Processing box and electronic photographic imaging device

Abstract

The present invention provides a process cartridge and an electrophotographic imaging device. The process cartridge includes a housing and a first drive coupling. The housing has a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end. The first drive coupling is located on the first longitudinal end. The first longitudinal end includes a first support ring, which extends from the first longitudinal end away from the second longitudinal end and surrounds the outer circumference of the first drive coupling. The second longitudinal end includes an engagement portion, which extends from the second longitudinal end away from the first longitudinal end. The process cartridge also includes a first elastic ring, which is sleeved on the first support ring and is elastically deformable. The electrophotographic imaging device is provided with the process cartridge, which has the advantages of being easy to assemble, having a long service life, and low cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electronic photographic imaging, in particular to a processing box and an electronic photographic imaging device provided with the processing box. Background Art

[0002] An electrophotographic imaging device (such as a laser printer) is a device that uses electronic photography to form an image on an image forming medium (such as paper) through at least the processes of charging, exposure, development, transfer, fixing, and cleaning. The material device of the printing consumables used in the electrophotographic imaging device is generally called a processing cartridge.

[0003] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the invention patent application with application number CN201980087998.4 discloses a toner cartridge 9 with a positioning feature, which includes a shell 91, a first drive connector 92, a second drive connector 93 and a coupling member 94, the shell 91 has a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side positioned between a first longitudinal end 911 and a second longitudinal end 912 of the shell 91, the shell 91 has a reservoir for holding toner, the first drive connector 92 and the second drive connector 93 are located on the first longitudinal end 911 of the shell 91, and are used to engage with the toner cartridge 9 when the toner cartridge 9 is installed in the image forming device 90. The first corresponding drive connector in the image forming device 90 and the second corresponding drive connector in the image forming device 90 cooperate to receive rotational motion from the first corresponding drive connector in the image forming device 90 and the second corresponding drive connector in the image forming device 90, and the first drive connector 92 of the toner cartridge 9 is positioned to be higher than the second drive connector 93 of the toner cartridge 9, the first drive connector 92 of the toner cartridge 9 has a first rotation axis and the second drive connector 93 of the toner cartridge 9 has a second rotation axis, wherein the first drive connector 92 is connected to the developing roller and the second drive connector 93 is connected to the photosensitive drum.

[0004] The coupling member 94 is located on the first longitudinal end 911 of the shell 91, and the contact surface of the coupling member 94 is unobstructed from above, so that when the toner cartridge 9 is installed in the image forming device 90, the contact surface of the coupling member 94 is allowed to contact the corresponding pressing member 951 in the image forming device 90 and receive the downward pressing force from the corresponding pressing member 951 in the image forming device 90 (the pressing force is provided by the spring 952), and the contact surface of the coupling member 94 is positioned to be lower than the first rotation axis of the first drive connector 92 of the toner cartridge 9 and higher than the second drive connector 93 of the toner cartridge 9.

[0005] The engaging member 94 includes a latch receiving frame 941 having an upwardly facing, rounded contact surface 942, thereby allowing a corresponding pressing member in the image forming device 90 to exert a downward force on the engaging member 94. Preferably, the engaging member 94 also includes a raised edge at the outermost end of the engaging member 94, which forms a catch 943 to retain the corresponding latch 95 in the image forming device 90 against the first longitudinal end 911 of the housing 91 along the longitudinal dimension of the housing 91. Specifically, the engaging member 94 is formed by a rib protruding outwardly away from the first longitudinal end 911 of the housing 91, and the engaging member 94 is integrally formed with the housing 91 to form a unitary member.

[0006] However, because the spring 952 and the pressing member 951 exert a relatively large biasing force on the engaging member 94, a relatively large operating force must be applied to the latch 95 to overcome the biasing force of the spring 952 when rotating the latch 95 to the locked position. Specifically, when the latch 95 is in the unlocked position, the spring 952 is in a freely extended state. Therefore, when the user installs the toner cartridge 9 on the basket tray of the image forming device 90, the engaging member 94 needs to exert a relatively large external force on the pressing member 951 in the opposite direction to overcome the biasing force of the spring, thereby pushing the pressing member into engagement with the engaging member 94. However, this mating structure has the following disadvantages:

[0007] First, because the biasing force of the spring 952 must be overcome, the installation process of the toner cartridge 95 is less smooth, affecting the user experience and the printing process;

[0008] Second, the provision of the coupling member 94 greatly increases the complexity of the housing 91 of the toner cartridge 95, increases the difficulty of production and the cost of mold making, thereby increasing the production cost.

