Processing box

Abstract

The processing box is detachably installed on imaging equipment with a guide rail in the first direction, the end, in the first direction, of the processing box is the front end, the two ends, in the second direction, of the processing box are provided with a driving end and a non-driving end respectively, and the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction; the processing box comprises a photosensitive drum and a frame for rotatably supporting the photosensitive drum, and the axial direction of the photosensitive drum is parallel to the second direction; a guide part and a positioning support part are arranged at the driving end and the non-driving end, and the guide part is closer to the front end than the positioning support part; the processing box has a first position and a second position on the guide rail; when the processing box is at the first position, the guide part is propped against the guide rail; and when the processing box is at the second position, the positioning support part is propped against the guide rail, and a gap is formed between the guide part and the guide rail. According to the processing box structure, the guide part is not easy to abrade and even break, and the guide effect is not easy to lose.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] A process cartridge is a cartridge that can be detachably installed in an imaging device, and the cartridge includes at least components such as a developing roller and a photosensitive drum as an integral unit. An imaging device using an electrophotographic imaging method works as follows: light emitted by the imaging device is irradiated on a photosensitive drum that has been uniformly charged by a charging roller, and selective exposure is performed to form an electrostatic latent image, which is then developed into a developer image by a developer covering the developing roller, and the formed developer image is transferred to a recording medium by a transfer device, and finally a visible image is formed on the recording medium.

[0003] The prior art discloses an imaging device and a processing box installed in the imaging device. The processing box includes a guide portion arranged on the driving side and the non-driving side and protruding from the outside of the box body. The guide portion can guide the user to accurately install the processing box into the guide rail of the imaging device. After the installation is in place, the guide portion contacts the guide rail on the imaging device to support the processing box on the imaging device. However, when the processing box is printing, due to the change of the weight of the processing box or when the imaging device needs to establish an electrical connection with the processing box to realize electrical communication for printing, the electrical contact of the imaging device will be pressed down to contact the processing box chip. In this process, a torque will be generated on the processing box, causing the processing box to deflect, resulting in unstable contact between the electrical contact of the imaging device and the chip, affecting the printing quality. At this time, the guide portion in contact with the guide rail will interfere with the guide rail, wear or even break, causing the processing box to lose the guide portion and fail to play the role of guiding the installation, so that the processing box is not installed smoothly. Summary of the invention

[0004] A processing box of the present invention can effectively solve the problem that the guide part of the processing box interferes with the guide rail, wears or even breaks during the process of establishing communication connection between the imaging device and the chip.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process cartridge, which is detachably mounted on an imaging device having a guide rail along a first direction, wherein one end of the process cartridge in the first direction is a front end, and the process cartridge has a driving end and a non-driving end in a second direction, wherein the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction; the process cartridge comprises a photosensitive drum and a photosensitive frame rotatably supporting the photosensitive drum, wherein the axial direction of the photosensitive drum is parallel to the second direction;

[0006] A guide portion and a positioning support portion are provided at the driving end and the non-driving end, and the guide portion is closer to the front end than the positioning support portion; the processing box has a first position and a second position on the guide rail;

[0007] The process box is in the first position, and the guide portion abuts against the guide rail;

[0008] When the process box is at the second position, the positioning support portion abuts against the guide rail, and there is a gap between the guide portion and the guide rail.

[0009] In some embodiments, the guide rail includes a first guide rail, the first guide rail includes a lower sliding wall, and when in the first position, the guide portion abuts against the lower sliding wall.

[0010] In some embodiments, the guide portion is a convex column structure protruding along the second direction and disposed on the photosensitive frame.

[0011] In some embodiments, the guide portion is a rib disposed on the photosensitive frame, the rib having a first end and a second end, the first end being closer to the front end than the second end, and in the second direction, the first end protrudes more from the photosensitive frame than the second end.

[0012] In some embodiments, the ribs include a first rib and a second rib, the first rib and the second rib extend obliquely along the first direction until they intersect each other, and an end where the first rib and the second rib intersect is the first end.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first end abuts against the first guide rail.

[0014] In some embodiments, the positioning support portion is protruding from the photosensitive frame along the second direction, and the positioning support portion includes a first abutting surface. When in the second position, the first abutting surface abuts against the lower sliding wall in a surface-contact manner.

[0015] In some embodiments, one end of the process box in the third direction is a bottom end, the third direction is orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and the first abutting surface is closer to the bottom end than the guide portion.

[0016] In some embodiments, in the first direction, there is a distance between the guide portion and the positioning support portion.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first guide rail further includes an upper sliding wall disposed opposite to the lower sliding wall in a third direction, and a width of the guide portion and the positioning support portion in the third direction is smaller than a distance between the upper sliding wall and the lower sliding wall.

[0018] In some embodiments, the lower sliding wall is recessed with a positioning recess;

[0019] The positioning support portion includes a load-bearing column and an anti-rotation rib connected to the load-bearing column. When in the second position, the load-bearing column abuts against the positioning recess, and the anti-rotation rib abuts against the sliding lower wall.

