A waste powder container and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a waste powder container, which comprises a box body and a powder feeding screw. The box body comprises a first powder storage bin, a second powder storage bin and a light detection bin. The first powder storage bin is used for collecting waste powder generated by an electrophotographic imaging device. The second powder storage bin is communicated with the first powder storage bin and is used for receiving waste powder in the first powder storage bin. The light detection bin is communicated with the second powder storage bin and is used for receiving waste powder in the second powder storage bin. A powder fullness sensor is arranged in the light detection bin. The powder feeding screw is installed in the box body and sequentially passes through the first powder storage bin, the second powder storage bin and the light detection bin in the box body. The powder feeding screw can transport waste powder between the first powder storage bin and the second powder storage bin and can transport waste powder between the second powder storage bin and the light detection bin. The waste powder container can avoid triggering the light detection to display powder fullness when the waste powder container is shaken or tilted, can greatly reduce the false detection probability and can improve the powder amount detection precision of the waste powder container.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electrophotographic imaging equipment, and in particular to a waste powder container and its electrophotographic imaging equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Electrophotographic imaging equipment forms images on recording materials using electrophotographic imaging techniques. Electrophotographic imaging equipment includes electrophotographic copiers, electrophotographic printers (LED printers, laser beam printers, etc.), fax machines, multifunction machines with multiple functions of these machines, word processors, etc.

[0003] Electrophotographic imaging equipment forms an electrostatic latent image by emitting light corresponding to image information onto a photoreceptor, and forms a toner image by supplying a developer to the electrostatic latent image. Electrophotographic imaging equipment then prints an image on a recording medium by transferring the toner image onto the recording medium and fixing the toner image onto the recording medium by applying heat and pressure.

[0004] If a single-component development method is used, toner is used as the developer. If a two-component development method is used, both toner and carrier are used as developers. The carrier carries the toner, and only the toner is developed on the photoreceptor to form a toner image. During the operation of the electrophotographic imaging equipment, waste developer may be generated by the photoreceptor, intermediate transfer medium, and developing unit. The waste developer is transferred to and received in a waste developer receiver, which contains a detection device to detect the amount of waste toner. Based on feedback from this detection device, the user replaces the waste developer receiver.

[0005] However, if the existing waste developer receiver is shaken or tilted, causing the internal waste powder to move, the detection results of the detection device will no longer be accurate.

[0006] Therefore, a technical solution to the above problems is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In order to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a waste powder container to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0008] To achieve its objective, the present invention employs the following technical solution:

[0009] A waste powder container, detachably mounted on an electrophotographic imaging device, is used to collect waste powder generated by the electrophotographic imaging device. The waste powder container includes:

[0010] The housing includes a first toner storage compartment, a second toner storage compartment, and an optical inspection compartment. The first toner storage compartment is used to collect waste toner generated by the electrophotographic imaging equipment. The second toner storage compartment is connected to the first toner storage compartment and is used to receive waste toner from the first toner storage compartment. The optical inspection compartment is connected to the second toner storage compartment and is used to receive waste toner from the second toner storage compartment. A toner full sensor is installed inside the optical inspection compartment.

[0011] The toner feeding screw is installed inside the housing and passes sequentially through the first toner storage bin, the second toner storage bin, and the optical inspection bin. The toner feeding screw can transport waste toner between the first and second toner storage bins and between the second toner storage bin and the optical inspection bin.

[0012] In a waste toner container with the above structure, once the first toner storage bin is full, the waste toner is first transferred to the second toner storage bin. Only after the second toner storage bin is full is the waste toner transferred from the second toner storage bin to the optical inspection bin via a toner feeding screw, instead of falling directly into the optical inspection bin. This avoids the situation where, when the waste toner container is shaken or tilted, the waste toner in the first toner storage bin may not be full, but it mistakenly falls directly into the optical inspection bin, triggering a full toner display and causing a false detection. This solution significantly reduces the probability of false detections and improves the toner quantity detection accuracy of the waste toner container.

[0013] Preferably, the powder feeding screw has a first helical section and a second helical section. The pitch of the first helical section is longer than that of the second helical section, and the first helical section is located inside the first powder storage bin, while the second helical section is located inside the second powder storage bin and the optical inspection bin. Therefore, when feeding powder, the powder feeding screw transfers waste powder from the first powder storage bin to the second powder storage bin through the powder feeding port connecting the first and second powder storage bins. The waste powder passes through the gap between the powder feeding port and the powder feeding blades of the powder feeding screw. The powder feeding screw has a shorter pitch at this point, further reducing the space for waste powder to pass through, thus achieving a certain sealing effect between the first and second powder storage bins.

