does not affect the closing of the cover body 12 itself.

[0044] When installing the cleaning sponge 21 in the installation chamber 13, the guide plate guides the fixing frame 22 through the opening 121 of the housing 1 and moves toward the charging roller 17. The fixing member 23 is then positioned in the installation chamber 13, completing the installation of the cleaning sponge 21 in the installation chamber 13. To remove the cleaning sponge 21, pull the tie bar to allow one end of the fixing frame 22 to pass through the opening 121, and then remove the fixing frame 22, completing the removal of the cleaning sponge 21.

[0045] Finally, it should be emphasized that the above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various changes and modifications. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A powder box, characterized in that: The invention comprises a box body, wherein an installation chamber is provided in the box body, wherein the installation chamber is used for installing a developer container, a developing roller, a photosensitive drum and a charging roller, an opening is provided on the box body, wherein the opening is communicated with the installation chamber, a cleaning sponge assembly is provided in the installation chamber, wherein the cleaning sponge assembly comprises a cleaning sponge, and the cleaning sponge is adjacent to the radial outer surface of the charging roller, and when the cleaning sponge assembly is installed or removed in the installation chamber, the cleaning sponge assembly is moved toward the opening and passes through the opening, thereby allowing the cleaning sponge assembly to enter or exit the installation chamber without disassembling the box body.

2. The powder box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning sponge assembly includes a sponge fixing frame, and the cleaning sponge is arranged on the outer surface of the sponge fixing frame; An installation groove is provided on the inner side wall of the installation chamber, and the sponge fixing frame is arranged in the installation groove.

3. The powder box according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fixing frame is in the shape of an elongated strip, and its length extension direction is parallel to the axial direction of the charging roller. A plurality of cleaning sponges are provided on the outer surface of the fixing frame, and the plurality of cleaning sponges are radially arranged from the center line of the fixing frame in the length direction.

4. The powder box according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fixing frame is in an elongated strip shape, and a length extension direction of the fixing frame is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the charging roller. The cleaning sponge is coated on an outer surface of the fixing frame along a width direction of the fixing frame.

5. The powder box according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fixing frame is in the shape of an elongated strip, the length extension direction of the fixing frame is arranged parallel to the axial direction of the charging roller, the cross section of the fixing frame cut along the width direction of the fixing frame is square, and the cleaning sponge is arranged on one side of the fixing frame.

6. The powder box according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: An installation fixture is detachably provided on the inner side wall of the installation chamber, and the installation slot is located on the installation fixture.

7. The powder box according to claim 6, characterized in that: A supporting surface is provided on the mounting groove, and the supporting surface is used to support or interference fit the fixing bracket, and the supporting surface is an inclined plane, an arc-shaped surface or a horizontal surface.

8. The powder box according to claim 1, characterized in that: A guide plate is provided at the opening, and the guide plate extends from the opening toward the installation cavity and is arranged obliquely.

9. The powder box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning sponge assembly includes a pull rod, one end of which is connected to the cleaning sponge, and the other end of which is located outside the box body.

10. Electronic imaging equipment, characterized in that: The powder box comprises the powder box according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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