A consumable cartridge

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of consumable box, along the installation direction is installed in the installation part of image forming device, the installation part is provided with locking assembly, the locking assembly includes the lock convex of elastic swing arrangement, the consumable box includes: box body, the box body has front surface, the outer wall of the box body is provided with guide, the guide has the locking position and the guide structure for guiding the lock convex, in the case where the box body is installed to position, the lock convex is located at the locking position, to lock the position of the box body, the guide structure includes the first guide surface and the second guide surface spaced apart from each other;Along the width direction of the box body: the distance between the first guide surface and the front surface of the box body, and the distance between the second guide surface and the front surface of the box body gradually increase, or gradually decrease all.This application is to solve the technical problem that consumable box is easily jammed during removal.

Description

A consumable box Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of printer technology, and more particularly to a consumables box. Background Technology

[0002] Printers often have a consumables box installed to supply ink and other supplies. The consumables box is detachably installed in the printer's mounting section.

[0003] In related technologies, such as US Patent US20230311531A1, a consumable box is disclosed. A protrusion that can move in the left and right direction is provided on the bottom wall of the mounting part. However, when the protrusion moves in a certain direction, it will be subjected to the elastic force from the spring. The direction of the elastic force is opposite to the direction of the protrusion's movement. The bottom of the consumable box has a groove for the protrusion to enter. The bottom of the consumable box guides the protrusion to achieve a locking effect after installation. However, during the removal of the consumable box, it is easy to get stuck with the protrusion, which may even damage the printer and affect the convenience of installation and removal of the consumable box and its service life.

[0004] Therefore, it is urgent to solve the technical problem that the consumable box is prone to jamming when being removed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a consumable box to solve the technical problem that the consumable box is prone to jamming during the removal process, thereby improving the convenience of removing the consumable box and ensuring the service life of the image forming apparatus and the consumable box.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a consumable box, which is installed in a mounting portion of an image forming apparatus along an installation direction and disassembled from the mounting portion in a removal direction opposite to the installation direction. The mounting portion is provided with a locking assembly, the locking assembly including a locking protrusion that is elastically oscillating. The consumable box includes:

[0007] The box body has a front surface and an outer wall of the box body is provided with a guide. The guide has a locking position and a guide structure for guiding the locking protrusion. When the box body is installed in place, the locking protrusion is located at the locking position to lock the position of the box body. The guide structure includes a first guide surface and a second guide surface that are spaced apart from each other.

[0008] Along the width direction of the box body: the distance between the first guide surface and the front surface of the box body, and the distance between the second guide surface and the front surface of the box body, both gradually increase or both gradually decrease.

[0009] The present invention provides a consumable box, which, by setting a guide structure, gradually increases or decreases the distance between the first guide surface and the front surface of the box and the distance between the second guide surface and the front surface of the box along the width direction of the box body. When the locking protrusion moves along the guide structure, the force exerted by the locking protrusion on the guide structure will generate a component force that guides the locking protrusion to move tilted relative to the width direction of the box body, thereby avoiding the locking protrusion from getting stuck, thus improving the convenience of taking out the consumable box and ensuring the service life of the image forming apparatus.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the angle θ between the first guide surface and the extraction direction satisfies: 0 < θ < 90°; the angle Φ between the second guide surface and the extraction direction satisfies: 0 < Φ < 90°.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the guide is disposed on the lower surface of the housing;

[0012] The first guide surface is configured to guide the lock protrusion toward the locking position during the process of the housing being installed on the mounting part along the mounting direction;

[0013] The second guide surface is configured to guide the locking protrusion away from the stop position as the housing is removed from the mounting portion along the removal direction.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the guide also has a first guide groove, the first guide surface being configured as one inner wall surface of the first guide groove;

[0015] The guide also has a second guide groove, the second guide surface being configured to at least partially form one side inner wall surface of the second guide groove.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the guide further has a guide opening and a third guide groove, the guide opening communicating with the first guide groove, the third guide groove communicating between the guide opening and the second guide groove, and the third guide groove extending along the installation direction.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the guide opening is located on the front surface of the housing along the installation direction.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the third guide groove has an outlet end connected to the guide port;

[0019] Along the height direction of the box body, the depth to which the guide opening is recessed into the lower surface of the box body is greater than the depth to which the outlet end of the third guide groove is recessed into the lower surface of the box body.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the guide further has a fourth guide groove that connects the first guide groove and the locking position, the fourth guide groove extending along the installation direction.