[0020] In some embodiments, the anti-rotation ribs are respectively arranged on one side of the load-bearing column in the first direction and on a side opposite to the first direction.

[0021] In some embodiments, the guide rail further includes a second guide rail, and the positioning support portion abuts against the second guide rail.

[0022] In some embodiments, the process cartridge includes a developer cover;

[0023] The positioning support portion includes a first positioning support portion and a second positioning support portion. The first positioning support portion is protrudingly disposed on the photosensitive frame, and the second positioning support portion is a part of the developing protective cover.

[0024] In some embodiments, the second guide rail includes a support wall, and the second positioning support portion includes a second abutment surface. When in the second position, the second abutment surface abuts against the support wall in a surface contact manner.

[0025] In some embodiments, the second guide rail further includes a support groove formed indented on the support wall, and when in the second position, the first positioning support portion is at least partially located in the support groove and abuts against the support groove.

[0026] In some embodiments, in the first direction, there is a distance between the first positioning support portion and the second positioning support portion, and the first positioning support portion is closer to the front end than the second positioning support portion.

[0027] In some embodiments, the processing box further includes a chip and a chip holder for mounting the chip on the photosensitive frame, and in a first direction, the chip holder is located between the first positioning support portion and the second positioning support portion.

[0028] In some embodiments, the processing box further includes a chip and a chip holder for mounting the chip on the photosensitive frame, and in the third direction, the positioning support portion is at least partially located at a lower side of the chip holder.

[0029] In some embodiments, the chip holder is retractably disposed on the photosensitive frame along a third direction.

[0030] In some embodiments, the photosensitive frame is provided with an elastic component, and the elastic component includes:

[0031] A sliding guide column, wherein the sliding guide column passes through the chip holder, and the chip holder can move on the sliding guide column;

[0032] An elastic member, wherein the elastic member is sleeved on the sliding guide column, one end of the elastic member abuts against the photosensitive frame, and the other end of the elastic member abuts against the chip bracket.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the processing box of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0034] The present invention arranges a guiding part and a positioning support part at the driving end and the non-driving end, so that the processing box is guided by the guiding part in the initial stage of installation, and the subsequent installation process is guided and supported by the positioning support part. When the installation of the processing box is completed, the positioning support part continues to support, so that there is a distance between the guiding part and the guide rail, thereby maintaining a non-contact state. Even if the processing box is deflected by external force or its own weight, the guiding part will not be worn or even broken, and the guiding function will not be lost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the processing box and the guide rail in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a processing box in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 It is a side view of the guide rail in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the drum unit in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the developing unit in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the non-driving end in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the process box in the first position in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the process box in the second position in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the non-driving end in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Fig.10 is a top view of a process box in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0045] Fig.11 for Fig.10 A magnified view of part A;

[0046] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of a process box in a first position in a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram of a process box in a second position in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0048] Fig.14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the non-driving end in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0049] Fig.15 This is a schematic diagram of a non-driving end after a chip end cover is hidden in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0050] Fig.16 is a schematic diagram of a process cartridge in a second position in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0051] Fig.17 A three-dimensional diagram of the assembly of the process box and the guide rail in the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Fig.18 It is a schematic structural diagram of a processing box in a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Fig.19 It is a side view of the guide rail in the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] Fig. 20 Schematic diagram of the structure of the developing unit in the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Fig.21 Schematic diagram of the structure of the non-driving end in the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Fig. 22 It is a side view of the assembly of the processing box and the guide rail in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0058] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0059] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection", "fixation" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral one; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or communication with each other; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0060] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" or "above" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0061] In the above description, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0062] Embodiment 1

[0063] Figure 1 , Figure 2A processing box according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown. For the convenience of description, the width direction of the processing box 100 is the Y-axis direction, that is, the first direction; the length direction of the processing box 100 is the X-axis direction, that is, the second direction; the height direction of the processing box 100 is the Z-axis direction, that is, the third direction, and the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are mutually orthogonal. Among them, the installation direction of the processing box 100 installed from the outside to the imaging device is defined as the -Y direction, the disassembly direction is defined as +Y, and one end of the -Y axis direction is also the front end of the processing box 100. The processing box 100 has a driving end 101 and a non-driving end 102 in the X-axis direction, the driving end 101 is located on the +X axis side of the processing box 100, and the non-driving end 102 is located on the side opposite to the driving end 101 in the X-axis direction, that is, the -X axis side.

[0064] Among them, Figure 3 As shown, the imaging device has a guide rail 103, and the guide rail 103 includes a first guide rail 1031. The first guide rail 1031 is a groove-type guide slide rail structure, which can abut against the processing box 100 to move the processing box along the Y-axis direction. The part of the first guide rail 1031 abutting against the processing box 100 has an upper slide wall 1031a and a lower slide wall 1031b. The upper slide wall 1031a and the lower slide wall 1031b are parallel to the Y-axis and are relatively arranged in the Z-axis direction. The upper slide wall 1031a is located on the +Z-axis side of the first guide rail 1031.