[0014] Preferably, the second toner storage bin is provided with a first receiving port for receiving waste toner from the first toner storage bin, and the first receiving port is configured to be open. Therefore, the open first receiving port increases the toner receiving area of ​​the second toner storage bin. Waste toner will only fall into the optical inspection bin when the second toner storage bin is full, preventing waste toner from mistakenly falling directly into the optical inspection bin even when the first toner storage bin is not full, thus triggering a false detection and indicating that the toner is full.

[0015] Preferably, it also includes a stirring component, which is disposed inside the first powder storage silo and is capable of stirring and transferring waste powder within the first powder storage silo. This prevents waste powder from clumping or accumulating within the first powder storage silo.

[0016] Preferably, the stirring component is a powder-stirring screw, which has two sections of stirring blades, and the two sections of stirring blades are oriented in opposite directions. This allows the stirring component to move waste powder from both ends of the first powder storage bin towards the center, preventing waste powder from accumulating at both ends of the first powder storage bin.

[0017] Preferably, the first powder storage bin is provided with a first inlet for introducing first waste powder and a second inlet for introducing second waste powder. Thus, the first powder storage bin can collect the first waste powder generated by the transfer unit in the electrophotographic imaging device through the first inlet and the second waste powder generated by the imaging unit in the electrophotographic imaging device through the second inlet.

[0018] Preferably, a powder inlet channel and a powder-scraping component are provided between the first inlet and the first powder storage bin. The powder-scraping component is connected to a stirring component, and the stirring component can drive the powder-scraping component to scrape powder into the first powder storage bin along the powder inlet channel. Thus, by providing a powder-scraping component at the first inlet, waste powder accumulation at the first inlet can be prevented.

[0019] Preferably, the rice noodle-skimming component includes a plurality of separators for skimming rice noodles, and the separators are arranged in parallel. Thus, the separators are used to skim rice noodles at the first inlet.

[0020] Preferably, a first sealing component is provided on the outside of the first inlet, and a second sealing component is provided on the outside of the second inlet. Thus, the first sealing component prevents powder leakage when the first inlet is connected to the transfer unit, and the second sealing component prevents powder leakage when the second inlet is connected to the imaging unit.

[0021] Preferably, in the vertical direction, the powder feeding screw is closer to the top of the second powder storage bin and the optical inspection bin within the housing. Therefore, the powder feeding screw will only feed powder backward when the second powder storage bin is about to be full of waste powder.

[0022] Preferably, the box contains a first powder storage compartment and a sealed cavity. A powder feeding port connects the sealed cavity and the first powder storage compartment. A powder feeding screw passes through the feeding port to deliver waste powder into the sealed cavity. The sealed cavity contains a second powder storage compartment and a photodetector compartment, with the second powder storage compartment being closer to the powder feeding port than the photodetector compartment. Therefore, the box's first powder storage compartment and sealed cavity, along with the second powder storage compartment and photodetector compartment within the sealed cavity, prevent waste powder from falling directly from the first powder storage compartment into the second powder storage compartment or the photodetector compartment when the waste powder container is tilted.

[0023] Preferably, the first powder storage bin is provided with several ribs extending from the bottom to the top, which divide the bottom of the first powder storage bin into multiple grooves. Thus, the grooves within the first powder storage bin prevent waste powder from accumulating at one end in a short time when the waste powder container shakes or tipps over, providing a buffering effect.

[0024] It also includes an electrophotographic imaging device that incorporates the aforementioned waste powder container. Therefore, the electrophotographic imaging device avoids false detections caused by shaking or tipping of the waste powder container, significantly reducing the probability of false detections and improving the accuracy of powder quantity detection in the waste powder container. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only 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 This is a perspective view of the waste powder container in this invention, viewed from the front.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the waste powder container in this invention, viewed from the rear.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a front view of the waste powder container in this invention;

[0029] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A sectional view taken along the A-A direction;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a partial structural diagram of the connection between the connecting rod and the stirring component in this invention;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the powder feeding screw in this invention;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the stirring component in this invention.