[0021] In one possible implementation, along the installation direction, a step is formed between the locking position and the second guide surface, the second guide surface being further away from the first guide surface relative to the locking position.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the guide also has a locking region having a locking guide surface facing the locking position, the locking guide surface being inclined relative to both the mounting direction and the width direction of the housing.

[0023] The present invention provides a consumable box in which, along the width direction of the box body, the distance between the first guide surface and the front surface of the box body, and the distance between the second guide surface and the front surface of the box body, gradually increase or gradually decrease. That is, the inclination directions of the first guide surface and the second guide surface are approximately the same. During the installation and removal of the consumable box, the locking protrusion is subjected to an elastic restoring force in the same direction. During the installation of the consumable box, this elastic restoring force acts as a resistance to movement, smoothly guiding the locking protrusion into the engaging position. During the removal of the consumable box, the elastic restoring force acts as a driving force, accelerating the movement of the locking protrusion. Thus, during the installation and removal of the consumable box, the movement of the locking protrusion can be better guided, avoiding the situation where the locking protrusion gets stuck in the consumable box, improving the convenience of installing and removing the consumable box, and ensuring the service life of the image forming apparatus.

[0024] In addition to the technical problems solved by the embodiments of the present invention, the technical features constituting the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought about by the technical features of these technical solutions described above, other technical problems that can be solved by a consumable box provided by the embodiments of the present invention, other technical features included in the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought about by these technical features will be further described in detail in specific embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the mounting part of the consumable box and the image forming apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the mounting part of the image forming apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the consumable box provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the guide and locking protrusion of the consumable box provided in the embodiment of the present invention from a first perspective;

[0030] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the guide and locking protrusion of the consumable box provided in the embodiment of the present invention from a second perspective;

[0031] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the guide and locking protrusion of the consumable box provided in an embodiment of the present invention from a third-view perspective;

[0032] Figure 7 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the consumable box provided in the embodiment of the present invention in the open state;

[0033] Figure 8 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the consumable box provided in the embodiment of the present invention, in which the locking protrusion abuts against the first guide surface during the installation process;

[0034] Figure 9 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the consumable box provided in the embodiment of the present invention, in which the locking protrusion abuts against the second guide surface during the removal process;

[0035] Figure 10 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the mounting section of the image forming apparatus.

[0036] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0037] 10-Installation Department;

[0038] 11-Mounting cavity;

[0039] 12- Hollowed-out holes;

[0040] 13-Ink needle;

[0041] 14 - Electrical contacts;

[0042] 20-Locking assembly;

[0043] 21-Lock convex;

[0044] 23-Swing arm;

[0045] 24-Elastic element;

[0046] 30 - Box body;

[0047] 31 - Lower surface;

[0048] 32 - Storage room;

[0049] 33 - Back surface;

[0050] 34 - Front surface;

[0051] 35 - Left side;

[0052] 36 - Right side;

[0053] 37-Liquid outlet;

[0054] 40 - Guide component;

[0055] 41-Stop position;

[0056] 42-Guiding structure;

[0057] 421 - First guide surface;

[0058] 422 - Second guide surface;

[0059] 43-First guide groove;

[0060] 44 - Second guide groove;

[0061] 45 - Guide port;

[0062] 46 - Third guide groove;

[0063] 461 - Step surface;

[0064] 47 - Fourth guide groove;

[0065] 48 - Locking area;

[0066] 481 - Locking guide surface. Detailed Implementation

[0067] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0068] The consumable cartridge is detachably installed in the printer's mounting section. The consumable cartridge should be replaced promptly when the ink runs out. Typically, the printer's mounting section has a locking lug that can swing at a certain angle around a center. The bottom of the consumable cartridge has a groove for the locking lug to pass through. When the consumable cartridge is installed into or removed from the printer's mounting section, the locking lug can move within the groove.