[0065] like Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 As shown, the processing box 100 adopts an integrated design, and the processing box 100 includes a drum unit 1 and a developing unit 2. Among them, the drum unit 1 includes a photosensitive frame 11, a photosensitive drum 12 and a charging roller 13. The photosensitive frame 11 surrounds a waste toner bin 11a for collecting the residual developer that has not been transferred on the photosensitive drum 12. The photosensitive drum 12 is rotatably supported at both ends of the photosensitive frame 11 in the length direction, and the waste toner bin 11a is located on one side of the photosensitive drum 12. The charging roller 13 is used to charge the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 with a uniform charge so that the photosensitive drum 12 can absorb toner. In the Z-axis direction, the charging roller 13 is located on the upper side (+Z-axis side) of the photosensitive drum 12, and the charging roller 13 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 12. The photosensitive drum 12 is coaxially provided with a driving unit 14 exposed outside the end surface of the driving end 101 of the photosensitive frame 11, which is used to receive the driving force of the imaging device to rotate the photosensitive drum 12. A chip holder 15 is also installed on the -X axis side of the photosensitive frame 11. In the Z axis direction, the chip holder 15 is closer to the +Z axis side (upper side) of the photosensitive frame 11. The chip holder 15 is used to install a chip 151. When the processing box is installed in place and printing is performed, the electrical contacts of the imaging device will contact the chip 151 to establish a communication connection for operation.

[0066] like Figure 5As shown, the developing unit 2 includes a developing frame 21, a developing roller 23, a powder knife 24 and a stirring frame (not shown) installed in the powder bin. The developing frame 21 is roughly in the shape of a long box, and is surrounded by a powder bin 21a for storing toner. The developing frame 21 can be provided with a powder adding port in the length direction, and toner is added to the powder bin 21a through the powder adding port. The powder adding port can be opened on one of the end faces of the developing frame 21. The stirring frame (not shown) and the developing roller 12 are rotatably supported on the developing cover 22, and the stirring frame and the developing roller 23 can rotate under the action of the driving unit 14. The toner in the powder bin 21a is stirred by the stirring frame to prevent the toner in the powder bin 21a from agglomerating, and the toner can also be transported to the developing roller 23 and adsorbed by the charged developing roller 23.

[0067] like Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, a guiding portion 16a and a positioning support portion 17a are provided at both the driving end 101 and the non-driving end 102. Specifically, the guiding portion 16a and the positioning support portion 17a are arranged on the photosensitive frame 11 so as to guide and support the processing box 100 during the process of installing it to the first guide rail 1031.

[0068] Taking the angle of the non-driving end 102 as an example, the guide portion 16a is a convex column structure, and the guide portion 16a protrudes from the photosensitive frame 11 along the -X axis direction. Specifically, the guide portion 16a is arranged on the two end faces in the length direction of the photosensitive frame 11, and is integrally formed with the photosensitive frame 11, and can protrude from the end face of the processing box 100. Preferably, the guide portion 16a is constructed as a cylindrical structure, of course, it is not limited to other shapes, such as prisms, triangles, etc., to change the abutment mode of the guide portion 16a, as long as it can have the function of smooth guiding. Secondly, in the Y-axis direction, the guide portion 16a is located on the -Y-axis side of the end face of the photosensitive frame 11 (that is, close to the front end of the processing box 100). In the Z-axis direction, the guide portion 16a is closer to the +Z-axis side (upper side) of the photosensitive frame 11. When the processing box 100 is installed, the part of the guide portion 16a close to the -Z axis side abuts against the lower sliding wall 1031b of the first guide rail 1031. Due to the position of the guide portion 16a in the processing box 100, the guide portion 16a can be used as a guiding component of the processing box 100. It should be noted that during the guiding process, the +Z axis side (upper side) of the guide portion 16a is always not in contact with the upper sliding wall 1031a of the first guide rail 1031 to avoid unnecessary wear and blockage. It can be seen that the width of the guide portion 16a in the Z axis direction is smaller than the distance between the upper sliding wall 1031a and the lower sliding wall 1031b.

[0069] The process box 100 passes through two positions during installation in the image forming device, namely, a first position and a second position on the first guide rail 1031. Figure 7As shown, the first position is the position where the guide portion 16a initially contacts the first guide rail 1031 when the process cartridge 100 is installed. The first position is located at the sliding wall 1031b, closer to the +Y axis side of the first guide rail 1031. The guide portion 16a is in the first position, and the process cartridge 100 is ready to slide along the -Y axis direction. Figure 8 As shown, the second position is inside the first guide rail 1031, and the guide portion 16a is closer to the inner wall of the -Y axis side of the first guide rail 1031, but the -Y axis side of the guide portion 16a never contacts the first guide rail 1031. The second position is the position where the process cartridge 100 is installed in place. When the guide portion 16a is in the second position, the guide portion 16a does not contact the first guide rail 1031, that is, the guide portion 16a is located between the upper sliding wall 1031a and the lower sliding wall 1031b, in a suspended state, and does not interfere with the first guide rail 1031. Therefore, when the process cartridge 100 is in the second position, there is a gap between the guide portion 16a and the first guide rail 1031, that is, in the Z axis direction, there is a gap between the guide portion 16a and both the upper sliding wall 1031a and the lower sliding wall 1031b. It can be seen that after the processing box 100 is installed in place, the guide part 16a no longer contacts the first guide rail 1031, so that the guide part 16a is protected. When the processing box 100 is deflected by external force, the guide part 16a is prevented from interfering with the first guide rail 1031 and causing wear or even breakage.