[0033] In the diagram: 100, waste powder container; 110, snap-fit ​​structure; 120, box body; 121, first powder storage bin; 1211, first inlet; 1212, first sealing component; 1213, powder inlet channel; 1214, second inlet; 1215, second sealing component; 1216, cut; 1217, rib; 122, second powder storage bin; 1221, partition; 1221a, inclined surface; 1222, first connection. 123. Optical inspection chamber; 1231. Powder full sensor; 1232. Second receiving port; 124. Sealed cavity; 125. Powder feeding port; 200. Powder feeding screw; 210. First spiral section; 220. Second spiral section; 300. Drive assembly; 400. Stirring component; 410. Powder stirring blade; 420. Crankshaft structure; 500. Powder scraping component; 510. Frame; 520. Separator; 530. Connecting rod. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] It should be understood that the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] like Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the overall structure of the waste powder container of the present invention.

[0037] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, a waste toner container 100 is a frequently replaced component in electrophotographic imaging equipment. Electrophotographic imaging equipment (such as electrophotographic copiers, electrophotographic printers, photocopiers, printers, fax machines, etc.) is an electrophotographic color imaging device. It can be equipped with multiple imaging units (such as developing cartridges, toner cartridges, etc.) storing different colors of developer, and prints color images using cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) developers. The imaging operation (or printing operation) is performed by a control unit (not shown) within the device housing of the electrophotographic color imaging equipment, which controls the printing unit. The printing unit may include an imaging unit, an exposure unit, a transfer unit, and a fixing unit to perform image forming operations. The exposure unit forms an electrostatic latent image on the imaging unit by emitting light modulated into corresponding image information to the imaging unit. The transfer unit includes an intermediate transfer belt and transfer rollers. The intermediate transfer belt is an intermediate transfer medium for temporarily transferring images developed on multiple imaging units of developers C, M, Y, and K. Multiple intermediate transfer rollers are arranged to face multiple imaging units of developers C, M, Y, and M through the intermediate transfer belt. An intermediate transfer bias can be applied to the multiple intermediate transfer rollers to transfer the image developed on the imaging unit to the intermediate transfer belt. The fixing unit fixes the transferred image onto the recording medium by applying heat and / or pressure.

[0038] After the electrostatic latent image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt, the waste developer remaining on the imaging unit is removed by a cleaning scraper. The removed developer is called waste toner. The removed developer is received in a waste developer receiver provided in the photosensitive unit. The waste developer receiver is equipped with a waste toner discharge component, which can extend from the side wall of the waste toner receiver. The waste toner in the waste toner receiver is transported by the waste toner discharge component to the waste toner outlet and then to the waste toner container 100. After the developer is transferred to the recording medium, the waste toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt is removed by the cleaning component and transported to the waste toner container 100 by the waste toner discharge component of the transfer unit.

[0039] The electrophotographic imaging device includes a mounting section for a waste toner container 100. The waste toner container 100 is detachably mounted on the mounting section and can collect waste toner generated by the electrophotographic imaging device. Preferably, a snap-fit ​​structure 110 can be provided between the mounting section and the waste toner container 100, so that the waste toner container 100 is snapped onto the mounting section by the snap-fit ​​structure 110, making the waste toner container 100 detachable and installable on the electrophotographic imaging device.

[0040] This application improves the waste powder container 100. The specific structure and operation of the electrophotographic imaging device are existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0041] See Figures 1 to 7 This embodiment provides a waste toner container 100, which includes a housing 120 and a toner feeding screw 200 disposed within the housing 120. The housing 120 contains a first toner storage chamber 121, a second toner storage chamber 122, and an optical inspection chamber 123. The volume of the first toner storage chamber 121 is significantly larger than the volumes of the second toner storage chamber 122 and the optical inspection chamber 123. The first toner storage chamber 121 has a waste toner inlet, allowing waste toner generated in the electrophotographic imaging equipment to be collected by the first toner storage chamber 121 through the waste toner inlet. When the toner feeding screw 200 is installed within the housing 120, it passes sequentially through the first toner storage chamber 121, the second toner storage chamber 122, and the optical inspection chamber 123. The toner feeding screw 200 is used in the first toner storage chamber 121... 1. Toner is supplied between the first and second toner storage bins 122 and between the second toner storage bin 122 and the optical inspection bin 123. When the waste toner container 100 is installed on the electrophotographic imaging equipment to collect waste toner generated by the equipment, after the waste toner collected in the first toner storage bin 121 reaches a certain height, the toner feeding screw 200 will transport the waste toner from the first toner storage bin 121 to the second toner storage bin 122. After the waste toner in the second toner storage bin 122 accumulates to a certain height, the toner feeding screw 200 will then transport the waste toner to the optical inspection bin 123. The optical inspection bin 123 is equipped with a toner full sensor 1231. After the toner full sensor 1231 detects the waste toner, it triggers the optical inspection alarm and displays that the waste toner is full, reminding the user to remove the waste toner container 100 for replacement.