[0069] In the prior art, when the consumable cartridge is removed from the mounting section of the printer, the movement of the consumable cartridge causes the locking protrusion to interact with the second inclined surface. The force exerted by the locking protrusion on the second inclined surface is perpendicular to the second inclined surface, and the component of this force hinders the removal of the consumable cartridge. In addition, the locking protrusion is subjected to the elastic force of the spring, which prevents the locking protrusion from moving away from the second inclined surface. When this happens, the consumable cartridge may get stuck in the mounting section, making it difficult to disassemble the consumable cartridge.

[0070] In view of this, the present invention provides a consumable box, which, by setting a guide structure, is inclined relative to the installation direction of the box body and also inclined relative to the width direction of the box body. The guide structure has an inclined first guide surface and a second guide surface, so that the locking protrusion is subjected to an elastic restoring force in the same direction during installation and removal. During the installation of the consumable box, the elastic restoring force acts as a resistance to movement, smoothly guiding the locking protrusion into the engaging position. During the removal of the consumable box, the elastic restoring force acts as a driving force, accelerating the movement of the locking protrusion and preventing the locking protrusion from jamming. This improves the convenience of removing the consumable box and ensures the service life of the image forming apparatus.

[0071] The consumable box provided in the embodiments of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0072] Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, the present invention provides a consumable box that is installed in a mounting portion 10 of an image forming apparatus along an installation direction and removed from the mounting portion 10 in a removal direction opposite to the installation direction. The mounting portion 10 is provided with a locking assembly 20, which includes a locking protrusion 21 that is elastically swingable and is located in its original position when the locking protrusion 21 is not swinging. The consumable box includes a box body 30 having a front surface 34, and a guide 40 provided on the outer wall of the box body 30. The guide 40 has a locking position 41 and a guide structure 42 for guiding the locking protrusion 21. When the box body 30 is installed in place, the locking protrusion 21 is located at the locking position 41 to lock the position of the box body 30. The guide structure 42 includes a first guide surface 421 and a second guide surface 422 that are spaced apart from each other.

[0073] With the housing 30 in place, the locking protrusion 21 moves to the locking position 41 to lock the position of the housing 30; as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, when the housing 30 moves within the mounting part 10 along the mounting direction, the locking protrusion 21 moves relative to the housing 30 from its original position along the guide structure 42.

[0074] Along the installation direction, the side of the housing 30 facing the mounting part 10 is the front surface 34, and the guide structure 42 includes a first guide surface 421 and a second guide surface 422 that are spaced apart from each other.

[0075] Along the width direction of the box body 30: the distance between the first guide surface 421 and the front surface 34 of the box body 30, and the distance between the second guide surface 422 and the front surface 34 of the box body 30, both gradually increase or gradually decrease.

[0076] The housing 30 is installed in the mounting portion 10 of the image forming apparatus along the mounting direction. The locking protrusion 21 moves from its original position along the trajectory of the guide structure 42, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 4. After the housing 30 is installed, the locking protrusion 21 is in the locking position 41. When the housing 30 is removed from the mounting portion 10 in a removal direction opposite to the mounting direction, the locking protrusion 21, starting from the locking position 41, moves away from the guide 40 along the trajectory shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 4.

[0077] The present invention provides a consumable box, which includes a guide structure 42 comprising a first guide surface 421 and a second guide surface 422 spaced apart from each other. Along the width direction of the box body 30, the distance between the first guide surface 421 and the front surface 34 of the box body 30, and the distance between the second guide surface 422 and the front surface 34 of the box body 30, gradually increase or decrease. This allows the elastic restoring force on the locking protrusion 21 to act as a driving force when the box body 30 is removed, accelerating the movement of the locking protrusion 21. The locking protrusion 21 moves from the locking position 41 along the second guide surface 422 until it detaches from the box body 30. The locking protrusion 21 experiences a leftward elastic restoring force, which generates a component force guiding the locking protrusion 21 to move at an angle relative to the width direction of the box body 30. This separation direction is approximately parallel to the second guide surface 422, accelerating the movement of the locking protrusion 21 on the second guide surface 422 and preventing the locking protrusion 21 from jamming. This improves the convenience of removing the consumable box and ensures the service life of the image forming apparatus.