[0070] The positioning support portion 17a is a structure protruding along the -X axis direction on the photosensitive frame 11. Specifically, the positioning support portion 17a is protruding from the end of the photosensitive frame 11 in the length direction. In the present embodiment, the positioning support portion 17a is constructed as a supporting slider structure, and its outer shape is a rectangular parallelepiped. Rounded corners are provided on the edges to facilitate sliding support of the processing box 100 and avoid wear with the first guide rail 1031. Among them, the positioning support part 17a has a first abutting surface 171, which is located at the -Z axis side of the positioning support part 17a, and is a sliding plane structure. The first abutting surface 171 can abut against the lower sliding wall 1031b, so the positioning support part 17a abuts against the lower sliding wall 1031b of the first guide rail 1031 by surface contact, so that the positioning support part 17a increases the area of ​​abutment with the lower sliding wall 1031b, and the support is more stable, and the width of the positioning support part 17a in the Z axis direction is less than the distance between the upper sliding wall 1031a and the lower sliding wall 1031b. Due to the influence of gravity, the positioning support part 17a moves along the -Y axis direction when in use, and gradually abuts against the lower sliding wall 1031b. In this process, the +Z axis side of the positioning support part 17a is always not in contact with the upper sliding wall 1031a, that is, the positioning support part 17a and the upper sliding wall 1031a always maintain a distance. In addition, since the action portion between the positioning support portion 17a and the first guide rail 1031 is at the first abutting surface 171, the shape of the +Z axis side portion of the positioning support portion 17a is not limited and may be other shapes for enhancing the support strength.

[0071] Furthermore, in the Y-axis direction, the positioning support portion 17a is located at a substantially middle position of the processing box 100, the positioning support portion 17a is located on the +Y-axis side of the guide portion 16a, and there is a distance between the positioning support portion 17a and the guide portion 16a in the Y-axis direction, the projections of the positioning support portion 17a and the guide portion 16a in the Y-axis direction overlap, and in the Z-axis direction, there is a distance between the -Z-axis side of the guide portion 16a and the first abutment surface 171, specifically, the guide portion 16a is located on the upper side (+Z-axis side) of the first abutment surface 171, that is, in the Z-axis direction, the first abutment surface 171 is closer to the -Z-axis side (bottom end) of the processing box 100 than the guide portion 16a. Due to the positional relationship between the positioning support portion 17a and the guide portion 16a, when the processing box 100 is in the first position, the guide portion 16a abuts against the lower sliding wall 1031b before the positioning support portion 17a, and then makes the positioning support portion 17a abut against the lower sliding wall 1031b. When the processing box 100 is in the second position, the positioning support portion 17a continues to abut against the lower sliding wall 1031b, and the guide portion 16a does not contact the first guide rail 1031, and is located between the upper sliding wall 1031a and the lower sliding wall 1031b.

[0072] Further, in the Z-axis direction, the positioning support portion 17a is located at the lower side (-Z-axis side) of the chip holder 15, and is disposed adjacent to the chip holder 15. During the electrical connection between the electrical contacts of the imaging device and the contacts of the chip 151, the imaging device will apply pressure along the -Z-axis direction to the chip holder 15. Since the positioning support portion 17a is disposed adjacent to the chip holder 15 and contacts the first guide rail 1031 in the form of a surface, it can stably receive the downward pressure and stably maintain the processing box in the first guide rail 1031 of the imaging device to facilitate deflection, thereby reducing the probability of the guide portion 16a being worn and broken.

[0073] During the installation process, the process cartridge 100 is first located at the first position of the first guide rail 1031, and the guide portion 16a abuts against the lower sliding wall 1031b, and the guide portion 16a guides the user to install the process cartridge 100 on the first guide rail 1031 of the imaging device. When the process cartridge 100 approaches the second position, the positioning support portion 17a gradually abuts against the lower sliding wall 1031b, and supports the process cartridge 100 to slide to the second position. When the process cartridge 100 is at the second position, the process cartridge 100 has been installed in place, the positioning support portion 17a continuously abuts against the lower sliding wall 1031b, the guide portion 16a does not abut against the lower sliding wall 1031b, there is a distance between the guide portion 16a and the lower sliding wall 1031b, and the guide portion 16a does not contact other parts of the first guide rail 1031. During actual use, when the positioning support portion 17a abuts against the lower sliding wall 1031b, the guide portion 16a gradually disengages from the abutment with the lower sliding wall 1031b, and the processing box 100 is slidably supported by the positioning support portion 17a. Therefore, the guide portion 16a only acts in the initial stage of the installation process, and subsequently the positioning support portion 17a is mainly used for sliding and continuous support to protect the guide portion 16a.

