Face cover, developing cartridge, and process cartridge

Abstract

The present application provides a face cover, which is used to form a cavity for containing toner in combination with a housing, a developer rotatably installed on the combination of the face cover and the housing for supplying toner outward, and the face cover comprises a face cover main body and a conductive sheet integrally formed with the face cover main body; the conductive sheet forms a capacitor with the developer for detecting the toner residual amount, and the area of the conductive sheet in contact with the toner is not less than 5000 square millimeters, so that the capacitance value of the capacitor formed by the conductive assembly and the developer can be accurately measured.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to the utility model application filed by the applicant with the Chinese Patent Office on February 24, 2022, entitled "Processing Box" and application number CN202220382966.6, and the utility model application filed by the applicant with the Chinese Patent Office on July 28, 2022, entitled "Face Cover, Developing Box and Processing Box" and application number 202221977351.4, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of electrophotographic imaging. Background Technology

[0003] A processing cartridge that can be detachably installed into an electronic imaging device (hereinafter referred to as "the device") includes a developing unit, a photosensitive unit and an end cap located at the longitudinal end of the processing cartridge, which are connected to each other. The developing unit includes a developing housing, a developing element, a stirring rack and a conductive component, and the photosensitive unit includes a photosensitive drum.

[0004] The stirring rack is used to stir the toner contained in the developing housing to prevent toner from clumping. When the processing cartridge is installed in the device, the drive force receiver at the end of the photosensitive drum receives the drive force from the device and transmits the drive force to the stirring rack and developing unit to drive them to work.

[0005] The conductive assembly includes a separately formed conductive head and a conductive sheet, as well as an intermediate conductive element located between them. The conductive head is disposed on the end cap of the processing cartridge, and the conductive sheet is disposed on the developing housing. The conductive head is electrically connected to the conductive sheet through the intermediate conductive element. After the processing cartridge is installed in the equipment, the electrical contact pins in the equipment contact the conductive head to form an electrical connection. The equipment detects the capacitance value between the conductive assembly and the developing element to determine the amount of toner in the developing housing. Summary of the Invention

[0006] As mentioned above, the toner balance is determined by the capacitance between the developing element and the conductive component. Therefore, improving the detection accuracy of the capacitance value is one of the research directions. This invention adopts the following technical solution to improve the detection accuracy of the capacitance value:

[0007] A cover, used to combine with the housing to form a cavity for containing toner, and a developing element rotatably mounted on the combination of the cover and the housing for supplying toner outward, the cover includes a cover body and a conductive sheet integrally formed with the cover body; the conductive sheet and the developing agent form a capacitor for detecting the remaining toner, and the contact area between the conductive sheet and the toner is not less than 5000 square millimeters.

[0008] Along the front-to-back direction, the cavity includes a developing chamber located at the front and a powder chamber located at the rear, and the developing element is rotatably installed in the developing chamber; the conductive assembly includes a second conductive sheet and a first conductive sheet distributed along the front-to-back direction, wherein the first conductive sheet is located in the powder chamber and the second conductive sheet is located in the developing chamber.

[0009] The first conductive sheet has an area of ​​not less than 4000 square millimeters for contact with the toner, and the second conductive sheet has an area of ​​not less than 1000 square millimeters for contact with the toner.

[0010] The present invention also provides a developing cartridge, the developing cartridge comprising a cover as described above, a housing coupled to the cover, and a partition located between the cover and the housing, the partition being provided with a toner outlet for allowing toner to pass through.

[0011] Furthermore, the developing cartridge also includes a conductive head electrically connected to the conductive sheet, the conductive head being used for electrical contact with a power output component outside the assembly, the conductive head being integrally formed with or separate from the conductive sheet.

[0012] The present invention also provides a processing cartridge, which includes a photosensitive drum cartridge and a developing cartridge as described above, wherein the photosensitive drum cartridge and the developing cartridge are combined with each other.

[0013] As described above, by setting the area in the conductive component that is used to contact the toner to the above value, the capacitance value of the capacitor formed by the conductive component and the developing element can be accurately measured. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the processing box involved in the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of some components of the processing box involved in the present invention.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the toner adjusting component in the developing cartridge after it has been separated from the developing housing, as per the present invention.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a side view taken from the drive end along the left-right direction of the processing box involved in the present invention.

[0018] Figure 5 It is along Figure 1 A sectional view cut along the AA direction.

[0019] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of some components of the conductive end of the processing box involved in the present invention.

[0020] Figure 7A This is a perspective view of the conductive component after it has been separated from the main body of the face cover, as per the present invention.

[0021] Figure 7B yes Figure 7A A magnified schematic diagram of a local area R1.

[0022] Figure 7C yes Figure 7A A magnified schematic diagram of the local area R2.

[0023] Figure 8A This is a perspective view of the cover facing the toner receiving cavity side of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 8B This is a perspective view of the side of the cover facing away from the toner receiving cavity, which is part of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 9 It is the rear edge of the hidden photosensitive drum box Figure 1 A sectional view cut along the AA direction.

[0026] Figure 10A This is a three-dimensional view of the first type of deformed conductive component after it has been installed on the faceplate.

[0027] Figure 10B This is a three-dimensional view of the conductive component of the second deformed shape after it has been installed on the faceplate.

[0028] Figure 10C This is a three-dimensional view of the conductive component of the third deformed shape after it has been installed on the faceplate.

[0029] Figure 10D This is a three-dimensional view of the conductive component of the fourth deformed shape after it has been installed on the faceplate.