[0042] Specifically, in this embodiment, the box body 120 is a generally elongated container. The box body 120 can be a single outer shell. The box body 120 is divided into a first powder storage compartment 121 and a sealed cavity in its length direction. A powder feeding port 125 is provided between the sealed cavity 124 and the first powder storage compartment 121. A second powder storage compartment 122 and an optical inspection compartment 123 are provided in the sealed cavity 124, and the second powder storage compartment 122 and the optical inspection compartment 123 are interconnected in the sealed cavity 124. This is such that in the length direction of the box body 120, the first powder storage compartment 121 is located on one side of the second powder storage compartment 122 and is connected to the second powder storage compartment 122, and the optical inspection compartment 123 is located on the other side of the second powder storage compartment 122 and is connected to the second powder storage compartment 122. The powder feeding screw 200 is rotatably supported inside the housing 120. One end of the powder feeding screw 200 extends out of the housing 120 and is connected to a drive assembly 300. Preferably, the drive assembly 300 can be a gear assembly. The drive assembly 300 enables the powder feeding screw 200 to be externally driven to rotate inside the housing 120 for powder feeding. The powder feeding screw 200 is arranged along the length of the housing 120. Part of the powder feeding screw 200 is located in the first powder storage chamber 121, and the other part passes through the second powder storage chamber 122 and the optical inspection chamber 123 in the sealed cavity 124. In the sealed cavity 124, the second powder storage chamber 122 is closer to the powder feeding port 125 than the optical inspection chamber 123, so that the powder feeding screw 200... Within the housing 120, along its length, the material sequentially passes through the first toner storage bin 121, the second toner storage bin 122, and the optical inspection bin 123. The toner feeding screw 200 delivers waste toner from the first toner storage bin 121 to the second toner storage bin 122 and the optical inspection bin 123 within the sealed cavity 124. Preferably, the toner feeding screw 200 passes through the toner feeding port 125 within the sealed cavity 124, passing through the second toner storage bin 122 and the optical inspection bin 123. Vertically, the toner feeding screw 200 is positioned above the first toner storage bin 121, the second toner storage bin 122, and the optical inspection bin 123, and is closer to the top of the second toner storage bin 122 and the optical inspection bin 123, ensuring that the waste toner collected in the first toner storage bin 121 reaches a certain height (i.e.,...). After the waste toner in the first toner storage bin 121 reaches the position of the toner feeding screw 200, the toner feeding screw 200 will transport the waste toner in the first toner storage bin 121 to the second toner storage bin 122. After the waste toner in the second toner storage bin 122 accumulates to a certain height, the toner feeding screw 200 will transport the waste toner to the optical inspection bin 123. The optical inspection bin 123 is equipped with a toner full sensor 1231. Preferably, the toner full sensor 1231 may include an optical transmitter and an optical receiver. When the waste toner falls between the optical transmitter and the optical receiver, the optical receiver cannot receive the signal emitted by the optical transmitter. After the toner full sensor 1231 detects the waste toner, it triggers the optical inspection alarm and displays that the waste toner is full, reminding the user to take out the waste toner container 100 for replacement.A first toner storage bin 121 is provided inside the housing 120 to collect waste toner, and a photodetector bin 123 detects the amount of waste toner. A second toner storage bin 122 separates the photodetector bin 123 and the first toner storage bin 121. When the waste toner in the first toner storage bin 121 is full, it will be transferred to the second toner storage bin 122 first, instead of falling directly into the photodetector bin 123. This prevents false readings when the waste toner container 100 detects the amount of waste toner, as the second toner storage bin 122 is positioned between the photodetector bin 123 and the first toner storage bin 121. This makes it convenient and accurate to use. In some embodiments, the waste toner container 100 may also include a lid (not shown). The lid may be a detachable lid-like structure installed on the outer surface of the housing 120, allowing the waste toner container 100 to be opened and the waste toner in the housing 120 to be poured out for reuse.

[0043] To better illustrate the structure of the waste powder container 100, a three-dimensional rectangular coordinate system ZYX is established as shown in the figure. The Z-axis, Y-axis, and X-axis are mutually perpendicular. The length direction of the container 120 is defined as the X-axis direction, the Z-axis direction is usually vertical, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Z-axis directions is defined as the Y-axis direction, which is the width direction of the container 120. Preferably, in this specification, the direction from the first powder storage bin 121 to the second powder storage bin 122 is defined as the +X-axis direction, up refers to the +Z-axis direction, down refers to the -Z-axis direction, left refers to the +Y-axis direction, and right refers to the -Y-axis direction.