[0074] In this embodiment, a guide portion 16a with a diameter smaller than the width of the first guide rail 1031 is provided on the end face of the photosensitive frame 11 to guide the installation, so that during the installation process, when it is in the first position, it contacts the first guide rail 1031, and does not contact the first guide rail 1031 after the installation is completed, thereby preventing it from interfering with the first guide rail 1031. When the weight of the powder bin 21a of the processing box 100 changes, the processing box 100 tends to deflect clockwise; or when it is acted upon by an external force, a torque that causes the processing box 100 to deflect clockwise is generated, causing the guide portion 16a to wear or even break, and lose its guiding function, resulting in an unsmooth installation. A rectangular block positioning support portion 17a is provided to contact the first guide rail 1031 in the form of a surface, so that the processing box 100 can be stably maintained on the first guide rail 1031 of the machine.

[0075] Embodiment 2

[0076] like Figure 9-13As shown, the structure of this embodiment is mostly the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the shape of the guide portion 16b is different. However, it can also guide the user to install the processing box 100, and when the processing box 100 is in the second position, it is also abutted against the first guide rail 1031 through the positioning support portion 17a, so that the guide portion 16b does not contact the first guide rail 1031.

[0077] like Fig. 9 As shown, the guide portion 16b is constructed as a rib structure on the end surface of the photosensitive frame 11 in the length direction. Taking the angle of the non-driving end 102 as an example, the guide portion 16b is specifically a rib structure on the -X axis side of the photosensitive frame 11. Specifically, the guide portion 16b is closer to the front end (-Y axis side) of the process cartridge 100 than the positioning support portion 17a, and the guide portion 16b includes a first rib 161 and a second rib 162.

[0078] like Figure 10-13 As shown, the first rib 161 and the second rib 162 both protrude from the photosensitive frame 11 along the -X axis direction, one end where the first rib 161 and the second rib 162 intersect is the first end of the guide portion 16b, and the other end is the second end of the guide portion 16b, and in the X-axis direction, the first end protrudes further from the photosensitive frame 11 than the second end; and in the Y-axis direction, the first end is closer to the -Y axis side (closer to the front end of the processing box 100) than the second end. When the processing box 100 is in the first position, the first end of the guide portion 16b abuts against the lower sliding wall 1031b of the first guide rail 1031 to guide the user to install the machine; in the Z-axis direction, the positioning support portion 17a is closer to the -Z axis side than the guide portion 16b. Therefore, when the processing box 100 is in the second position, when the positioning support portion 17a abuts against the first guide rail 1031, that is, when the first abutting surface 171 abuts against the lower sliding wall 11b, in the Z-axis direction, there is a distance between the guide portion 16b and the first abutting surface 171, and the first end of the guide portion 16b is disengaged from the abutment against the lower sliding wall 1031b, and the guide portion 16b does not contact the guide rail to protect the first rib 161 and the second rib 162.

[0079] Embodiment 3

[0080] like Figure 14-16 As shown, the structure of this embodiment is mostly the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the structure of the chip mounting bracket 15 and the structure of the positioning support portion 17b are different.

[0081] Similar to the embodiment, the chip holder 15 of this embodiment is arranged at the non-driving end 102. Fig.14 and Fig.15As shown, an elastic component is provided on the photosensitive frame 11 of the non-driving end 102 for mounting the chip holder 15. The elastic component includes a sliding guide column 181 and an elastic member 182. In this embodiment, the sliding guide column 181 cooperates with the elastic member 182 and is provided in three groups, and more or less groups may also be provided. The sliding guide column 181 extends along the +Z axis direction so that the elastic member 182 is sleeved on the sliding guide column 181. In the Z axis direction, the elastic component is provided adjacent to the positioning support portion 17b. Among them, the elastic member 182 adopts a spring, one end of which abuts against the frame of the processing box, and the other end abuts against the bottom of the chip holder 15, that is, when the chip holder 15 is installed on the elastic component, it is supported by the elastic force of the elastic member 182, and a hole is provided at the end (+Z axis side) of the sliding guide column 181 for connecting a fixing member 183 (preferably a bolt) so that the chip holder 15 is limited on the sliding guide column 181. It can be seen that the chip holder 15 can slide and retract along the Z-axis direction on the sliding guide column 181 by abutting against the elastic member 182. When the process box 100 is installed in place, the electrical contacts of the imaging device are electrically connected to the contacts of the chip 151, which will generate a force in the -Z-axis direction on the chip holder 15. The chip holder 15 can be buffered on the sliding guide column 181 by the elastic member 182 to offset the torque generated by the force that causes the process box 100 to deflect.