[0030] Figure 10E This is a three-dimensional view of the fifth type of deformed conductive component after it has been installed on the faceplate. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the processing box involved in the present invention; Figure 2 This is an exploded view of some components of the processing box involved in the present invention; Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the toner adjusting component in the developing cartridge after it has been separated from the developing housing, as per the present invention. Figure 4 This is a side view taken from the drive end along the left-right direction of the processing box involved in the present invention.

[0032] For ease of description, the state of the processing box 100 when it is installed in the equipment is taken as the standard. The length direction of the processing box 100 is the left-right direction, the width direction of the processing box 100 is the front-back direction, forward is the installation direction, backward is the removal direction, and the height direction of the processing box 100 is the up-down direction.

[0033] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4As shown, the processing cartridge 100 includes a developer cartridge 10 and a photosensitive drum cartridge 20 joined together. The developer cartridge 10 includes a developer housing 101 and a developer element 13 and a stirring frame 71 rotatably mounted on the developer housing. The photosensitive drum cartridge 20 includes a photosensitive housing 201 and a photosensitive drum 21 rotatably mounted on the photosensitive housing. The developer housing has a cavity 102 for containing toner. The developer element 13 is used to supply the toner contained in the developer housing to the outside. The stirring frame 71 is used to stir the toner and supply the toner to the developer element 13. The photosensitive drum 21 is used to contact the developer element 13 and carry the toner supplied by the developer element. A drive force receiver (not shown) at the end of the photosensitive drum 21 is used to receive the drive force in the device. Therefore, the developer cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100 can also be referred to as a toner cartridge. The side where the drive force receiver is located is referred to as the drive end F of the processing cartridge 100, and the side opposite to the drive end F in the left-right direction is the conductive end E. The processing box 100 also includes a first cover 31 for supporting and protecting the photosensitive drum 21.

[0034] The processing cartridge 100 also includes a second cover 32 and a third cover 33 that are separated from each other. The second cover 32 and the third cover 33 are located at the two longitudinal ends of the processing cartridge 100, respectively, for combining the developing cartridge 10 and the photosensitive drum cartridge 20. The developing element 13 is located between the second cover 32 and the third cover 33. In some embodiments, the developing element 13 is supported by both the second cover 32 and the third cover 33.

[0035] The developing housing 101 includes a first housing 11 and a second housing 12 joined together. The first housing 11 and the second housing 12 can be connected by heat welding or screws. In this embodiment, heat welding is preferred to ensure that no gaps are formed at the connection point, which could lead to toner leakage. Screws can be used to further ensure the firmness of the connection. The developing housing also includes a toner outlet 72 for supplying toner to the developing element.

[0036] [Agitator Gear]

[0037] The processing box 100 also includes a photosensitive drum gear 50 located at the longitudinal end of the photosensitive drum 21, a developer gear 60 located at the longitudinal end of the developer 13, and a stirrer gear 70 located at the longitudinal end of the stirrer 71. The developer gear 60 and the stirrer gear 70 are covered by a second cover 32 to prevent damage to the gears due to external forces. A protrusion 321 extends from the lower part of the second cover 32 away from the second cover 32 to cover the stirrer gear 70, which can prevent the stirrer gear 70 from interfering with the equipment when the processing box 100 is installed.

[0038] The photosensitive drum gear 50 meshes with the developing element gear 60, which in turn meshes with the agitator gear 70. In the front-to-back direction, the developing element gear 60 is located behind the photosensitive drum gear 50, while the agitator gear 70 is further away from the photosensitive drum 21 than the developing element gear 60. After receiving driving force, the photosensitive drum 21 transmits this force to the developing element gear 60 via the photosensitive drum gear 50. The developing element gear 60 then directly transmits the driving force to the agitator gear 70. In other words, the developing element gear 60 and the agitator gear 70 mesh directly without the need for an intermediate gear. Eliminating the intermediate gear shortens the transmission path, reduces the number of parts, and lowers the complexity of installation. The agitator 71 is equipped with mounting posts 73 for mounting agitator blades (not shown). These blades agitate and transport the toner as the agitator rotates.

[0039] Since this embodiment adopts a technical solution in which the developing element gear 60 directly meshes with the stirring rack gear 70, and does not involve the photosensitive drum 20, this technical solution is also applicable to developing cartridges without a photosensitive drum 20. In this case, the developing element gear 60 serves as a driving force receiver to receive driving force from the device. Alternatively, a driving force receiver to receive driving force from the device can be provided in the developing cartridge. Subsequently, the driving force receiver transmits the driving force to at least one of the developing element gear 60 and the stirring rack gear 70.

[0040] In this embodiment, since the position and diameter of the developing element gear 60 cannot be changed, the developing element gear 60 directly meshes with the stirring frame gear 70, reducing the number of intermediate gears. Therefore, the diameter R of the stirring frame gear 70 (e.g., Figure 3 As shown, corresponding changes will occur. When the stirring rack 71 is infinitely close to the powder outlet 72, the diameter R of the selected stirring rack gear 70 is 30mm; during the installation of the processing box 100, when the stirring rack gear 70 interferes with the equipment, the diameter R of the selected stirring rack gear 70 is 80mm. Therefore, the design range of the diameter R of the selected stirring rack gear 70 is 30mm-80mm. In this embodiment, the diameter R of the stirring rack gear 70 is preferably 40mm. On the one hand, there is a distance between the stirring rack 71 and the powder outlet 72, which will not obstruct the smooth delivery of toner. On the other hand, the diameter R of the stirring rack gear 70 is increased compared to the original, and correspondingly, the number of teeth of the gear is also increased, the gear transmission ratio is increased, and the rotation speed of the stirring rack gear 70 is increased, which makes the amount of powder discharged through the powder outlet 72 too large, affecting the printing quality. Therefore, selecting a stirring rack gear with a relatively smaller diameter can reduce the impact of the increased powder discharge.