[0009] Third, a spring 952 must be provided so that the pressing member 951 can apply a biasing force to the engaging member 94 through the spring 952 to ensure the tightness of the installation of the toner cartridge 9, thereby increasing the structural complexity, assembly difficulty and production cost of the image forming apparatus 90;

[0010] Fourth, after the toner cartridge 9 has been disassembled and assembled many times, the biasing force of the spring 952 causes the coupling member 94 and the pressing member 951 to be in hard contact for a long time, thereby accelerating the wear rate between the coupling member 94 and the pressing member 951, thereby shortening the service life of the toner cartridge 9 and the image forming device 90. Moreover, since the coupling member 94 and the shell 91 of the toner cartridge 9 are integrally formed, the coupling member 94 is not replaceable, so when the coupling member 94 is worn, the toner cartridge 9 can only be replaced directly, which greatly increases the user's usage cost. Summary of the Invention

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, the main purpose of the present invention is to provide a processing box that is easy to assemble, has a long service life and low cost.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic photographic imaging device provided with the above-mentioned process cartridge.

[0013] In order to achieve the main purpose of the present invention, the present invention provides a processing box, including a shell and a first drive connector, the shell having a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end, the first drive connector is located on the first longitudinal end, wherein the first longitudinal end has a first support ring, the first support ring extends from the first longitudinal end back to the second longitudinal end, and the first support ring is wrapped around the outer periphery of the first drive connector; the second longitudinal end has a coupling portion, the coupling portion extends from the second longitudinal end back to the first longitudinal end; the processing box also includes a first elastic ring, the first elastic ring is mounted on the first support ring, and the first elastic ring can be elastically deformed.

[0014] As can be seen from the above, the first elastic ring is used to replace the existing engaging member on the processing cartridge, so that the first latch provided on the tray of the electronic photographic imaging device matched with the processing cartridge does not need to be provided with a spring, thereby simplifying the structure of the electronic photographic imaging device and reducing the difficulty of assembly and production cost; and, since the first latch does not need to be provided with a spring, there is no need to overcome the biasing force of the spring during the process of installing the processing cartridge on the seat tray, so that it is more labor-saving and convenient to operate when the first latch is moved to the locking position to lock the processing cartridge, which is conducive to improving the process efficiency of the processing cartridge installation and Improve user experience; in addition, since the first elastic ring can be elastically deformed, even if the processing box is disassembled and assembled multiple times, the soft contact between the first elastic ring and the clamping member on the first latch can greatly reduce the wear rate of the processing box and the clamping member, thereby better extending the service life of the processing box and the clamping member; furthermore, the matching connection between the first elastic ring and the first support ring makes the first elastic ring replaceable, so that when the first elastic ring is worn or damaged, the first elastic ring can be replaced separately, thereby extending the service life of the processing box and reducing the user's usage cost.

[0015] A preferred solution is that a first guide angle is formed on one end of the first elastic ring away from the first longitudinal end; the first elastic ring is made of elastic material; and the first support ring is integrally formed with the first longitudinal end.

[0016] As can be seen from the above, the setting of the first guide angle enables the clamping member of the first latch cooperating with the processing box to be better moved to the upper side of the first elastic ring member, so as to press the processing box as a whole downward to the bottom of the processing box mounting cavity of the tray of the electronic photographic imaging device, thereby making the processing box fastened in the processing box mounting cavity; and the first elastic ring member is made of elastic material, so that the first elastic ring member can have better elastic properties, which is more conducive to the assembly of the processing box and the fastening of the processing box after installation; the first support ring and the first longitudinal end are integrally formed, which can better ensure the assembly accuracy of the first support ring and the first drive connector, thereby better ensuring the assembly progress of the processing box, improving the imaging quality and improving the working reliability of the processing box.

[0017] A further solution is that the first elastic ring is made of rubber or silicone.

[0018] As can be seen from the above, since rubber, silicone, etc. are all mature materials, the first elastic ring made of rubber or silicone can have excellent and stable elastic properties, thereby ensuring the reliability of the first elastic ring, and is conducive to reducing the production cost of the first elastic ring and ensuring the service life of the first elastic ring.

[0019] A further solution is that the first elastic ring is interference fit with the first support ring; a first limiting clamping portion is provided on the first support ring, and the first elastic ring is cooperatively connected with the first limiting clamping portion, and the first limiting clamping portion limits the movement of the first elastic ring in the first axial direction of the first support ring.

[0020] As can be seen from the above, the above design enables stable and reliable assembly between the first elastic ring and the first support ring to ensure the tightness and position accuracy of the processing box after it is assembled into the electronic photographic imaging device, thereby ensuring the reliability of the processing box.

[0021] A further solution is that a second position-limiting engaging portion is provided on the first elastic ring, and the second position-limiting engaging portion is cooperatively connected with the first position-limiting engaging portion.