[0082] like Fig.16 As shown, a positioning recess 104 is also provided on the first guide rail 1031, which is used to mark that the processing box 100 is in the second position, that is, to indicate the position of the positioning support part 17b on the first guide rail 1031 when the processing box 100 is installed in place, and the positioning recess 104 is a circular arc groove structure provided on the lower sliding wall 1031b. In this embodiment, the positioning support part 17b includes a load-bearing column 172 and an anti-rotation rib 173. The load-bearing column 172 is a cylindrical structure, and the anti-rotation rib 173 is a rib structure extending along the Y-axis direction, located on the left and right sides of the load-bearing column 172 (-Y axis side and -Y axis side), and is integrally formed with the load-bearing column 172. The installation process is the same as that of the first embodiment. When the processing box 100 is in the first position on the first guide rail 1031, the guide part 16a abuts against the sliding wall 1031b to guide the initial installation stage of the processing box 100, and then the positioning support part 17b is gradually abutted against the sliding wall 1031b, and finally abutted at the second position to complete the installation process. The difference is that the contact process of the positioning support part 17b of this embodiment is different. When the processing box 100 is close to the second position, the load-bearing column 172 first abuts against the sliding wall 1031b. After the processing box 100 is installed in place, the -Z-axis side of the load-bearing column 172 abuts against the positioning recess 104. At this time, the anti-rotation rib 173 abuts against the sliding wall 1031b, and is limited on both sides of the Y-axis direction of the load-bearing column 172, so that the load-bearing column 172 cannot deflect.

[0083] In this embodiment, by providing anti-rotation ribs 173 and load-bearing columns 172, when the load-bearing columns 172 are maintained on the positioning recess 104 of the positioning guide rail, that is, after the machine is installed in place, the processing box 100 is not easy to deflect during the operation of the machine. At the same time, an elastic component is provided on the photosensitive frame 11, so that the chip holder 15 can move up and down relative to the box body of the processing box 100, offsetting the downward pressure of the imaging device electrical contacts to contact the processing box chip 151 to establish a communication connection, and the downward pressure brought to the processing box 100 by the printing work can be stably confined in the positioning recess 104, and it is not easy to deflect, and no torque that causes the processing box 100 to deflect is generated, thereby ensuring the printing quality.

[0084] Embodiment 4

[0085] like Figure 17-Figure 22 As shown, the structure of this embodiment is mostly the same as that of the second embodiment, except that the structure of the positioning support portion is different.

[0086] like Fig.19 As shown, in this embodiment, the guide rail 103 also includes a second guide rail 1032. The second guide rail 1032 is closer to the -Z axis side than the first guide rail 1031. The structure of the first guide rail 1031 is the same as that of the first embodiment. The second guide rail 1032 includes a support wall 1032a and a support groove 1032b.

[0087] like Figure 17-Figure 22 As shown, in this embodiment, the positioning support portion includes a first positioning support portion 17c arranged on the photosensitive frame 11 and a second positioning support portion 25 arranged on the developing frame 21, so as to support the processing box 100 after it is installed to prevent the processing box 100 from swinging.

[0088] like Fig.21 , Fig. 22As shown, the first positioning support portion 17c is a structure protruding along the -X axis direction on the photosensitive frame 11. Specifically, the first positioning support portion 17c is protruding from the end of the photosensitive frame 11 in the length direction. In this embodiment, the first positioning support portion 17c is constructed as a cylindrical protrusion that plays a supporting role. Among them, the first positioning support portion 17c has a second abutment surface 174, which is a part of the outer circumferential surface of the first positioning support portion 17c, and the second abutment surface 174 is located on the -Z axis side of the first positioning support portion 17c (that is, the second abutment surface 174 is located in the lower half of the outer circumferential surface of the first positioning support portion 17c). The second abutment surface 174 can abut against the second guide rail 1032. Specifically, the second abutment surface 174 is configured to abut against the support groove 1032b of the second guide rail 1032, and the support groove 1032b is formed as a V-shaped groove structure recessed in the -Z axis direction relative to the support wall 1032a, and the opening of the V-shaped groove is configured as a limiting portion. When the first positioning support portion 17c moves to the support groove 1032b, the limiting portion engages with the second abutment surface 17b of the first positioning support portion 17c, so as to limit the movement of the first positioning support portion 17c and apply a supporting force to the first positioning support portion 17c. In this embodiment, the second guide rail 1032 is in a V-shape with its opening facing the +Y axis direction, and its width gradually decreases in the -Y axis direction. At the position where the first positioning support portion 17c is engaged with the support groove 1032b, the diameter of the first positioning support portion 17c is smaller than the width of the second guide rail 1032. Therefore, the first positioning support portion 17c is only in contact with the support groove 1032b and is not clamped by the second guide rail 1032. In order to prevent the first positioning support portion 17c from sliding in the support groove 1032b under the action of external force or the self-weight of the process box 100, thereby causing the process box 100 to swing and affect the development work, the process box 100 is further provided with a second positioning support portion 25. The second positioning support portion 25 and the first positioning support portion 17c are in contact with the second guide rail 1032 to support the process box 100, thereby ensuring the balance and stability of the process box 100.