[0041] Factors affecting the toner output should also include the width of the toner outlet 72 in the vertical direction and the hardness of the stirring blades. A wider toner outlet 72 (the vertical dimension of the processing box) results in a larger output, while harder blades provide greater stirring force and output. To further control the output, the width of the toner outlet 72 in the vertical direction is designed to be between 4mm and 10mm. In this embodiment, 5.6mm is preferred, slightly larger than the limit of 4mm. This avoids insufficient output due to an excessively small outlet 72 and excessive toner clogging between the outlet 72 and the stirring frame 71 due to an excessively large outlet 72. The hardness of the stirring blades can be controlled based on the blade thickness. The blade thickness is designed to be less than 0.1mm. In this embodiment, 0.05mm-0.07mm is preferred, close to 0.1mm. This avoids excessive softness due to thin blades, which would prevent proper stirring and toner delivery.

[0042] like Figure 3 As shown, the developing cartridge 10 also includes a support portion 15 disposed on the developing housing 101 and a toner adjusting member 14 supported by the support portion 15. The toner adjusting member 14 includes a fixing portion 141 and an adjusting portion 142 connected to each other. The fixing portion 141 includes a fixing plate 1411 and a positioning plate 1412 connected at a certain angle. One end of the adjusting portion 142 abuts against the surface of the developing element 13, and the other end is connected to the fixing plate 1411. The support portion 15 is preferably disposed on the first housing 11 and arranged adjacent to the toner outlet 72. The support portion 15 includes a supporting surface 151 and a positioning surface 152 arranged at a certain angle. As a preferred structure, the included angle between the supporting surface 151 and the positioning surface 152 is basically the same as the included angle between the fixing plate 1411 and the positioning plate 1412. In this way, the toner adjusting member 14 can be stably supported by the support portion 15. Specifically, at least the fixing plate 1411 is supported by the supporting surface 151. The distance between the support and positioning plate 1412 and the positioning surface 152 can be adjusted according to the imaging requirements of the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100, so that the adjusting part 152 and the surface of the developing element 13 form a suitable contact pressure. Furthermore, the toner adjusting part 14 is fastened to the support part 15 with screws. As shown in the figure, screw holes 1413 / 153 are respectively provided on the toner adjusting part 14 and the support part 15. These screw holes 1413 / 153 can be provided on the fixing plate 1411 and the support surface 151, or on the positioning plate 1412 and the positioning surface 152, respectively.

[0043] Figure 5 It is along Figure 1 A sectional view cut along the AA direction.

[0044] like Figure 2 and Figure 5As shown, the developing housing 101 also includes a partition 103 formed between the first housing 11 and the second housing 12. The powder outlet 72 is disposed on the partition 103. Specifically, the partition 103 extends downward from the first housing 11 or upward from the second housing 12. The powder outlet 72 extends along the left-right direction and the up-down direction of the partition 103. Further, the partition 103 divides the cavity 102 into a powder chamber 102a and a developing chamber 102b. Along the front-back direction, the developing chamber 102b, the partition 103, and the powder chamber 102a are arranged in sequence. The developing element 13 is located in the developing chamber 102b, and the stirring rack 71 is located in the powder chamber 102a.

[0045] [Conductive Components]

[0046] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of some components of the conductive end of the processing box involved in the present invention; Figure 7A This is a perspective view of the conductive component after it has been separated from the main body of the face cover, as per the present invention. Figure 7B yes Figure 7A A magnified schematic diagram of a local area R1; Figure 7C yes Figure 7A A magnified schematic diagram of the local area R2; Figure 8A This is a perspective view of the side of the cover facing the toner receiving cavity, which is involved in this invention; Figure 8B This is a perspective view of the side of the cover facing away from the toner receiving cavity, which is part of the present invention. Figure 9 It is the rear edge of the hidden photosensitive drum box Figure 1 A sectional view cut along the AA direction.