[0022] As can be seen from the above, the above design makes the structure of the processing box more optimized and reasonable, and is conducive to reducing the difficulty of manufacturing the processing box and reducing the production cost of the processing box.

[0023] Another preferred solution is that the outer contour of the cross section of the joining portion is circular or elliptical; and the joining portion and the second longitudinal end portion are integrally formed.

[0024] As can be seen from the above, the above design enables the joint portion to better cooperate closely with the second latch on the tray of the electronic photographic imaging device and ensures the assembly accuracy of the process box installed on the tray.

[0025] A further solution is that the processing box also includes a photosensitive drum and a developing roller, the photosensitive drum is rotatably mounted on the shell, the first drive connector is linked with the photosensitive drum, the first drive connector can drive the photosensitive drum to rotate, and the developing roller is rotatably mounted on the shell; the developing roller is linked with the first drive connector, the first drive connector can drive the photosensitive drum to rotate, or the processing box also includes a second drive connector, the second drive connector is located on the first longitudinal end, the second drive connector is linked with the developing roller, and the second drive connector can drive the developing roller to rotate.

[0026] As can be seen from the above, the processing box is configured to have a single drive connector or a dual drive connector according to the driving mode of the electronic photographic imaging device (such as a single drive head or a dual drive head), so that the processing box can be applied to different types of electronic photographic imaging devices, thereby expanding the scope of application of the processing box and improving the practicality of the processing box.

[0027] A further solution is that the processing box further includes a second elastic ring, the second elastic ring is sleeved on the joint portion, and the second elastic ring is elastically deformable.

[0028] As can be seen from the above, by adding a second elastic ring, the second latch on the tray of the electronic photographic imaging device used in conjunction with the processing box does not need to be provided with a spring, so as to further simplify the structure of the electronic photographic imaging device and reduce the assembly difficulty and production cost; at the same time, it can also make the disassembly and assembly of the processing box more convenient and labor-saving, and further reduce the wear rate of the processing box and the clamping member, thereby extending the service life of the processing box and the clamping member; furthermore, the mating connection between the second elastic ring and the joint makes the second elastic ring replaceable, so that when the second elastic ring is worn or damaged, the second elastic ring can be replaced separately, thereby further extending the service life of the processing box and reducing the user's usage cost.

[0029] In order to achieve another object of the present invention, the present invention provides an electronic photographic imaging device, including a body and a mounting tray, the body having a accommodating cavity, the mounting tray being slidably mounted in the accommodating cavity, the mounting tray having a processing box mounting cavity, the processing box mounting cavity being provided with a first latch at a first longitudinal end portion, the first latch being movably connected to the tray, the first latch having a first locking position and a first unlocking position, wherein the electronic photographic imaging device also includes the above-mentioned processing box, the processing box being detachably mounted in the processing box mounting cavity; a first pressing member is provided on the first latch, and when the first latch is in the first locking position, the first pressing member is pressed and fixed on the first elastic ring and forces the first elastic ring to elastically deform, so that the processing box is fixed in the processing box mounting cavity.

[0030] As can be seen from the above, the electronic photographic imaging device provided with the above-mentioned processing box has a more optimized and reasonable structure, and the assembly difficulty and production cost are lower; moreover, the assembly of the processing box is more labor-saving and easy to operate, and at the same time, the wear rate of the processing box and the first clamping member can be reduced to extend the service life of the processing box and the clamping member; furthermore, since the first elastic ring is replaceable, it is beneficial to extend the service life of the processing box and reduce the user's usage cost.

[0031] A further solution is that a second latch is provided at the second longitudinal end of the processing box mounting cavity, the second latch is movably connected to the tray, a second pressing member is provided on the second latch, and the second latch has a second locking position and a second unlocking position; the processing box also includes a second elastic ring, the second elastic ring is sleeved on the joint, and the second elastic ring can be elastically deformed; when the second latch is in the second locking position, the second pressing member is pressed and fixed on the second elastic ring and forces the second elastic ring to deform elastically, so that the processing box is fixed in the processing box mounting cavity.

[0032] As can be seen from the above, by adding a second elastic ring, the second latch on the tray that cooperates with the processing box does not need to be provided with a spring, so as to further simplify the structure of the electronic photographic imaging device and reduce the assembly difficulty and production cost; at the same time, it can further improve the convenience of disassembly and assembly of the processing box, and further reduce the wear rate of the processing box and the clamping member, thereby extending the service life of the processing box and the clamping member; furthermore, the second elastic ring is replaceable, so that when the second elastic ring is worn or damaged, the second elastic ring can be replaced separately, thereby further extending the service life of the processing box and reducing the user's usage cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an existing processing box from a first perspective.