[0078] The image forming apparatus in this example includes, but is not limited to, a printer and a copier.

[0079] Consumables boxes can include ink cartridges that store ink, containers that can hold liquid bags, or containers that contain waste liquid and are located inside the printer.

[0080] Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 9, the locking assembly 20 includes a swing arm 23 and an elastic member 24. A locking protrusion 21 is connected to one end of the swing arm 23, and the other end of the swing arm 23 is swayed and disposed on the outer wall of the mounting portion 10. One end of the elastic member 24 is fixed to the outer wall of the mounting portion 10, and the other end of the elastic member 24 is connected to the side of the swing arm 23, so that the locking protrusion 21 connected to the swing arm 23 can be subjected to an elastic restoring force in the opposite direction when it moves left and right.

[0081] In this example, the locking protrusion 21 is cylindrical, and its outer circumferential surface moves along the guide structure 42. The locking protrusion 21 is rotatably connected to the swing arm 23. Specifically, one end of the locking protrusion 21 is rotatably mounted on the swing arm 23 via a pivot, allowing the locking protrusion 21 to rotate relative to the swing arm 23, thus improving the smoothness of its movement along the guide structure 42. Of course, in other examples, the locking protrusion 21 may also be fixedly connected to the swing arm 23.

[0082] In one possible implementation, the elastic element 24 can be a spring.

[0083] In one possible implementation, the guide structure 42 is a bump; of course, the guide structure 42 can also be a ridge, which is not specifically limited here.

[0084] In one possible implementation, the locking component 20 may be disposed on the outer wall of the mounting portion 10, and the outer wall of the mounting portion 10 may also have a perforated hole 12. The locking protrusion 21 is exposed to the inner side of the mounting portion 10 through the perforated hole 12. For example, the locking component 20 may be disposed on the bottom wall of the mounting portion 10, and the bottom wall of the mounting portion 10 may also have a perforated hole 12, so that the locking protrusion 21 can cooperate with the guide 40 of the consumable box, so as to achieve the guiding effect and the locking effect.

[0085] The mounting part 10 has at least one mounting cavity 11, and the box body 30 is mounted in the mounting cavity 11 along the mounting direction. Of course, there can also be two or more mounting cavities arranged side by side.

[0086] Referring to Figures 1 and 10, an ink needle 13 and an electrical contact 14 are disposed within the mounting cavity 11. The locking protrusion 21 of the locking assembly 20 extends into the mounting cavity 11 through the perforated hole 12. The consumable box also includes a chip disposed on the outer wall of the box body, which can be electrically connected to the electrical contact 14 disposed within the mounting cavity 11. The box body also has an ink supply needle, which is connected to the ink needle 13 within the mounting cavity 11, and supplies ink to the ink needle 13 of the mounting section 10 through the ink supply needle.

[0087] In this example, referring to Figures 1, 3, and 7, the box 30 is approximately cubic in shape. The removal direction is indicated by the +X-axis, which is the direction of movement of the box 30 when it is removed from the mounting part 10. The installation direction is indicated by the -X-axis, which is the direction of movement of the box 30 when it is installed into the mounting part 10. The installation direction is opposite to the removal direction. The X-axis also indicates the length direction of the box 30, with the rear surface 33 and front surface 34 on either side of the length direction. The Y-axis indicates the width direction of the box 30, with the left side surface 35 and right side surface 36 on either side of the width direction. The Z-axis indicates the height direction of the box 30, with the lower surface 31 located at the bottom of the box 30 along the height direction.

[0088] The box body 30 has a storage chamber 32 inside, and a liquid storage bag is provided in the storage chamber 32. The liquid storage bag stores ink. The outer wall of the box body 30 has a liquid outlet 37. The liquid outlet 37 can be provided on the front surface 34 of the box body 30 and communicate with the storage chamber 32.