[0047] The processing box 100 also includes a conductive component 4 disposed in the second housing 12. In this embodiment, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are joined in the vertical direction, and the cavity 102 is formed in the first housing 11 with a downward opening. Therefore, the second housing 12 can be considered as a cover covering the opening. The conductive component 4 is integrally injection molded from conductive material. In this way, the overall structure of the conductive component 4 can be simplified, its assembly process can be omitted, and the manufacturing precision can be effectively controlled. Figure 7A As shown, the conductive component 4 includes an integrally formed conductive head 40 and a conductive sheet 41. The conductive sheet 41 extends at least within the area of ​​the cover 12 facing the cavity 102, and at least a portion of the conductive head 40 is located outside the area of ​​the cover 12 facing the cavity 102. Figure 6As shown, the conductive component 4 extends beyond the developing housing 101 in the left-right direction. Specifically, in the left-right direction, the conductive head 40 extends out of the developing housing 101, and the conductive sheet 41 extends within the developing housing 101. Overall, the conductive sheet 41 and the conductive head 40 extend in the left-right direction, but in the direction perpendicular to the left-right direction, the conductive sheet 41 and the conductive head 40 do not overlap. The structure of the conductive component 4 is simplified, so the conductive component 4 can be quickly integrally formed. Correspondingly, the developing housing 101 does not need to have a channel that causes the conductive component 4 to bend. The third cover 33 has a notch 331 at the position where the conductive head 40 extends, which can prevent interference between the conductive head 40 and the third cover 33. The conductive sheet 41 is arranged along the length direction of the developing housing. The conductive component 4 is made of conductive resin. The developing housing is non-conductive. The conductive component 4 can be integrally formed with the cover 12 through secondary injection molding, or it can be integrally formed with the cover 12 through bonding or snap-fitting, etc., without limitation. It should be noted that when the conductive component 4 is integrally injection molded with the cover 12, the conductive component 4 becomes part of the cover 12. The step of installing the conductive component 4 towards the cover 12 can be omitted. At the same time, the positional accuracy of the conductive component 4 in the cover 12 can be effectively controlled. Correspondingly, the conductive component 4 can be positioned in the processing cartridge 100 simultaneously with the combination of the cover 12 and the first housing 11, which is beneficial to improving the toner balance detection accuracy of the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100. Furthermore, when the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100 is assembled using an automated production line, the integral formation of the conductive component 4 and the integral formation of the conductive component 4 with the second housing 12 also helps to improve assembly efficiency, such as... Figure 7A As shown, the conductive sheet 41 includes a first conductive sheet 411, a second conductive sheet 412 distributed in a front-back direction, and a transition portion 413 located between the first conductive sheet 411 and the second conductive sheet 412. The first conductive sheet 411 is located in the powder chamber 102a, and the second conductive sheet 412 is located in the developing chamber 102b. Specifically, the second conductive sheet 412 is located in front of the transition portion 413, and the first conductive sheet 411 is located behind the transition portion 413. The transition portion 413 extends from the first conductive sheet 411 or the second conductive sheet 412 in a vertical direction. The conductive head 40 extends from the conductive sheet 41 toward the conductive end / right. The two are electrically connected by a connecting portion 42. Preferably, the connecting portion 42 is irregularly shaped to improve the overall strength of the conductive assembly 4. The conductive head 40 can extend from at least one of the first conductive sheet 411, the second conductive sheet 412, and the transition portion 413.

[0048] In some embodiments, the transition portion 413 is seamlessly connected to the first conductive sheet 411, and the transition portion 413 is electrically connected to the second conductive sheet 412 through at least one connecting block 415 extending in the left-right direction. When there is one connecting block 415, the size of the connecting block 415 in the left-right direction is smaller than the size of the transition portion 413 / second conductive sheet 412 in the left-right direction. When there are multiple connecting blocks 415, the multiple connecting blocks 415 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. In this way, in the front-back direction, a portion of the area between the transition portion 413 and the second conductive sheet 412 will be formed as an intervening space.

[0049] The faceplate 12 includes a first cover body 121, a second cover body 122 distributed in the front-to-back direction, and a raised portion 123 located between the first cover body 121 and the second cover body 122, such as Figure 5 As shown, along the vertical direction, the first cover 121 is opposite to the powder chamber 102a, the second cover 122 is opposite to the developing chamber 102b, and the raised portion 123 is opposite to the transition portion 413. The raised portion 123 is a protrusion extending upward from the first cover 121 or the second cover 122; Figure 7A and Figure 7B As shown, the raised portion 123 has a forward-facing first surface 1231 and a second surface 1232 intersecting the first surface 1231. Correspondingly, the transition portion 413 has a forward-facing first mating surface 4131 and a second mating surface 4132 intersecting the first mating surface 4131. Overall, the transition portion 413 has a shape that matches the raised portion 123. When the first housing 11 is combined with the cover 12, the partition 103 reaches the front of the raised portion 123 / first surface 1231.

[0050] like Figure 7AAs shown, the raised portion 123 is seamlessly connected to the first cover 121. The raised portion 123 is connected to the second cover 122 by a connecting plate 126 extending in the left-right direction. In the front-back direction, the connecting plate 126 is located in front of the raised portion 123. The connecting plate 126 is used to face the welding line provided on the partition 103, that is, the connecting plate 126 is used to support the partition 103. The connecting block 415 is also opposite to the connecting plate 126. To ensure that the partition 103 and the connecting plate 126 can be stably welded together, preferably, multiple connecting blocks 415 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, and the area between two adjacent connecting blocks 415 forms an interval space. Correspondingly, the connecting plate 126 is provided with a receiving portion 125 corresponding to the number and shape of the connecting blocks 415. The area between two adjacent receiving portions 125 is used for welding with the partition 103. Further, the receiving portion 125 is a recess formed from the side of the cover 12 facing the cavity 102 towards the side opposite to the cavity 102. Specifically, this recess can be a groove or a through hole. More preferably, forming the receiving portion 125 as a through hole is more conducive to maintaining the conductive component 4 and the cover 12 as a single unit. Figure 8B As shown, the connecting block 415 can be observed from the side of the cover 12 facing away from the cavity 102. In some embodiments, the raised portion 123 is not necessary, and correspondingly, the transition portion 413 can also be omitted. However, from an overall perspective, the portion located between the first conductive sheet 411 and the second conductive sheet 412 can still be referred to as the transition portion 413, and the portion located between the first cover 121 and the second cover 122 can still be referred to as the raised portion 123. In this case, the portion corresponding to the partition 103 in the vertical direction can be regarded as the raised portion 123, and correspondingly, the portion in the conductive assembly 4 corresponding to the raised portion 123 can be regarded as the transition portion 413.