[0044] The waste powder inlet includes a first inlet 1211 for introducing first waste powder and a second inlet 1214 for introducing second waste powder. The first powder storage bin 121 can collect waste powder generated on the electrophotographic imaging device through the first inlet 1211 and the second inlet 1214. Specifically, in this embodiment, when the waste powder container 100 is installed in the electrophotographic imaging device, the waste powder generated by the transfer unit in the electrophotographic imaging device is the first waste powder, and the waste powder generated by the imaging unit in the electrophotographic imaging device is the second waste powder. When the waste powder container 100 is installed in the electrophotographic imaging device, the first inlet 1211 on the first powder storage bin 121 is located on the -X axis side of the second inlet 1214. The first inlet 1211 on the first powder storage bin 121 can be connected or indirectly connected to the transfer unit in the electrophotographic imaging device (e.g., connected to the waste powder discharge component). The waste powder is introduced into the first powder storage bin 121 through the first inlet 1211. The second inlet 1214 on the first powder storage bin 121 is connected or indirectly connected to the imaging unit in the electrophotographic imaging device (e.g., connected to the waste powder discharge component). The second waste powder is introduced into the first powder storage bin 121 through the second inlet 1214.

[0045] Furthermore, since the electrophotographic imaging device has multiple imaging units, multiple second inlets 1214 are correspondingly provided on the housing 120. Each second inlet 1214 can be connected to one imaging unit, so that the waste powder in the multiple imaging units can be collected into the first powder storage chamber 121 of the waste powder container 100. Specifically, in this embodiment, there are four second inlets 1214, which are 1214C, 1214M, 1214Y and 1214K in the X-axis direction, respectively. The four second inlets 1214 correspond to the four imaging units provided on the electrophotographic imaging device. When the waste powder container 100 is installed in the electrophotographic imaging device, the four second inlets 1214 are respectively connected to the four imaging units, and all four second inlets 1214 are connected to the first powder storage chamber 121, so that the waste powder generated by the four imaging units on the electrophotographic imaging device can be collected by the waste powder container 100.

[0046] Furthermore, the first inlet 1211 is provided with a first sealing member 1212, and the second inlet 1214 is provided with a second sealing member 1215. When the first inlet 1211 is connected to the transfer unit and the second inlet 1214 is connected to the imaging unit, there will be no powder leakage between the first inlet 1211 and the transfer unit and between the second inlet 1214 and the imaging unit. Specifically, in this embodiment, the first sealing member 1212 is a sponge, which is installed on the outside of the first inlet 1211. The shape of the sponge is adapted to the shape of the first inlet 1211. The sponge has an inlet so that when the sponge is installed on the outside of the first inlet 1211, it will not affect the introduction of waste powder into the first inlet 1211. The second sealing member 1215 is composed of a sponge and a PET sheet. The PET sheet is pasted and covers the surface of the sponge. Its shape is basically the same as that of the sponge. The second sealing member 1215 has a cut 1216, that is, both the sponge and the PET sheet have cuts 1216, so that the second sealing member 1215 is used to allow the powder discharge port of the imaging unit to enter and communicate with the first powder storage chamber 121 of the waste powder container 100. This can prevent the powder discharge port of the imaging unit from damaging the second sealing member 1215 when the user replaces the waste powder container 100 multiple times, thereby reducing the sealing performance.

[0047] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 6The powder feeding screw 200 is also provided with a first spiral section 210 and a second spiral section 220. When the powder feeding screw 200 is installed in the housing 120, the first spiral section 210 is located in the first powder storage chamber 121, and the second spiral section 220 is located in the second powder storage chamber 122 and the optical inspection chamber 123. The pitch of the first spiral section 210 is longer than the pitch of the second spiral section 220. When the powder feeding screw 200 feeds powder, it will pass through the powder feeding port (i.e., the first powder storage chamber 121) connecting the first powder storage chamber 121 and the second powder storage chamber 122. The waste powder is transferred from the first powder storage hopper 121 to the second powder storage hopper 122 at the connection between the powder hopper 121 and the second powder storage hopper 122. The waste powder passes through the gap between the powder feeding port and the powder feeding blade of the powder feeding screw 200. The powder feeding screw 200 is at the transition point between the first spiral section 210 and the second spiral section 220 at this point. The powder feeding screw 200 changes to a shorter pitch, which makes the space for waste powder to pass through smaller, thus achieving a certain sealing effect between the first powder storage hopper 121 and the second powder storage hopper 122. Specifically, in this embodiment, the powder feeding screw 200 has two spiral segments with different pitches along its length. The two spiral segments are arranged adjacent to each other. When the powder feeding screw 200 is installed in the housing 120, the two spiral segments of the powder feeding screw 200 fall into the first powder storage chamber 121, the second powder storage chamber 122, and the optical inspection chamber 123, respectively. The pitch of the spiral segment of the powder feeding screw 200 in the first powder storage chamber 121 is longer than the pitch of the corresponding spiral segments in the second powder storage chamber 122 and the optical inspection chamber 123, which can achieve a certain sealing effect.