[0034] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram of an existing processing box from a second perspective.

[0035] Figure 3 The present invention is a schematic diagram of assembling an existing processing box in a processing box installation cavity of a tray of an electronic photographic imaging device.

[0036] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the process cartridge of the present invention from a first viewing angle.

[0037] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the processing box of the present invention from a second viewing angle.

[0038] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of the first embodiment of the process cartridge of the present invention with some components omitted.

[0039] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of the first end cover of the processing box of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of the second end cover of the first embodiment of the processing box of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of the first elastic ring member of the first embodiment of the processing box of the present invention.

[0042] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Process cartridge first embodiment

[0044] Reference Figures 4 to 6 The process cartridge 100 includes a housing 1, a developing roller, a powder feed roller, a stirring frame, a powder discharge blade, a photosensitive drum 2, a charging roller, a cleaning blade, a first drive coupling 31, and a transmission wheel assembly. The housing 1 has a first longitudinal end 131 and a second longitudinal end 141, which are arranged along the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 2.

[0045] Combine Figures 7 to 9 Preferably, the housing 1 includes a developing frame 11, a drum frame 12, a first end cover 13 and a second end cover 14. The developing frame 11 has a powder hopper, which is used to store carbon powder. The developing roller is arranged at the powder outlet of the powder hopper, and the developing roller is rotatably mounted on the developing frame 11 around its own rotation axis. The powder feeding roller is located at the powder outlet of the powder hopper and is located inside the powder hopper. The powder feeding roller is rotatably mounted on the developing frame 11 around its own rotation axis, and the powder feeding roller is adjacent to the developing roller; the powder feeding roller is used to evenly transfer the carbon powder in the powder hopper to the developing roller. The stirring frame is rotatably mounted on the developing frame 11 around its own rotation axis, and the stirring frame is located inside the powder hopper; the stirring frame is used to stir the carbon powder in the powder hopper to prevent the carbon powder from clumping. At the same time, the stirring frame is also used to transfer the carbon powder in the powder hopper to the powder feeding roller. The powder scraper is installed on the developing frame 11, and the blade of the powder scraper is located at the powder outlet of the powder hopper, and the blade of the powder scraper is adjacent to the outer peripheral surface of the developing roller; the powder scraper is used to scrape the toner layer on the developing roller so that the thickness of the toner layer on the developing roller remains consistent, and the toner dropped by the powder scraper is recovered into the powder hopper.

[0046] The drum frame 12 has a waste toner bin, and the photosensitive drum 2 is rotatably mounted on the drum frame 12 about its own rotational axis. The photosensitive drum 2 is located at the entrance of the waste toner bin and outside the bin, and is adjacent to the developing roller. The photosensitive drum 2 is used to receive laser irradiation from the laser unit to form an electrostatic latent image on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 2, while the developing roller is used to transfer toner on the photosensitive drum 2 to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 2. The charging roller is rotatably mounted on the drum frame 12 about its own rotational axis and is adjacent to the photosensitive drum 2. The charging roller is used to charge the photosensitive drum 2 so that the photosensitive drum 2 can absorb the toner transferred by the developing roller onto its outer peripheral surface, thereby developing the electrostatic latent image. The cleaning scraper is installed on the drum frame 12, and the blade of the cleaning scraper is adjacent to the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 2; the cleaning scraper is used to clean the residual toner on the photosensitive drum 2 after the transfer operation is completed, so that the photosensitive drum 2 can absorb the toner as needed during the next transfer operation, and the residual toner dropped by the cleaning scraper is recovered into the waste toner bin.

[0047] The first end cap 13 is connected to the first end of the developing frame 11 and the first end of the drum frame 12, respectively. The second end cap 14 is connected to the second end of the developing frame 11 and the second end of the drum frame 12, respectively. In this embodiment, the first longitudinal end 131 is formed on the first end cap 13, and the second longitudinal end 141 is formed on the second end cap 14.

[0048] The first drive coupling 31 is located on the first longitudinal end 131. Preferably, the first drive coupling 31 is connected to the first end of the photosensitive drum 2 and is coaxially arranged with the photosensitive drum 2. When the process cartridge 100 is installed in an electrophotographic imaging device, the first drive coupling 31 interfaces with the first drive head within the electrophotographic imaging device, enabling the first drive head to drive the first drive coupling 31 to rotate, thereby causing the first drive coupling 31 to drive the photosensitive drum 2 to rotate. Furthermore, the first longitudinal end 131 has a first support ring 132. The first support ring 132 extends from the first longitudinal end 131 in the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 2 away from the second longitudinal end 141. The first support ring 132 surrounds the outer circumference of the first drive coupling 31 to support the first drive coupling 31 and enable the first drive coupling 31 to rotate relative to the first support ring 132 about its own rotation axis. The first support ring 132 is preferably formed integrally with the first longitudinal end portion 131 to better ensure the assembly accuracy of the first support ring 132 and the first drive connector 31, thereby better ensuring the assembly progress of the process cartridge 100, improving imaging quality, and enhancing the operating reliability of the process cartridge 100. Of course, as another optional solution, in other embodiments, the first support ring 132 can also be provided as a separate component from the first end cap 13.