[0051] Furthermore, the cover 12 is also provided with positioning grooves 1211 / 1221, and the conductive component 4 is formed in the positioning grooves 1211 / 1221. The positioning grooves 1211 / 1221 are recessed from the side of the cover 12 facing the cavity 102 in a direction away from the cavity 102. After the cover 12 is injection molded, molten conductive material is injected into the positioning grooves 1211 / 1221 until they are filled and cover the surface of the positioning grooves 1211 / 1221 facing the cavity 102. After the conductive material and the cover 12 cool, the conductive material is solidified, and the conductive component 4 formed by the conductive material is integrally formed with the cover 12. Thus, it can be seen that during the integral formation process, the conductive material not only needs to be able to penetrate the positioning grooves 1211 / 1221, but also needs to be able to penetrate the cavity 102. The conductive material flows in the positioning grooves 1211 / 1221, and it is necessary to ensure that the conductive material can flow from the injection end to each corner of the positioning grooves 1211 / 1221. That is, the conductive material can at least cover the surface of the positioning grooves 1211 / 1221 facing the cavity 102. This requires the conductive material / conductive component 4 to have a certain thickness in the positioning grooves 1211 / 1221. Otherwise, the conductive material injected from the injection end will not be able to cover the surface of the positioning grooves 1211 / 1221 facing the cavity 102, which will cause the conductive component 4 to be unable to receive power from the device, or the area of ​​the capacitor formed by the conductive component 4 and the developing element 13 will be too small, affecting the detection accuracy.

[0052] In some embodiments, the thickness h of the conductive material / conductive component 4 within the positioning groove 1211 / 1221 is not less than 0.2 mm, preferably not less than 0.3 mm, and more preferably not less than 0.8 mm; furthermore, at least a portion of the positioning groove 1211 / 1221 is configured as a non-glossy structure, for example, the surface of the positioning groove 1211 / 1221 is configured as a frosted surface, or, as... Figure 7A and Figure 7B As shown, the protrusion 124 protrudes from one surface of the positioning groove 1211 / 1221. When the conductive material is cured in the positioning groove 1211 / 1221, the conductive component 4 will form a recess / groove 414 corresponding to the protrusion 124. Through the combination of the positioning protrusion 124 and the recess / groove 414, the conductive component 4 is stably combined with the cover 12. Similarly, when the surface of the positioning groove 1211 / 1221 is set to a frosted / rough surface, the conductive component 4 can also be stably combined with the cover 12. Conversely, when the surface of the positioning groove 1211 / 1221 is set to a smooth surface, when an external force is applied to the cover 12, the cured conductive material may slip out of the positioning groove 1211 / 1221.

[0053] like Figure 7C , Figure 8A and Figure 8BAs shown, the faceplate 12, viewed as a whole, includes a faceplate body 12a and a protrusion 12b. A portion of the faceplate body 12a is opposite to the cavity 102, while another portion is not opposite to the cavity 102. The conductive component 4 is integrally formed with the faceplate body 12a. The conductive head 40 extends beyond the faceplate body 12a and is located outside the faceplate body 12a. The protrusion 12b protrudes from the faceplate body 12a to the right / conductive end E. A through hole 1222 is provided in the protrusion 12b, through which... The side of the cover 12 facing the cavity 102 is connected to the side of the cover 12 facing away from the cavity 102. The perforation 1222 is also connected to the positioning groove 1211 / 1221. In this way, conductive material can flow into the perforation 1222 and flow out from the side of the cover 12 facing the cavity to the side of the cover facing away from the cavity 102. After the conductive material in the perforation 1222 solidifies, it forms a conductive head 40. That is, the conductive head 40 passes through the perforation 1222, so that the conductive component 4 extends from the side of the cover 12 facing the cavity 102 to the side facing away from the cavity 102. Therefore, the conductive head 40... Protruding from the protrusion 12b, when the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100 is installed into the device, the power output component in the device directly contacts the conductive head 40, and the electrical connection between the conductive component 4 and the power output component in the device is stably established. Compared with the method of forming the conductive head 40 and the conductive sheet 41 separately and installing a power transmission component between the conductive head 40 and the conductive sheet 41, the power transmission process of the integrally formed conductive component 4 is more stable. The developing element 13 and the conductive component 4 together constitute a capacitor. The technology of using the capacitor to detect the toner balance has been used in the field and will not be described in detail here.

[0054] As described above, the protrusion 12b can also be regarded as a support for the conductive head 40. Therefore, the conductive component 4 can maintain a stable electrical connection with the power output component of the device. Preferably, the protrusion 12b is integrally formed with the face cover body 12a to simplify the overall structure of the face cover 12 and reduce assembly steps. As an alternative, the protrusion 12b may not be necessary. In this case, the conductive head 40 protrudes to the right / conductive end E relative to the face cover body 12a. This solution can increase the exposed area of ​​the conductive head 40 and reduce the risk of contact failure between the conductive head 40 and the power output component. Similarly, the conductive component 4 can also be integrally formed.

[0055] like Figure 8BAs shown, when the faceplate 12 is provided with a protrusion 12b, the conductive head 40 is surrounded by the protrusion 12b, and a portion of the conductive head 40 is exposed facing forward for electrical contact with the power output component in the device; preferably, the portion 12b1 of the protrusion 12b in front of the conductive head 40 is set to be inclined downward, so that when the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100 is installed in the device, the power output component will not be blocked by the portion 12b1 and will not be able to make electrical connection with the conductive head 40.

[0056] As described above, the protrusion 12b used to support the conductive head 40 is not part of the faceplate body 12a. In some embodiments, the protrusion 12b may not be provided. However, regardless of whether the protrusion 12b is provided, at least a portion of the conductive head 40 extends beyond the faceplate body 12a. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the faceplate body 12a may also be provided with protrusions having positioning, locking, or other functions. The presence of these protrusions does not affect the extent of the faceplate body 12a. It should be understood that the extent of the faceplate body 12a refers to the range defined by the outer edge of the faceplate after excluding the protrusions that can be used to support the conductive head 40.

[0057] Figure 9 It is the rear edge of the hidden photosensitive drum box Figure 1 A sectional view cut along the AA direction.