[0089] In one possible implementation, referring to Figures 3, 7, and 8, the guide 40 is disposed on the lower surface 31 of the housing 30. The guide 40 can be fixed to the lower surface 31 of the housing 30 by means of screw connection, snap-fit ​​connection, or other methods. Of course, the guide 40 can also be an integral structure connected to the housing 30. The bottom of the guide 40 can be flush with the lower surface 31 or not protrude from the lower surface 31 of the housing 30 to avoid interference between the guide 40 and the mounting part 10 during the installation of the consumable box.

[0090] Referring to Figures 3, 4, and 5, the extension direction of the first guide surface 421 is inclined relative to both the mounting direction and the width direction of the box body 30; the extension direction of the second guide surface 422 is also inclined relative to both the mounting direction and the width direction of the box body 30. That is, the first guide surface 421 is inclined relative to the length direction and the width direction of the box body 30; the second guide surface 422 is inclined relative to the length direction and the width direction of the box body 30.

[0091] As can be easily understood, referring to Figure 4, since the locking protrusion 21 has an elastic restoring force, when the box body 30 is installed into the mounting cavity 11, as the locking protrusion 21 abuts against the first guide surface 421 and moves to the right, the locking protrusion 21 will be subjected to a force to the left from the elastic element 24. The box body 30 moves in the -X direction, and the locking protrusion 21 moves in the +Y direction under the abutment of the first guide surface 421, and moves to the upper right relative to the box body 30. The locking protrusion 21 is subjected to a force perpendicular to the first guide surface 421, which is perpendicular to the first guide surface 421 and points to the lower right. The locking protrusion 21 is also subjected to an elastic restoring force to the left. At the same time, the first guide surface 421 is subjected to a reaction force to the upper left. This reaction force acts as an installation resistance for the consumable box, allowing the consumable box to be smoothly installed into the mounting part 10. At the same time, it prompts the user that the consumable box is being installed.

[0092] When the housing 30 is removed from the mounting part 10, the housing 30 moves in the +X direction, and the locking protrusion 21 moves in the -Y direction under the abutment of the second guide surface 422, and moves to the lower left relative to the housing 30. The locking protrusion is subjected to a force perpendicular to the second guide surface 422, which is perpendicular to the second guide surface 422 and points to the upper left. This force accelerates the leftward movement of the locking protrusion 21. At the same time, the locking protrusion 21 moves to the left against the second guide surface 422. The locking protrusion 21 is also subjected to a leftward force from the elastic member 24, which also accelerates the leftward movement of the locking protrusion 21 along the second guide surface 422. The leftward force of the elastic member 24 on the locking protrusion 21 can be divided into a component force along the second guide surface 422. At this time, the force and movement direction of the locking protrusion 21 are roughly the same, thereby accelerating the locking protrusion 21's separation from the second guide surface 422. During this process, although the locking protrusion 21 moves to the left relative to the image forming apparatus, the movement trajectory of the locking protrusion 21 is along the second guide surface 422.

[0093] In one possible implementation, the guide 40 is disposed on the lower surface 31 of the housing 30.

[0094] The first guide surface 421 is configured to guide the locking protrusion 21 toward the locking position 41 during the process of mounting the housing 30 to the mounting part 10 in the mounting direction; the second guide surface 422 is configured to guide the locking protrusion 21 away from the locking position 41 during the process of removing the housing 30 from the mounting part 10 in the removal direction.

[0095] Referring to Figures 3, 4 and 9, the first guide surface 421 is used to guide the locking protrusion 21 to move toward the locking position 41 during the process of installing the consumable box into the mounting part 10. The locking protrusion 21 abuts against the first guide surface 421 and moves along the first guide surface 421, thereby guiding the movement of the locking protrusion 21. Therefore, the locking protrusion 21 can move smoothly along the first guide surface 421.