[0048] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3The second toner storage compartment 122 is provided with a first receiving port 1222 for receiving waste toner, and the optical inspection compartment 123 is provided with a second receiving port 1232 for receiving waste toner. The top of the second toner storage compartment 122 is provided with an inclined surface 1221a, which can expand the first receiving port 1222 for receiving waste toner in the second toner storage compartment 122 within the box body 120, and reduce the second receiving port 1232 for receiving waste toner in the optical inspection compartment 123, so as to prevent waste toner from falling from the second toner storage compartment 122 into the optical inspection compartment 123 when the user shakes the waste toner container 100, thereby causing false detection. Specifically, in this embodiment, the second toner storage chamber 122 and the optical inspection chamber 123 are separated within the sealed cavity 124 by a partition 1221. The top of the partition 1221 is inclined within the sealed cavity 124, tilting towards one side (+X axis side) of the optical inspection chamber 123. This enlarges the first receiving port 1222 above the second toner storage chamber 122, making it an open opening to increase the toner receiving area of ​​the second toner storage chamber 122. The tilt of the partition 1221 towards the optical inspection chamber 123 reduces the size of the second receiving port 1232 above the optical inspection chamber 123, making the second receiving port 1232 of the optical inspection chamber 123 a closed opening that retracts inwards. The optical detection chamber 123 is designed to reduce the toner receiving area. Waste toner will only fall into the optical detection chamber 123 when the second toner storage chamber 122 is full. A toner full sensor 1231 is provided at the lower end of the optical detection chamber 123. When the toner full sensor 1231 detects waste toner, it will display that the waste toner container 100 is full, prompting the user to replace the waste toner container 100. At the same time, it avoids the waste toner from falling directly into the optical detection chamber 123 when the waste toner container 100 is shaken or tilted, even if the waste toner in the first toner storage chamber 121 is not full, causing the optical detection to show that the toner is full and resulting in false detection. This solution can greatly reduce the probability of false detection and improve the toner quantity detection accuracy of the waste toner container 100.

[0049] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 7 The waste powder container 100 also includes a stirring component 400, which is disposed inside the box body 120 and can stir the waste powder and prevent it from accumulating. Specifically, in this embodiment, the stirring component 400 is a stirring screw disposed inside the box body 120. The stirring screw is rotatably supported in the first powder storage bin 121 of the box body 120, and the stirring screw is disposed in the first powder storage bin 121 along the length direction (X-axis direction) of the box body 120. The stirring screw is provided with two sections of stirring blades 410 in opposite directions. One end of the stirring screw extends out of the box body 120 and is connected to the drive assembly 300 for transmission. When the stirring assembly is driven to rotate inside the box body 120, the stirring screw can separate the accumulated waste powder in the first powder storage bin 121 by the two sections of stirring blades 410 on the stirring screw.

[0050] Furthermore, the stirring component 400 passes sequentially through the first inlet 1211 and four second inlets 1214 along the length of the housing 120, enabling the stirring component 400 to stir and convey the waste powder input through the first inlet 1211 and the second inlet 1214, preventing waste powder accumulation. Specifically, in this embodiment, the inlets at both ends of the length direction (X-axis direction) of the first powder storage bin 121 are the first inlet 1211 corresponding to the transfer unit and the second inlet 1214K corresponding to the imaging unit K, respectively. The waste powder generated by the imaging unit K is more than that of the other three color imaging units, and the waste powder generated by the transfer unit is also more than that of the other three imaging units. This will cause waste powder to accumulate at both ends of the length direction of the first powder storage bin 121. By setting the two stirring blades 410 on the stirring screw to be in opposite directions, the waste powder at both ends of the length direction (X-axis direction) of the first powder storage bin 121 can be moved towards the middle, preventing waste powder accumulation at both ends of the length direction (X-axis direction) of the first powder storage bin 121 and ensuring a uniform distribution of powder in the storage bin.