[0058] like Figure 7A , Figure 8A As shown, along the front-to-back direction, the conductive component 4 / conductive sheet 41 / positioning groove 1211 / 1221 has a front end portion 411a located at the front and a rear end portion 411b located at the rear. That is, the conductive material / conductive component 4 / positioning groove 1211 / 1221 extends from the front end portion 411a to the rear end portion 411b along the front-to-back direction. As mentioned above, the device determines the toner balance based on the capacitance change formed by the conductive component 4 and the developing element 13. Therefore, the accuracy of the capacitance value directly determines the accuracy of the toner balance determination. According to the capacitance calculation formula:

[0059] C=εS / 4πkd

[0060] Where S represents the area of ​​the two electrode plates facing each other that make up the capacitor, and d represents the distance between the two electrode plates. The larger S is or the smaller the distance d is, the larger the capacitance value C is. It can be understood that a larger capacitance value C is more conducive to improving the detection accuracy of the equipment. When the front-back dimension of the second cover 122 is limited, extending the conductive sheet 41 / first conductive sheet 411 in the front-back direction within the first cover 121 is a feasible approach, such as... Figure 9As shown, with the first surface 1231 as a reference, the distance m from the first surface 1231 to the rear end 411b along the front-back direction is not less than 5mm. That is to say, the longer the conductive sheet 41 / first conductive sheet 411 extends backward in the first cover 21 along the front-back direction, the better. Although the distance d will also increase during the extension process, the capacitance value C will still increase when the increase in the area S of the conductive component 4 and the developing element 13 is greater than the increase in the distance d.

[0061] As the conductive sheet 41 / second conductive sheet 412 extends forward in the front-to-back direction, the distance d between the conductive component 4 and the developing element 13 will gradually decrease, which also helps to improve the detection accuracy of the equipment. Figure 9 As shown, straight line L passes through the rotation center X of the developing element 13 and is parallel to the vertical direction. The virtual surface P is perpendicular to straight line L. When the conductive component 4 is projected onto plane P in its installed state (not unfolded), the dimension n of the conductive component 4 in the front-rear direction is not less than 10 mm, that is, the distance n from the front end 411a to the rear end 411b of the conductive component 4 is not less than 10 mm. Furthermore, with straight line L as a reference, the front end 411a of the conductive component 4 preferably does not exceed straight line L, that is, the front end 411a is located behind straight line L. At this time, along the front-rear direction, the distance a = n + 1 between the rear end 411b of the conductive component 4 and straight line L, or in other words, n is not less than 11 mm. According to the inventor's test, the conductive component 4 can also extend beyond straight line L in the front-rear direction, but from the perspective of detection accuracy, it is not as good as... Figure 9 As shown, when the front end 411a does not exceed the straight line L, as mentioned above, the gradual decrease in distance d is beneficial to improving the detection accuracy of the device.

[0062] To illustrate the detection accuracy of the capacitor formed by the conductive component 4 and the developing element 13, the following tests were conducted using the HP CF226A with a page yield of 3100 pages as an example. Tests were performed on the original HP CF226A toner cartridge (first toner cartridge), a compatible HP CF226A toner cartridge equipped with the conductive component 4 (second toner cartridge), and a compatible HP CF226A toner cartridge with a metal sheet separately formed from the housing 10 (third toner cartridge). A self-test page was printed every time a predetermined number of pages were printed. The following statistics were presented on the self-test page: "Number of pages printed using this consumable" (hereinafter referred to as "printed pages"), "Approximate number of pages remaining" (hereinafter referred to as "remaining pages"), "Remaining consumable amount," and the percentage of the remaining printable pages to the page yield of this toner cartridge model (hereinafter referred to as "percentage").

[0063] Table 1 First Toner Cartridge

[0064] Printed pages Remaining pages Remaining amount percentage 0 ＞1200 normal 100％ 404 700 normal 70％ 1006 550 normal 40％ 1481 450 normal 30％ 2011 450 normal 30％ 2413 650 normal 20％ 2614 150 normal Less than 10% 2815 -- Extremely low --％ 3016 -- Extremely low --％

[0065] Table 2 Second Toner Cartridge

[0066] Printed pages Remaining pages Remaining amount percentage 0 ＞2450 normal 100％ 504 ＞2450 normal 90％ 1005 2150 normal 70％ 1507 1900 normal 60％ 2008 1400 normal 40％ 2458 1000 normal 30％ 2663 350 normal 10％ 2911 350 Extremely low --％

[0067] Table 3 Third Toner Cartridge

[0068]

[0069]

[0070] A "self-test page" is a page that displays the current parameter information of the toner cartridge using the printer's preset program without requiring any print information to be entered into the printer.

[0071] "Page yield" refers to the total number of pages that a certain model of toner cartridge can print when printing a standard test page. The standard test page refers to the area of ​​the printed text or graphics on an A4 sheet of paper that is 5% (also known as "coverage").

[0072] The third toner cartridge can be, for example, the toner cartridge involved in Chinese Patent CN202022423145.6, in which the toner balance detection component 35 does not extend into the second cover 122, and the m value of the metal sheet in the third toner cartridge tested above is approximately 27 mm.

[0073] Typically, when a user installs a new toner cartridge into the device, they don't always pay attention to the remaining toner level. They only start to care after using it for a period of time, such as when two-thirds of the toner in the cartridge has been used up, or when about 30% remains. Therefore, as the percentage drops from 100% to 30%, even if there are differences in the test data of the first, second, and third toner cartridges, it will not affect the user's judgment and use.