[0096] Referring to Figures 3, 4, and 8, the second guide surface 422 guides the locking protrusion 21 away from the stop position 41 during the removal of the consumable box from the mounting part 10. The locking protrusion 21 abuts against and moves along the second guide surface 422, thus guiding its movement relative to the consumable box. The locking protrusion 21 experiences a leftward force on the second guide surface 422, namely the elastic restoring force provided by the elastic element 24. This leftward force can be divided into a component force along the second guide surface 422. At this time, the force on the locking protrusion 21 is in the same direction as its movement, thereby accelerating the removal of the locking protrusion 21 from the second guide surface 422. Therefore, the locking protrusion 21 can move smoothly and quickly along the second guide surface 422, accelerating the removal of the consumable box from the mounting part 10, preventing the locking protrusion 21 from jamming with the consumable box, and improving the convenience of removing the consumable box from the mounting part 10.

[0097] In one possible implementation, referring to Figure 4, the angle θ between the first guide surface 421 and the extraction direction satisfies: 0 < θ < 90°.

[0098] In one possible implementation, the angle θ between the first guide surface 421 and the extraction direction can be, for example, 2°, 10°, 30°, 50°, 60°, 80°, or 88°.

[0099] In one possible implementation, the angle Φ between the second guide surface 422 and the extraction direction satisfies 0 < Φ < 90°.

[0100] In one possible implementation, the angle Φ between the second guide surface 422 and the extraction direction can be, for example, 2°, 10°, 30°, 50°, 60°, 80° or 88°.

[0101] In one possible implementation, referring to Figures 4, 5 and 6, the guide 40 also has a first guide groove 43, and the first guide surface 421 is configured as one inner wall surface of the first guide groove 43. By providing the first guide groove 43, the locking protrusion 21 can enter the first guide groove 43, thereby better restricting the range of motion of the locking protrusion 21 and improving the guiding effect of the first guide surface 421 on the locking protrusion 21.

[0102] In one possible implementation, the guide 40 further has a second guide groove 44, and the second guide surface 422 is configured to at least partially cover one side of the inner wall of the second guide groove 44. By providing the second guide groove 44, the locking protrusion 21 can be inserted into the second guide groove 44, thereby better restricting the range of motion of the locking protrusion 21 and improving the guiding effect of the second guide surface 422 on the locking protrusion 21.

[0103] In one possible implementation, the guide 40 further has a guide opening 45 and a third guide groove 46. The guide opening 45 communicates with the first guide groove 43, and the third guide groove 46 communicates between the guide opening 45 and the second guide groove 44, extending along the installation direction. The guide opening 45 is provided to facilitate guiding the locking protrusion 21 into the first guide groove 43, and to facilitate the movement of the locking protrusion 21 from the third guide groove 46 towards the guide opening 45, away from the guide 40.

[0104] In one possible implementation, referring to Figures 3 and 7, the guide opening 45 is located on the front surface 34 of the housing 30 along the installation direction. Specifically, the guide opening 45 is located at the edge of the front surface 34 of the housing 30, and the original position of the locking protrusion 21 corresponds to the position of the guide opening 45.

[0105] In this example, referring to Figure 4, the guide opening 45 is located on the front surface 34 of the housing 30, facilitating the insertion of the locking protrusion 21 into the guide opening 45 and the removal of the locking protrusion 21 from the guide opening 45, thus improving the guiding effect. In this design, the first guide surface 421 and the second guide surface 422 extend further away from the guide opening 45 in the width direction of the housing 30, and the locking position 41 is on the right side of the guide opening 45, that is, compared to the locking position 41, the guide opening 45 is closer to the left side 35 of the housing 30.

[0106] In one possible implementation, the locking position 41 can also be located to the left of the guide opening 45, that is, the guide opening 45 is closer to the right side 36 of the housing 30 than the locking position 41, when the first guide surface 421 and the second guide surface 422 extend in the opposite direction to the installation direction and the width direction of the housing 30. When the housing 30 is installed and removed from the mounting part 10, the locking protrusion 21 is subjected to a rightward elastic restoring force. This force can be decomposed into a component force in the same direction as the extension of the second guide surface 422. At this time, the direction of this component force is consistent with or approximately consistent with the movement direction of the locking protrusion 21, thereby accelerating the disengagement speed of the locking protrusion 21 from the housing 30.