[0089] Specifically, Figure 20-22As shown, the second positioning support portion 25 is arranged on the developing unit 2, and is specifically constructed on the developing cover 22. In the present embodiment, the second positioning support portion 25 is a part of the developing cover 22, and is located on one side of the developing cover 22 along the +Y axis direction. The second positioning support portion 25 includes a supporting surface 25a, and the supporting surface 25a is the end surface of the second positioning support portion 25 facing the -Z axis direction, that is, a part of the end surface of the developing cover 22 facing the -Z axis direction. When the processing box 100 is installed along the guide rail 103, the supporting surface 25a abuts against the supporting wall 1032a of the second guide rail 1032. Since the supporting wall 1032a of the second guide rail 1032 is a plane, preferably, the supporting surface 25a of the second positioning support portion 25 is also set to a plane. Therefore, the second positioning support portion 25 abuts against the supporting wall 1032a of the second guide rail 1032 in a face-to-face contact manner, so that the abutting area is larger, and the contact method using a plane is also more stable than the arc surface method. In some other embodiments, the developer cover 22 can be constructed as a second positioning support portion 25 as a whole, that is, the end surface of the developer cover 22 facing the -Z axis direction is the support surface 25a as a whole, which can be set according to actual needs and is not limited here. Using the developer cover 22 as the second positioning support portion 25 has a stronger wear resistance and is not easy to wear and break, thereby increasing the service life of the process cartridge.

[0090] Further, such as Fig.21 As shown, in the Y-axis direction, the first positioning support portion 17c is located at the front end of the processing box (-Y-axis direction), the second positioning support portion 25 is located at the rear end of the processing box (+Y-axis direction), and the chip support 15 is located between the first positioning support portion 17c and the second positioning support portion 25. During the electrical connection between the electrical contacts of the imaging device and the contacts of the chip 151, the imaging device will apply pressure along the -Z-axis direction to the chip support 15. Since the first positioning support portion 17c and the second positioning support portion 25 are respectively located on both sides of the chip support 15 in the Y-axis direction, both can stably and evenly receive the downward pressure, so that the processing box 100 will not tilt and swing toward the front or rear end; and in this embodiment, the second positioning support portion 25 is arranged closer to the rear end of the processing box 100, which can effectively offset the self-weight of the powder bin 21a of the developing unit 2, prevent the processing box 100 from swinging due to its own weight, and stably keep the processing box 100 in the guide rail 103 of the imaging device.

[0091] Furthermore, in the Y-axis direction, the guide portion 16b is closer to the -Y-axis direction than the positioning support portion. Therefore, during the installation of the processing box, the guide portion 16b contacts the guide rail 103 before the positioning support portion. The positioning support portion contacts the guide rail 103 only after the installation of the processing box 100 is completed.

[0092] The installation and positioning process of the process cartridge 100 in this embodiment will be described below:

[0093] like Figure 17-Figure 22 As shown, during the installation process, the processing box 100 is first in the first position of the guide rail 103. At this time, the guide portion 16b is located on the +Y axis side of the guide rail 103 and contacts the sliding wall 1031b of the first guide rail 1031. The user pushes the processing box 100 in the -Y axis direction through the guidance of the guide portion 16b. During the pushing process, the guide portion 16b is always in contact with the sliding wall 1031b and gradually pushes in the -Y axis direction along the sliding wall 1031b. During this process, the positioning support portion is never in contact with the second guide rail 1032. When the processing box 100 is close to the second position, the first positioning support portion 17c is in contact with the second guide rail 1031. 32, so that the processing box 100 is limited and no longer moves in the -Y axis direction; when the processing box is installed in place and in the second position, the second positioning support part 25 contacts the support wall 1032a of the second guide rail 1032, at this time, the guide part 16b is tilted up (moves in the +Z axis direction) and does not contact the lower sliding wall 1031b, and at this time, the guide part 16b does not contact other parts of the guide rail 103, that is, it is in a suspended state in the guide rail 103, and the processing box 100 relies on the first positioning support part 17c and the second positioning support part 25 to abut against the second guide rail 1032 to be stably maintained in the imaging device. Therefore, the guide part 16b only acts on the installation process of the processing box 100, and no longer plays a supporting role after the processing box 100 is installed, so that the guide part 16b is protected and not easy to break.

[0094] In this embodiment, a triangular guide portion 16b is provided on the end face of the photosensitive frame 11 to guide the installation, so that it does not contact the guide rail 103 after the installation is completed, thereby preventing it from interfering with the guide rail 103. When the weight of the processing box 100 changes due to the powder bin 21a, the processing box 100 tends to deflect clockwise; or when it is subjected to external force, a torque that causes the processing box 100 to deflect clockwise is generated, causing the guide portion 16b to wear or even break, lose its guiding function, and make the installation not smooth. In addition, in this embodiment, a developer cover 22 is provided as a positioning support portion, which contacts the guide rail 103 in the form of a plane, so that the processing box 100 can be stably maintained on the machine guide rail 103. In addition, the developer cover 22 is relatively large in size, and its contact with the guide rail 103 to support the processing box is not easy to break, thereby increasing the service life of the processing box.