[0074] As can be seen from the comparison in the table above, when the percentage is below 30%, the test data of the second toner cartridge is closer to that of the first toner cartridge. Especially when the percentage is below 10%, the second toner cartridge can still be tested, and the feedback results of the "remaining amount" and "percentage" parameters are the same as those of the first toner cartridge. The third toner cartridge, however, remains unchanged after the percentage drops to 10%. Even though the printed pages of the third toner cartridge have basically reached the lifespan of this model, the self-test page still shows 10% remaining. It is evident that the test results of the second toner cartridge with the aforementioned detection component 4 are closer to the test results of the original toner cartridge. For users, devices using the second toner cartridge can provide timely reminders, thereby avoiding situations where users fail to replace or prepare toner cartridges in time, leading to decreased print quality or inability to print.

[0075] As described above, the conductive component 4 is disposed on the cover 12, and the combination of the cover 12 and the first housing 11 forms a cavity 102 that can accommodate toner. Therefore, the cover 12 integrally formed with the conductive component 4 is applicable to both the processing box 100 including the photosensitive drum 20 and the developing box 10 not including the photosensitive drum 20. Compared to existing conductive components made of metal, the conductive component 4 is integrally formed, and the conductive component 4 and the cover 12 are also integrally formed. This not only eliminates the assembly steps of the conductive component 4 itself, but also eliminates the steps of combining and fixing the conductive component 4 with the cover 12. Correspondingly, the manufacturing precision of the conductive component 4 itself is improved. The conductive component 4 can be precisely positioned in the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100 as the cover 12 is combined with the first housing 11. At the same time, the conductive head 40 is also precisely positioned in the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100 and can form a stable electrical connection with the power output component in the device. The detection accuracy of the capacitor formed by the conductive component 4 and the developing component 13 can be greatly improved.

[0076] [Detection area of ​​conductive components]

[0077] As mentioned above, the capacitance value is related to the area S of the two electrode plates facing each other in forming the capacitor. With the developing element 13 unchanged, the larger the area of ​​the conductive component 4 facing the developing element 13, or in other words, the larger the area of ​​the conductive component 4 used to contact the toner, the larger the capacitance value. The area of ​​the conductive component 4 used to remove the toner will be discussed below.

[0078] Figure 10A This is a three-dimensional view of the first type of deformed conductive component after it has been installed onto the faceplate; Figure 10B This is a three-dimensional view of the conductive component of the second deformed shape after it has been installed on the faceplate; Figure 10C This is a three-dimensional view of the conductive component of the third deformed shape after it has been installed on the faceplate; Figure 10D This is a three-dimensional view of the conductive component of the fourth deformed shape after it has been installed on the faceplate; Figure 10E This is a three-dimensional view of the fifth type of deformed conductive component after it has been installed on the faceplate.

[0079] The conductive components 4 extending in the first cover 121 and the second cover 122 described above can achieve test results close to those of the original toner cartridge. When the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100 is working, the conductive sheets 41 are in contact with the toner. The area of ​​the conductive sheet 41 in contact with the toner is approximately 5000 square millimeters. Furthermore, the area of ​​the conductive sheet 41 / first conductive sheet 411 located in the first cover 121 is approximately 4000 square millimeters, and the area of ​​the conductive sheet 41 / second conductive sheet 412 located in the second cover 122 is approximately 1000 square millimeters.

[0080] like Figure 10AAs shown, along the front-rear direction, the front end 411a of the conductive component 4 is moved backward until it reaches the second cover 122, and the rear end 411b is moved forward. In this way, the area of ​​the conductive component 4 for contacting the toner is reduced. According to the calculation, the contact area between the conductive component 4 and the toner is about 1000 square millimeters. At this time, the test results of the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100 with this deformed conductive component 4 are shown in Table 3. That is to say, at this time, the detection accuracy of the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100 cannot meet the detection requirements of the remaining toner.

[0081] like Figure 10B As shown, along the front-to-back direction, the relative positions of the front end 411a and the rear end 411b of the conductive component in the cover 12 remain unchanged, but a portion of the interior of the second conductive sheet 412 is cut off. Along the left-to-right direction, multiple spacer pieces 412a / 412b / 412c / 412d are connected by connecting piece 412e. Thus, the area of ​​the conductive component 4 for contacting toner is reduced. According to the calculation, the area of ​​contact between the conductive component 4 and the toner is approximately 4800 square millimeters. At this time, the test results of the developing cartridge / processing cartridge 100 with this deformed conductive component 4 are shown in Table 3. That is to say, at this time, the detection accuracy of the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100 cannot meet the detection requirements of the remaining toner.

[0082] like Figure 10C As shown, along the front-rear direction, the front end 411a of the conductive component 4 is moved backward until the front end 411a reaches the second cover 122. The relative position of the rear end 411b in the cover 12 does not change. In this way, the area of ​​the conductive component 4 for contacting toner is also reduced. According to the calculation, the contact area between the conductive component 4 and the toner is about 4800 square millimeters. At this time, the test results of the developing cartridge / processing cartridge 100 with this deformed conductive component 4 are shown in Table 3. That is to say, at this time, the detection accuracy of the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100 cannot meet the detection requirements of the remaining toner.