[0107] In one possible implementation, the third guide groove 46 has an outlet end connected to the guide opening 45. Along the height direction of the housing 30, the depth to which the guide opening 45 is recessed into the lower surface 31 of the housing 30 is greater than the depth to which the outlet end of the third guide groove 46 is recessed into the lower surface 31 of the housing 30. This structure forms a stepped surface 461 at the junction of the guide opening 45 and the third guide groove 46. This stepped surface 461 increases the difficulty for the locking protrusion 21 to enter the third guide groove 46 from the guide opening 45. Therefore, during the installation of the consumable box into the mounting part 10, the locking protrusion 21 that has entered the guide opening 45 moves more easily along the first guide surface 421, making it easier for the locking protrusion 21 to enter the first guide groove 43, thus improving the guiding effect.

[0108] In one possible implementation, the third guide groove 46 also has an inlet end away from the outlet end. From the inlet end to the outlet end of the third guide groove 46, the depth of the third guide groove 46 gradually increases, so that the locking protrusion 21 will not be significantly obstructed during the process of entering the third guide groove 46 from the second guide groove 44.

[0109] In one possible implementation, referring to Figures 3 and 4, the guide 40 further has a fourth guide groove 47, which connects the first guide groove 43 and the locking position 41. The fourth guide groove 47 extends along the installation direction. The fourth guide groove 47 extends along the length of the housing 30, allowing the locking protrusion 21, which exits the first guide groove 43, to smoothly enter the locking position 41 through the fourth guide groove 47. The locking position 41 locks the locking protrusion 21, thereby locking the position of the consumable box and improving the stability of the consumable box within the mounting part 10, preventing the consumable from accidentally detaching from the mounting part 10 before it is ready.

[0110] In this example, the first guide groove 43, the second guide groove 44, the third guide groove 46 and the fourth guide groove 47 have a certain depth, that is, they are recessed from the lower surface 31 of the box 30 into the interior of the box 30 along the height direction of the box 30, so that at least part of the locking protrusion 21 can be accommodated along the axial direction of the locking protrusion 21.

[0111] In one possible implementation, a step is formed between the locking position 41 and the second guide surface 422 along the installation direction, with the second guide surface 422 further away from the first guide surface 421 relative to the locking position 41. This step can block the locking protrusion 21, preventing it from easily entering the fourth guide groove 47, thus achieving a locking effect on the locking protrusion 21 at the locking position 41. In this example, the locking position 41 is a structure recessed from the lower surface 31 of the box 30 into the interior of the box 30 along the height direction of the box 30. Along the Y-axis, the side of the locking position 41 facing the guide structure 42 is a vertical surface, and along the X-axis, the side of the locking position 41 facing the guide structure 42 is a sloped surface, which helps to improve the blocking effect of the locking position 41 on the locking protrusion 21 when the box 30 is installed in place, thereby locking the position of the box 30.

[0112] In one possible implementation, the guide 40 also has a locking region 48, which has a locking guide surface 481 facing the locking position 41, the locking guide surface 481 being inclined relative to the mounting direction of the housing 30 and the width direction of the housing 30.

[0113] The locking area 48 facilitates the movement of the locking protrusion 21 from the fourth guide groove 47 to the locking position 41. The locking guide surface 481 guides the locking protrusion 21 into the locking position 41. After the locking protrusion 21 touches the locking guide surface 481, it can move to the locking position 41 more easily.

[0114] Furthermore, when the consumable box needs to be removed, due to the locking effect of the locking position 41 on the locking protrusion 21, the consumable box can be pushed along the installation direction, causing the consumable box to move deeper into the installation part 10. Under the force of the locking guide surface 481 on the locking protrusion 21, the locking protrusion 21 can move along the second guide surface 422 in the second guide groove 44 until the locking protrusion 21 moves into the third guide groove 46, and finally disengages from the guide opening 45 from the guide member 40.

[0115] The present invention provides a consumable box, which improves the guide structure 42 by setting the extension direction of the first guide surface 421 at an angle relative to both the installation direction and the width direction of the box body 30; and the extension direction of the second guide surface 422 at an angle relative to both the installation direction and the width direction of the box body 30. This can prevent the guide structure 42 from jamming with the locking protrusion 21 and improve the convenience of installing and disassembling the consumable box.