[0049] The transmission wheel assembly is located at the first end of the housing 1, that is, between the developing frame 11 and the ground end cover. In this embodiment, the process cartridge 100 further includes a second drive coupling 32, which is located on the second longitudinal end 141. Preferably, the first longitudinal end 131 further includes a second support ring 133, which extends from the first longitudinal end 131 away from the second longitudinal end 141 in the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 2. The second support ring 133 surrounds the outer circumference of the second drive coupling 32 to support the second drive coupling 32 and enable the second drive coupling 32 to rotate relative to the second support ring 133 about its own rotation axis. When the process cartridge 100 is in the installed position, the second drive coupling 32 is located diagonally above the first drive coupling 31. Among them, the second drive connector 32 is connected to the developing roller, the powder feeding roller and the stirring frame through the transmission wheel group, so that when the process box 100 is installed in the electronic photographic imaging device, the second drive connector 32 is docked with the second drive head in the electronic photographic imaging device, so that the second drive head can drive the second drive connector 32 to rotate, and then the second drive connector 32 can respectively drive the developing roller, the powder feeding roller and the stirring frame to rotate through the transmission wheel group. In addition, the second support ring 133 is preferably integrally formed with the first longitudinal end 131 to better ensure the assembly accuracy of the second support ring 133 and the second drive connector 32, thereby better ensuring the assembly progress of the process box 100, improving the imaging quality and improving the working reliability of the process box 100. Of course, as another optional solution, in other embodiments, the second support ring 133 can also be set as a component with the first end cover 13.

[0050] Of course, as another optional solution, in other embodiments, the second drive coupling 32 and the second support ring 133 can also be eliminated, and the transmission wheel group can be connected to the first drive linkage 31, the developing roller, the powder feeding roller and the stirring frame respectively, so that when the process box 100 is installed in the electronic photographic imaging device, the first drive coupling 31 is docked with the first drive head in the electronic photographic imaging device, so that the first drive head can drive the first drive coupling 31 to rotate, and then the first drive coupling 31 can respectively drive the developing roller, the powder feeding roller, the stirring frame and the photosensitive drum 2 to rotate through the transmission wheel group. It can be seen that the process box 100 is configured to have a single drive coupling or a dual drive coupling according to the driving mode of the electronic photographic imaging device (such as a single drive head or a dual drive head), so that the process box 100 can be applied to different types of electronic photographic imaging devices, thereby expanding the scope of application of the process box 100 and improving the practicality of the process box 100.

[0051] The first elastic ring member 4 is sleeved on the first support ring 132 and is elastically deformable. The first elastic ring member 4 and the first support ring 132 have an interference fit, so that the first elastic ring member can be reliably and stably assembled on the first support ring 132, thereby ensuring the tightness and positional accuracy of the process cartridge 100 after being assembled into the electrophotographic imaging device, thereby ensuring the reliability of the process cartridge 100. In addition, when the process cartridge 100 is assembled on the tray of the electrophotographic imaging device, there is no obstacle above the first elastic ring member 4, so that the first latch on the tray can smoothly cooperate with the first elastic ring member 4 to securely fix the process cartridge 100 on the tray.

[0052] The first elastic ring 4 is made of an elastic material, which allows it to have good elastic properties, thereby further facilitating the assembly of the process cartridge 100 and ensuring the tightness of the process cartridge 100 after installation. Preferably, the first elastic ring 4 is made of rubber or silicone. Since rubber, silicone, etc. are both mature materials, the first elastic ring 4 made of rubber or silicone can have excellent and stable elastic properties, thereby ensuring the reliability of the first elastic ring 4, reducing the production cost of the first elastic ring 4, and ensuring the service life of the first elastic ring 4.

[0053] Furthermore, a first guide angle is formed at one end of the first elastic ring 4 away from the first longitudinal end 131, so that the first clamping member cooperating with the first elastic member and the first latch can be better moved to the upper side of the first elastic ring 4, thereby pressing the processing box 100 as a whole downward to the bottom of the processing box mounting cavity of the tray of the electronic photographic imaging device, so that the processing box 100 is fastened in the processing box mounting cavity.