[0083] like Figure 10DAs shown, along the left-right direction, a portion of the first conductive sheet 411 is cut into discrete spacers. Therefore, along the front-back direction, the first conductive sheet 411 has a first rear end portion 411b1 and a second rear end portion 411b2, wherein the first rear end portion 411b1 is further back than the second rear end portion 411b2. Similarly, along the left-right direction, a portion of the second conductive sheet 412 is cut into discrete spacers 412a / 412b / 412c / 412d. Therefore, along the front-back direction, the second conductive sheet 412... The device has a first front end portion 411a1 and a second front end portion 411a2 located at the front, wherein the first front end portion 411a1 is further forward than the second front end portion 411a2. Furthermore, along the front-rear direction, the relative position of the first front end portion 411a1 in the cover 12 is basically the same as the relative position of the front end portion 411a in the cover 12, and the relative position of the first rear end portion 411b1 in the cover 12 is basically the same as the relative position of the rear end portion 411b in the cover. In this way, the area of ​​the conductive component 4 for contacting toner is also reduced. According to the calculation, the contact area between the conductive component 4 and the toner is approximately 2600 square millimeters. At this time, the test results of the developing cartridge / processing cartridge 100 with this deformed conductive component 4 are shown in Table 3. That is to say, at this time, the detection accuracy of the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100 cannot meet the detection requirements of the remaining toner.

[0084] like Figure 10E As shown, in this deformed shape, the second conductive sheet 412 has the same shape as the second conductive sheet in the second deformed shape. At the same time, the interior of the first conductive sheet 411 in this deformed shape is also cut out to form a void 411b3. Along the front-rear direction, the relative positions of the front end 411a and the rear end 411b of the conductive component 4 in the cover 12 remain basically unchanged. Thus, the area of ​​the conductive component 4 for contacting toner is also reduced. According to the calculation, the area of ​​contact between the conductive component 4 and the toner is about 3400 square millimeters. At this time, the test results of the developing cartridge / processing cartridge 100 with this deformed conductive component 4 are shown in Table 3. That is to say, at this time, the detection accuracy of the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100 cannot meet the detection requirements of the remaining toner.

[0085] As discussed above, the total contact area of ​​the conductive component 4 with the toner must be no less than 5000 square millimeters to ensure that the detection accuracy of the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100 meets the toner balance detection requirements. Furthermore, the contact area of ​​the conductive component in the first cover 121 with the toner must be no less than 4000 square millimeters, and the contact area of ​​the conductive component in the second cover 122 must be no less than 1000 square millimeters to further improve the toner balance detection accuracy of the developing cartridge 10 / processing cartridge 100. It is understood that when the contact area between the conductive component 4 and the toner meets the above minimum values, the conductive head 40 and the conductive sheet 41 can be formed integrally or separately. When the conductive head 40 and the conductive sheet 41 are formed separately, the conductive component 4 can be provided with a connecting portion 42 connecting the conductive sheet 41 and the conductive head 40, or the connecting portion 42 can have the function of the conductive head 40, that is, the connecting portion 42 is electrically connected to the conductive sheet 41, and the connecting portion 42 is also directly electrically connected to the power output component in the device.

Claims

1. A cover for joining with a housing to form a cavity for containing toner, a developing element rotatably mounted on the junction of the cover and the housing for supplying toner outward, wherein, along the front-to-back direction, the cavity is divided into a toner chamber and a developing chamber by a partition located on the cover or the housing, the toner chamber and the developing chamber being connected by a toner outlet provided on the partition, and the developing element being rotatably mounted in the developing chamber; characterized in that, The cover includes: The first cover is opposite the powder container; The second cover is opposite to the developing chamber; The raised portion is located between the first cover and the second cover; A conductive component, integrally formed with the faceplate, includes an integrally formed conductive head and a conductive sheet. The conductive head is used for electrical connection with an external power output device, and the conductive sheet includes: The first conductive sheet is located in the powder hopper; The second conductive sheet is located in the developing chamber and extends in the front-to-back direction, with the partition located above the second conductive sheet; A transition portion is located between the first conductive sheet and the second conductive sheet, the transition portion being opposite to the raised portion, and the two having matching shapes; The conductive sheet and the developer form a capacitor that can detect the remaining toner, and the contact area between the conductive sheet and the toner is not less than 5000 square millimeters. In the front-to-back direction, the first mating surface of the transition section facing forward is located between the raised section and the partition.

2. The face cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, The area of ​​the first conductive sheet in contact with the toner is not less than 4000 square millimeters, and the area of ​​the second conductive sheet in contact with the toner is not less than 1000 square millimeters.

3. A developing cartridge, detachably installed in a device equipped with a power output component, characterized in that, The developing cartridge includes: The developing housing includes a first housing and a second housing joined together, a partition located between the first housing and the second housing, and a toner outlet located on the partition. A cavity for containing toner is formed between the first housing and the second housing, and the partition divides the cavity into a toner chamber and a developing chamber. A developing element, rotatably mounted in a developing chamber, has a toner outlet that allows toner to pass through and be supplied to the developing element, which is used to supply toner to the outside; The first conductive sheet is located in the powder hopper; The second conductive sheet is located in the developing chamber and extends in the front-to-back direction, with the partition located above the second conductive sheet; The transition section is located between the first conductive sheet and the second conductive sheet. The second housing includes a first cover, a second cover, and a raised portion located between the first cover and the second cover in a front-rear direction. The first cover is opposite to the powder chamber, the second cover is opposite to the developing chamber, the transition portion is opposite to the raised portion, and the two have matching shapes. In the front-to-back direction, the first mating surface of the transition section facing forward is located between the raised section and the partition.

4. The developing cartridge according to claim 3, characterized in that, The developing cartridge also includes a conductive head electrically connected to a conductive sheet, the conductive head being used for electrical contact with a power output component outside the assembly.

5. The developing cartridge according to claim 4, characterized in that, The conductive head and the conductive sheet are formed as one piece.

6. The developing cartridge according to claim 4, characterized in that, The conductive head and the conductive sheet are formed separately.

7. A processing box, characterized in that, The processing cartridge includes a photosensitive drum cartridge and a developing cartridge as described in any one of claims 3-6, wherein the photosensitive drum cartridge and the developing cartridge are combined with each other.

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