[0116] It should be noted that the numerical values ​​and ranges involved in this application are approximate values. Due to the influence of the manufacturing process, there may be a certain range of errors, which can be considered negligible by those skilled in the art.

[0117] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "length," "width," "thickness," "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," "outer," "axial," and "circumferential," etc., used to indicate orientation or positional relationships are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the indicated position or component must have a specific orientation, or a specific structure and operation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0118] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0119] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0120] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0121] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A consumable box, which is installed in a mounting portion (10) of an image forming apparatus along an installation direction and removed from the mounting portion (10) in a removal direction opposite to the installation direction, the mounting portion (10) being provided with a locking assembly (20), the locking assembly (20) including a locking protrusion (21) that is elastically oscillating, characterized in that, The consumable box includes: a box body (30), the box body (30) having a front surface (34), and a guide (40) provided on the outer wall of the box body (30). The guide (40) has a locking position (41) and a guide structure (42) for guiding the locking protrusion (21). When the box body (30) is installed in place, the locking protrusion (21) is located at the locking position (41) to lock the position of the box body (30). The guide structure (42) includes a first guide surface (421) and a second guide surface (422) spaced apart from each other. Along the width direction of the box body (30): the first guide surface (421) is positioned at the locking position (41) to lock the position of the box body (30). The distance between the first guide surface (421) and the front surface (34) of the box body (30), and the distance between the second guide surface (422) and the front surface (34) of the box body (30) gradually increase or gradually decrease; during the process of the box body (30) being installed on the mounting part (10) in the installation direction, the first guide surface (421) guides the locking protrusion (21) to move toward the locking position (41); during the process of the box body (30) being removed from the mounting part (10) in the removal direction, the second guide surface (422) guides the locking protrusion (21) to move away from the locking position (41).

2. The consumable box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The angle θ between the first guide surface (421) and the extraction direction satisfies: 0 < θ < 90°; the angle Φ between the second guide surface (422) and the extraction direction satisfies: 0 < Φ < 90°.

3. The consumable box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide (40) is disposed on the lower surface (31) of the housing (30); the first guide surface (421) is configured to guide the locking protrusion (21) toward the locking position (41) during the process of the housing (30) being installed on the mounting part (10) along the mounting direction; the second guide surface (422) is configured to guide the locking protrusion (21) away from the locking position (41) during the process of the housing (30) being removed from the mounting part (10) along the removal direction.

4. The consumable box according to claim 3, characterized in that, The guide (40) also has a first guide groove (43), the first guide surface (421) being configured as one side inner wall surface of the first guide groove (43); the guide (40) also has a second guide groove (44), the second guide surface (422) being configured as at least a portion of one side inner wall surface of the second guide groove (44).

5. The consumable box according to claim 4, characterized in that, The guide (40) also has a guide opening (45) and a third guide groove (46), the guide opening (45) being interconnected with the first guide groove (43), the third guide groove (46) being connected between the guide opening (45) and the second guide groove (44), and the third guide groove (46) extending along the installation direction.

6. The consumable box according to claim 5, characterized in that, Along the installation direction, the guide port (45) is located on the front surface (34) of the housing (30).

7. The consumable box according to claim 5, characterized in that, The third guide groove (46) has an outlet end connected to the guide port (45); along the height direction of the box body (30), the depth of the guide port (45) recessed into the lower surface (31) of the box body (30) is greater than the depth of the outlet end of the third guide groove (46) recessed into the lower surface (31) of the box body (30).

8. The consumable box according to claim 5, characterized in that, The guide (40) also has a fourth guide groove (47) that connects the first guide groove (43) and the locking position (41) and extends along the installation direction.

9. The consumable box according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Along the installation direction: a step is formed between the locking position (41) and the second guide surface (422), and the second guide surface (422) is further away from the first guide surface (421) relative to the locking position (41).

10. The consumable box according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The guide (40) also has a locking region (48) having a locking guide surface (481) facing the stop position (41), the locking guide surface (481) being inclined relative to both the installation direction and the width direction of the housing (30).

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