[0095] The above are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the creative concept of the present invention, which all belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A process cartridge, detachably mounted on an imaging device having a guide rail along a first direction, wherein one end of the process cartridge in the first direction is a front end, and the process cartridge has a driving end and a non-driving end in a second direction, wherein the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction; the process cartridge comprises a photosensitive drum and a photosensitive frame rotatably supporting the photosensitive drum, wherein the axial direction of the photosensitive drum is parallel to the second direction; It is characterized in that A guide portion and a positioning support portion are provided at the driving end and the non-driving end, and the guide portion is closer to the front end than the positioning support portion; the processing box has a first position and a second position on the guide rail; The process box is in the first position, and the guide portion abuts against the guide rail; When the process box is at the second position, the positioning support portion abuts against the guide rail, and there is a gap between the guide portion and the guide rail.

2. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein: The guide rail includes a first guide rail, the first guide rail includes a lower sliding wall, and when in the first position, the guide portion abuts against the lower sliding wall.

3. The process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein: The guide portion is a convex column structure protruding along the second direction and arranged on the photosensitive frame.

4. The process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein: The guide portion is a rib disposed on the photosensitive frame, the rib having a first end and a second end, the first end being closer to the front end than the second end, and in the second direction, the first end protrudes more from the photosensitive frame than the second end.

5. The process cartridge according to claim 4, wherein: The ribs include a first rib and a second rib. The first rib and the second rib extend obliquely along the first direction until they intersect with each other. An end where the first rib and the second rib intersect is the first end.

6. The process cartridge according to claim 5, wherein: The first end abuts against the first guide rail.

7. The process cartridge according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that: The positioning support portion is protrudingly disposed on the photosensitive frame along the second direction, and the positioning support portion includes a first abutting surface. When in the second position, the first abutting surface abuts against the lower sliding wall in a surface-contact manner.

8. The process cartridge according to claim 7, wherein: One end of the process box in a third direction is a bottom end, the third direction is orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and the first abutting surface is closer to the bottom end than the guide portion.

9. The process cartridge according to claim 8, wherein: In the first direction, there is a distance between the guide portion and the positioning support portion.

10. The process cartridge according to claim 8, wherein: The first guide rail further includes an upper sliding wall disposed opposite to the lower sliding wall in a third direction, and the width of the guide portion and the positioning support portion in the third direction is smaller than the distance between the upper sliding wall and the lower sliding wall.

11. The process cartridge according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that: The lower sliding wall is recessed with a positioning recess; The positioning support portion includes a load-bearing column and an anti-rotation rib connected to the load-bearing column. When in the second position, the load-bearing column abuts against the positioning recess, and the anti-rotation rib abuts against the sliding lower wall.

12. The process cartridge according to claim 11, wherein: The anti-rotation ribs are respectively arranged on one side of the load-bearing column in the first direction and on a side opposite to the first direction.

13. The process cartridge according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that: The guide rail further includes a second guide rail, and the positioning support portion abuts against the second guide rail.

14. The process cartridge according to claim 13, wherein: The process box includes a developer cover; The positioning support portion includes a first positioning support portion and a second positioning support portion. The first positioning support portion is protrudingly disposed on the photosensitive frame, and the second positioning support portion is a part of the developing protective cover.

15. The process cartridge according to claim 14, wherein: The second guide rail includes a support wall, and the second positioning support portion includes a second abutment surface. When in the second position, the second abutment surface abuts against the support wall in a surface contact manner.

16. The process cartridge according to claim 15, wherein: The second guide rail further includes a support groove formed by being recessed on the support wall. When in the second position, the first positioning support portion is at least partially located in the support groove and abuts against the support groove.

17. The process cartridge according to claim 16, wherein: In the first direction, there is a distance between the first positioning support portion and the second positioning support portion, and the first positioning support portion is closer to the front end than the second positioning support portion.

18. The process cartridge according to claim 17, wherein: The processing box also includes a chip and a chip holder for mounting the chip on the photosensitive frame. In a first direction, the chip holder is located between the first positioning support portion and the second positioning support portion.

19. The process cartridge according to claim 9 or 12, characterized in that: The processing box also includes a chip and a chip holder for mounting the chip on the photosensitive frame. In the third direction, the positioning support portion is at least partially located at a lower side of the chip holder.

20. The process cartridge according to claim 19, wherein: The chip support is telescopically arranged on the photosensitive frame along a third direction.

21. The process cartridge according to claim 20, wherein: The photosensitive frame is provided with an elastic component, and the elastic component comprises: A sliding guide column, wherein the sliding guide column passes through the chip holder, and the chip holder can move on the sliding guide column; An elastic member, wherein the elastic member is sleeved on the sliding guide column, one end of the elastic member abuts against the photosensitive frame, and the other end of the elastic member abuts against the chip bracket.

Images