[0054] The second longitudinal end portion 141 includes a coupling portion 142, which extends from the second longitudinal end portion 141 in the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 2, away from the first longitudinal end portion 131. Preferably, the coupling portion 142 is integrally formed with the second longitudinal end portion 141; of course, as another optional solution, in other embodiments, the coupling portion 142 may be provided separately from the second end cap 14. Furthermore, when the process cartridge 100 is assembled onto the tray of the electrophotographic imaging device, there are no obstacles above the coupling portion 142, allowing the second latch on the tray to smoothly engage with the coupling portion 142 and securely secure the process cartridge 100 to the tray. The cross-sectional outer contour of the coupling portion 142 is circular or elliptical.

[0055] The following briefly describes the process of loading and unloading the process cartridge 100 from the tray of the electrophotographic imaging apparatus:

[0056] When the process cartridge 100 needs to be installed in a corresponding process cartridge installation cavity on a tray of an electrophotographic imaging device, the first latch and the second latch of the process cartridge installation cavity are first moved to unlocked positions.

[0057] Next, the process cartridge 100 is placed into the corresponding process cartridge installation cavity according to the set position.

[0058] Next, the first latch located at the first longitudinal end 131 of the process cartridge 100 is moved to a locked position. As the first latch moves toward the locked position, the first pressing member on the first latch gradually moves from the side end of the first elastic ring 4 toward the upper or laterally upper portion of the first elastic ring 4. When the first pressing member reaches the first guide angle of the first elastic ring 4, it begins to compress the first elastic ring 4, causing elastic deformation of the first elastic ring 4. Simultaneously, the first pressing member, aided by the first guide angle, moves to the upper or laterally upper portion of the first elastic ring 4. When the first latch moves to the locked position, the first pressing member is located above or laterally upper portion of the first elastic ring 4 and compresses the first elastic ring 4. The elastic deformation of the first elastic ring 4 allows the first pressing member to securely secure the process cartridge 100 within the process cartridge mounting cavity. The first elastic ring 4 is perpendicular to the axis of the photosensitive drum 2 and aligned with the mounting orientation of the process cartridge 100, thereby facilitating imaging.

[0059] The second latch located at the second longitudinal end 141 of the processing box 100 is moved to the locking position. During the movement of the second latch to the locking position, the second clamping member on the second latch gradually moves from the side end of the engaging portion 142 to the upper side or upper side of the engaging portion 142; when the second latch moves to the locking position, the second clamping member is located above or above the engaging portion 142 and squeezes the engaging portion 142, so that the second clamping member, with the cooperation of the engaging portion 142, firmly fixes the processing box 100 in the processing box mounting cavity.

[0060] When the process cartridge 100 needs to be taken out from the corresponding process cartridge installation cavity on the tray of the electrophotographic imaging device, the first latch and the second latch of the process cartridge installation cavity are moved to the unlocking position.

[0061] As the first latch moves toward the unlocked position, the first pressing member on the first latch gradually moves from above or to the side of the first elastic ring 4 toward the side end of the first elastic ring 4 until the first pressing member is released from contact with the first elastic ring 4. At this point, the first elastic ring 4 returns to its original state under its own elastic action. As the second latch moves toward the unlocked position, the second pressing member on the second latch gradually moves from above or to the side of the engaging portion 142 toward the side end of the engaging portion 142 until the second pressing member is released from contact with the engaging portion 142. The process cartridge 100 can then be removed from the process cartridge installation cavity.

[0062] In summary, it can be seen that the first elastic ring member 4 is used to replace the coupling member on the existing processing box 100, so that the first latch set on the tray of the electronic photographic imaging device matched with the processing box 100 does not need to be provided with a spring, so as to simplify the structure of the electronic photographic imaging device and reduce the assembly difficulty and production cost; and, since the first latch does not need to be provided with a spring, there is no need to overcome the biasing force of the spring during the process of installing the processing box 100 on the seat tray, so that it is more labor-saving and convenient to operate when the first latch is moved to the locking position to lock the processing box 100, which is conducive to improving the process efficiency of the processing box 100 installation and improving the convenience of operation. Improve user experience; in addition, since the first elastic ring 4 can be elastically deformed, even if the processing box 100 is disassembled and assembled many times, the soft contact between the first elastic ring 4 and the clamping member on the first latch can greatly reduce the wear rate of the processing box 100 and the clamping member, thereby better extending the service life of the processing box 100 and the clamping member; furthermore, the matching connection between the first elastic ring 4 and the first support ring 132 makes the first elastic ring 4 replaceable, so that when the first elastic ring 4 is worn or damaged, the first elastic ring 4 can be replaced separately, thereby extending the service life of the processing box 100 and reducing the user's usage cost.