[0051] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 A powder-removing component 500 is also provided at the first inlet 1211. The powder-removing component 500 can remove waste powder from the first inlet 1211 into the first powder storage bin 121. Specifically, in this embodiment, a powder inlet channel 1213 is provided between the first inlet 1211 and the first powder storage bin 121. The first end of the powder-removing component 500 is connected to the shaft end of the powder stirring screw, and the second end is movably mounted on the powder inlet channel 1213. The first end of the powder-removing component 500 can rotate around the axis of the powder stirring screw as the powder stirring screw rotates, driving the powder-removing component 500 to move on the powder inlet channel 1213, thereby removing waste powder on the powder inlet channel 1213 and preventing waste powder from accumulating in the powder inlet channel 1213.

[0052] Furthermore, the powder-skimming component 500 consists of a frame 510, several partition plates 520 disposed on the frame 510, and a connecting rod 530. The partition plates 520 are arranged parallel to each other at a certain distance on the frame 510, and the frame 510 is connected to the connecting rod 530. A crankshaft structure 420 is provided on the powder-stirring screw, and the connecting rod 530 of the powder-skimming component 500 is sleeved on the crankshaft structure 420. The connecting rod 530 can rotate relative to the crankshaft structure 420, and the crankshaft structure 420 can be connected to the connecting rod 530. Rod 530 drives frame 510 to move; frame 510 is installed on powder inlet channel 1213 and can move. When the powder stirring screw rotates and stirs and drives the waste powder, the powder stirring screw drives connecting rod 530, which in turn pushes frame 510 to reciprocate on powder inlet channel 1213. This causes the separator 520 on frame 510 to be able to scrape the waste powder in powder inlet channel 1213 to the first powder storage bin 121. The scraping component 500 moves in the powder delivery channel to prevent waste powder from accumulating in the channel.

[0053] The first powder storage bin 121 is also provided with ribs 1217 for separation. The first powder storage bin 121 is divided into multiple grooves by the ribs 1217. The grooves in the first powder storage bin 121 can prevent the waste powder in the first powder storage bin 121 from accumulating at one end in a short time when the waste powder container 100 shakes or tipps over, thus playing a buffering role. Specifically, in this embodiment, the ribs 1217 in the first powder storage bin 121 are set to extend a certain height from the bottom to the top of the first powder storage bin 121, and several ribs 1217 are arranged in an array along the length direction (X-axis direction) of the first powder storage bin 121. The several ribs 1217 divide the bottom of the first powder storage bin 121 into multiple grooves along the length direction (X-axis direction) of the box body 120. When the waste powder container 100 shakes or tipps over, the grooves in the first powder storage bin 121 prevent the waste powder in the first powder storage bin 121 from accumulating at one end in a short time, thus playing a buffering role.

[0054] When in use, the waste powder container 100 of the present invention is first detachably installed on the mounting part of the electrophotographic imaging device via a snap-fit ​​structure 110. After the waste powder container 100 is installed on the mounting part, the first inlet 1211 of the waste powder container 100 can be connected or indirectly connected to the transfer unit, so that the waste powder of the transfer unit can enter the second inlet 1214 through the powder discharge port of the imaging unit and connect with the first powder storage chamber 121 of the waste powder container 100, so that the waste powder of both the transfer unit and the imaging unit can be collected by the first powder storage chamber 121 of the waste powder container 100. When the waste powder container 100 is installed on the mounting part, the drive component 300 provided on the waste powder container 100 is also connected to the electrophotographic imaging device. The device's drive source is connected to the electrophotographic imaging device, which can drive the powder feeding screw 200 and the powder stirring screw to rotate within the housing 120 via the drive assembly 300. When the waste powder collected in the first powder storage bin 121 reaches a certain height, the powder feeding screw 200 will transport the waste powder from the first powder storage bin 121 to the second powder storage bin 122. When the waste powder in the second powder storage bin 122 accumulates to a certain height, the powder feeding screw 200 will transport the waste powder to the optical inspection bin 123. The optical inspection bin 123 is equipped with a powder full sensor 1231. After the powder full sensor 1231 detects the waste powder, it triggers the optical inspection alarm, indicating that the waste powder is full, and reminding the user to remove the waste powder container 100 from the electrophotographic imaging device for replacement.