[0063] Process cartridge second embodiment

[0064] The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment of the process cartridge is that, in this embodiment:

[0065] The first support ring is provided with a first position-limiting engaging portion, for example, a position-limiting ring or a position-limiting block, and the first position-limiting engaging portion is located at the protruding end of the first support ring. When the first elastic ring is fitted onto the first support ring, the first elastic ring abuts or abuts between the first position-limiting engaging portion and the root portion (i.e., the fixed end) of the first support ring. The first position-limiting engaging portion is provided to prevent the first elastic ring from falling off the first support ring, thereby ensuring the tightness and positional accuracy of the process cartridge after it is assembled into the electrophotographic imaging device, and ensuring the reliability of the process cartridge.

[0066] Process cartridge third embodiment

[0067] The difference between this embodiment and the second embodiment of the process cartridge is that:

[0068] The first position-limiting engaging portion is not provided at the protruding end of the first support ring, but rather between the protruding end and the root (i.e., the fixed end) of the first support ring. Furthermore, a second position-limiting engaging portion is provided on the first elastic ring member, which is cooperatively connected to the first position-limiting engaging portion. For example, the second position-limiting engaging portion is a slot for accommodating the first position-limiting engaging portion and engaging with the first position-limiting engaging portion. This design can optimize and rationalize the structure of the process cartridge, and is conducive to reducing the difficulty and cost of manufacturing the process cartridge.

[0069] Process cartridge fourth embodiment

[0070] The difference between this embodiment and the above embodiments is that:

[0071] The processing cartridge also includes a second elastic ring member, which is sleeved on the joint portion and is elastically deformable. By adding the second elastic ring member, a spring is no longer required for the second latch on the tray of the electronic photographic imaging device used with the processing cartridge, thereby further simplifying the structure of the electronic photographic imaging device and reducing assembly difficulty and production costs. Furthermore, the processing cartridge can be further assembled and disassembled more conveniently and labor-savingly, and the wear rate of the processing cartridge and the pressing member can be further reduced, thereby extending the service life of the processing cartridge and the pressing member. Furthermore, the mating connection between the second elastic ring member and the joint portion makes the second elastic ring member replaceable, so that when the second elastic ring member is worn or damaged, the second elastic ring member can be replaced separately, thereby further extending the service life of the processing cartridge and reducing user costs.

[0072] The second elastic ring is made of an elastic material; preferably, the second elastic material is made of rubber or silicone.

[0073] In addition, the end of the second elastic ring away from the second longitudinal end is preferably formed with a second guide angle, so that the second pressing member of the second latch can smoothly move to the top or side above the second elastic ring.

[0074] Furthermore, a third position-limiting engaging portion is provided on the joint portion, the second elastic ring is cooperatively connected with the third position-limiting engaging portion, and the third position-limiting engaging portion limits the movement of the second elastic ring in the second axial direction of the joint portion. Furthermore, a fourth position-limiting engaging portion is provided on the second elastic ring, and the fourth position-limiting engaging portion is cooperatively connected with the third position-limiting engaging portion. Wherein, if the third position-limiting engaging portion is provided only on the joint portion, the setting of the third position-limiting engaging portion can be set with reference to the setting method of the first position-limiting engaging portion of the second embodiment of the processing box, so it is not described in detail here; if the third position-limiting engaging portion is provided on the joint portion and the fourth position-limiting engaging portion is provided on the second elastic ring, the setting of the third position-limiting engaging portion can be set with reference to the setting method of the first position-limiting engaging portion of the third embodiment of the processing box, and the setting of the fourth position-limiting engaging portion can be set with reference to the setting method of the second position-limiting engaging portion of the third embodiment of the processing box, so it is not described in detail here.

[0075] Electrophotographic imaging device embodiment

[0076] The electronic photographic imaging device includes a body, a mounting tray and a processing box; wherein the processing box is the processing box described in any one of the first to fourth embodiments of the processing box.

[0077] The body has an accommodating cavity, a mounting tray is slidably mounted in the accommodating cavity, the mounting tray has a process cartridge mounting cavity, and the process cartridge is detachably mounted in the process cartridge mounting cavity. A first latch is provided at a first longitudinal end of the process cartridge mounting cavity, the first latch comprising a first latch frame and a first pressing member, the first latch frame being movably connected to the tray, the first pressing member being fixedly mounted on the first latch frame, and the first latch having a first locked position and a first unlocked position; a second latch is provided at a second longitudinal end of the process cartridge mounting cavity, the second latch comprising a second latch frame and a second pressing member, the second latch frame being movably connected to the tray, the second pressing member being fixedly mounted on the second latch frame, and the second latch having a second locked position and a second unlocked position.

[0078] When the first latch is in the first locking position, the first pressing member is pressed and fixed on the first elastic ring member and forces the first elastic ring member to deform elastically, so that the processing box is fixed in the processing box installation cavity.

[0079] If the engaging portion is provided with a second elastic ring, when the second latch is in the second locking position, the second pressing member presses and fixes the second elastic ring and forces the second elastic ring to elastically deform, thereby securing the process cartridge in the process cartridge installation cavity. If the engaging portion is not provided with a second elastic ring, when the second latch is in the second locking position, the second pressing member directly presses and fixes the engaging portion and forces the process cartridge to be secured in the process cartridge installation cavity.

[0080] In summary, it can be seen that the electronic photographic imaging device equipped with the above-mentioned processing box has a more optimized and reasonable structure, and the assembly difficulty and production cost are lower; moreover, the assembly of the processing box is more labor-saving and easy to operate, and at the same time, the wear rate of the processing box and the first clamping member can be reduced to extend the service life of the processing box and the clamping member; furthermore, since the first elastic ring is replaceable, it is beneficial to extend the service life of the processing box and reduce the user's usage cost.

[0081] 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. Processing box, including: a housing having a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end; a first drive coupling located on the first longitudinal end; Its characteristics are: The first longitudinal end portion has a first support ring, the first support ring extends from the first longitudinal end portion away from the second longitudinal end portion, and the first support ring surrounds the outer circumference of the first drive connector; The second longitudinal end portion has a joint portion, and the joint portion extends from the second longitudinal end portion away from the first longitudinal end portion; The processing box also includes a first elastic ring, which is mounted on the first supporting ring. The first elastic ring can be elastically deformed. There is no obstacle above the first elastic ring. The first elastic ring is used to cooperate with the first latch on the tray of the electronic photographic imaging device.

2. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein: A first guide angle is formed on one end of the first elastic ring away from the first longitudinal end; The first elastic ring is made of elastic material; The first supporting ring is integrally formed with the first longitudinal end portion.

3. The process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein: The first elastic ring is made of rubber or silicone.

4. The process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein: The first elastic ring is interference-fitted with the first supporting ring; The first support ring is provided with a first position-limiting engaging portion, the first elastic ring is cooperatively connected with the first position-limiting engaging portion, and the first position-limiting engaging portion limits the movement of the first elastic ring in the first axial direction of the first support ring.

5. The process cartridge according to claim 4, wherein: The first elastic ring is provided with a second position-limiting engaging portion, and the second position-limiting engaging portion is cooperatively connected with the first position-limiting engaging portion.

6. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein: The outer contour of the cross section of the joint portion is circular or elliptical; The engaging portion is integrally formed with the second longitudinal end portion.

7. The process cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The process cartridge further includes a photosensitive drum and a developing roller, wherein the photosensitive drum is rotatably mounted on the housing, the first drive coupling is linked to the photosensitive drum, and the first drive coupling can drive the photosensitive drum to rotate, and the developing roller is rotatably mounted on the housing; The developing roller is linked to the first driving coupling, and the first driving coupling can drive the photosensitive drum to rotate, or The processing box also includes a second drive connector, which is located on the first longitudinal end portion and is linked to the developing roller. The second drive connector can drive the developing roller to rotate.

8. The process cartridge according to claim 7, wherein: The processing box further includes a second elastic ring member, which is sleeved on the engaging portion and is elastically deformable.

9. An electrophotographic imaging device comprising a body and a mounting tray, the body having a receiving cavity, the mounting tray being slidably mounted within the receiving cavity, the mounting tray having a process cartridge mounting cavity, the process cartridge mounting cavity being provided with a first latch at a first longitudinal end thereof, the first latch being movably connected to the tray, the first latch having a first locked position and a first unlocked position, and characterized in that: The electrophotographic imaging device further comprises a process cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the process cartridge is detachably mounted in the process cartridge mounting cavity; A first pressing member is provided on the first latch. When the first latch is in the first locking position, the first pressing member is pressed and fixed on the first elastic ring and forces the first elastic ring to deform elastically, so that the processing box is fixed in the processing box installation cavity.

10. The electrophotographic imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: The process cartridge installation cavity is provided with a second latch at the second longitudinal end portion, the second latch being movably connected to the tray, the second latch being provided with a second pressing member, and the second latch having a second locked position and a second unlocked position; The process cartridge further comprises a second elastic ring, the second elastic ring being sleeved on the engaging portion and being elastically deformable; When the second latch is in the second locking position, the second pressing member is pressed and fixed on the second elastic ring member and forces the second elastic ring member to deform elastically, so that the processing box is fixed in the processing box installation cavity.

Images