[0055] The waste toner container of this invention includes a first toner storage bin, a second toner storage bin, and a photodetector bin. When the waste toner in the first toner storage bin is full, it is first transferred to the second toner storage bin, instead of falling directly into the first toner storage bin. This avoids the situation where, when the waste toner container is shaken or tilted, the waste toner in the first toner storage bin may not be full, but it mistakenly falls directly into the photodetector bin, triggering a full toner display and causing false detection. This solution significantly reduces the probability of false detection and improves the toner level detection accuracy of the waste toner container. When the second toner storage bin is full, the waste toner falls into the photodetector bin. A toner full sensor is located at the lower end of the photodetector bin. Once the toner full sensor detects waste toner, it displays that the waste toner container is full, prompting the user to replace the waste toner container.

[0056] The above descriptions are merely some embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the inventive concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A waste powder container, detachably mounted on an electrophotographic imaging device, for collecting waste powder generated by the electrophotographic imaging device, characterized in that, The waste toner container comprises: a box body comprising a first toner storage bin and a closed cavity, the closed cavity being in communication with the first toner storage bin through a toner feeding port, and the closed cavity being provided with a second toner storage bin and a light detection bin, the first toner storage bin being capable of collecting waste toner generated by the electrophotographic imaging device, the second toner storage bin being in communication with the first toner storage bin and capable of receiving waste toner in the first toner storage bin, the light detection bin being in communication with the second toner storage bin and capable of receiving waste toner in the second toner storage bin, and the light detection bin being provided with a toner fullness sensor; and a toner feeding screw installed in the box body and sequentially passing through the first toner storage bin, the second toner storage bin and the light detection bin, the toner feeding screw being capable of transporting waste toner between the first toner storage bin and the second toner storage bin and capable of transporting waste toner between the second toner storage bin and the light detection bin; wherein the second toner storage bin is closer to the toner feeding port than the light detection bin in the closed cavity, the second toner storage bin and the light detection bin are separated by a partition in the closed cavity, the top of the partition in the closed cavity is obliquely arranged and obliquely inclined to one side of the light detection bin, the first receiving port above the second toner storage bin for receiving waste toner is increased to an outwardly open shape to increase the toner receiving area of the second toner storage bin, and the partition obliquely inclined to one side of the light detection bin reduces the second receiving port above the light detection bin for receiving waste toner, the second receiving port of the light detection bin is in an inwardly retracted shape to reduce the toner receiving area of the light detection bin.

2. A waste powder container according to claim 1, wherein The toner feeding screw is provided with a first spiral section and a second spiral section, the pitch of the first spiral section is longer than the pitch of the second spiral section, and the first spiral section is located in the first toner storage bin, and the second spiral section is located in the second toner storage bin and the light detection bin.

3. A waste powder container according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that Further comprising a stirring component arranged in the first toner storage bin and capable of stirring and transporting waste toner in the first toner storage bin.

4. A waste powder container according to claim 3, wherein The stirring component is a toner stirring screw, the toner stirring screw is provided with two sections of toner stirring blades, and the two sections of toner stirring blades are oppositely arranged on the toner stirring screw.

5. A waste powder container according to claim 3, wherein The first toner storage bin is provided with a first inlet for introducing first waste toner and a second inlet for introducing second waste toner.

6. A waste powder container according to claim 5, wherein The first inlet and the first toner storage bin are provided with a toner feeding channel and a toner scraping component, the toner scraping component is connected to the stirring component, and the stirring component can drive the toner scraping component to scrape toner in the toner feeding channel into the first toner storage bin.

7. A waste powder container according to claim 6, wherein The toner scraping component comprises a plurality of separation pieces for scraping toner, and the plurality of separation pieces are arranged in parallel.

8. A waste powder container according to claim 5, wherein The first inlet is provided with a first sealing component outside, and the second inlet is provided with a second sealing component outside.

9. A waste powder container according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that In the vertical direction, the toner feeding screw is closer to the top of the second toner storage bin and the light detection bin in the box body.

10. A waste powder container according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that The first toner storage bin is provided with a plurality of ribs extending from the bottom to the top, and the plurality of ribs separate the bottom of the first toner storage bin into a plurality of grooves.

11. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus characterized by comprising: The waste toner container comprises the box body, the toner feeding screw, the first toner storage bin, the second toner storage bin, the light detection bin, the toner fullness sensor, the first inlet, the second inlet, the toner feeding channel, the toner scraping component, the first sealing component and the second sealing component.

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