Toner container and developing cartridge

Abstract

The utility model relates to a carbon powder container for imaging equipment and a developing box with the carbon powder container, the carbon powder container comprises a shell for accommodating carbon powder, a powder outlet part connected with the shell and a carbon powder outlet arranged at the powder outlet part, and the carbon powder is supplied outwards through the carbon powder outlet; the carbon powder container further comprises a driving force receiving part which is arranged to be used for receiving driving force from the outside of the carbon powder container; the stirring transmission part is arranged to do reciprocating motion along a preset path in the shell; the conveying piece is rotatably arranged in the shell and is used for conveying the carbon powder in the shell to the powder outlet part; one of the stirring transmission part and the conveying part is driven by the driving force receiving part, and meanwhile, the conveying part is driven by the stirring transmission part, or the stirring transmission part is driven by the conveying part, so that a driving structure in the toner container can be simplified.

Description

[0001] This utility model claims the priority of the prior applications filed by the applicant with the Chinese Patent Office on March 6, 2023, with the invention title "Toner Container, Developing Cartridge and Processing Cartridge" and application number 202320402348.8, and the prior application filed by the applicant with the Chinese Patent Office on June 9, 2023, with the invention title "Toner Container, Developing Cartridge and Processing Cartridge" and application number 202321480165.4. The content of the prior applications is cross-referenced in this application. Technical Field

[0002] This utility model relates to the field of electrophotographic imaging, and particularly to a developing cartridge detachably installed in an electrophotographic imaging device and a toner container located in the developing cartridge. Background Art

[0003] Japanese Patent Application JP2022157973A discloses a developing cartridge including a developing mechanism and a toner container connected to each other. A stirring frame for stirring toner and a toner conveying unit for supplying toner to the developing mechanism are provided in the toner container. Correspondingly, a stirring frame gear and a driving gear for respectively driving the stirring frame and the toner conveying unit are further provided at the end of the toner container. When the toner container is connected to the developing mechanism, as the developing mechanism receives a driving force from the imaging device, the stirring frame gear and the driving gear are driven, and further, the stirring frame and the toner conveying unit are also driven, and the toner can be supplied to the developing mechanism.

[0004] Generally, as a replaceable component, considering the operation convenience of end users, the overall size of the toner container should not be made too large. When the above-mentioned stirring frame gear and driving gear are simultaneously provided at the end of the toner container, the design freedom and installation position of the two gears will be limited. Therefore, it is necessary to further optimize the structure of the above-mentioned toner container. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] This utility model provides a toner container adopting the following technical solution to simplify the driving structure of the toner container.

[0006] A toner container for use in an imaging device, the toner container includes a housing for containing toner, a powder outlet portion connected to the housing, and a toner outlet provided in the powder outlet portion, and the toner is supplied outward through the toner outlet; the toner container further includes: a driving force receiving member configured to receive a driving force from outside the toner container; a stirring transmission member configured to reciprocate along a predetermined path in the housing; a conveying member rotatably provided in the housing and configured to convey the toner in the housing to the powder outlet portion; one of the stirring transmission member and the conveying member is driven by the driving force receiving member, and at the same time, the conveying member is driven by the stirring transmission member, or the stirring transmission member is driven by the conveying member.

[0007] Preferably, the toner container further includes an elastic reset member for engaging with the stirring transmission member, and the elastic reset member is used to force the stirring transmission member to reset.

[0008] In one embodiment, the conveying member is arranged as a screw.

[0009] In one embodiment, the toner container further includes a chip and a movable component. The chip has an electrical contact portion for electrically connecting with a stylus in the imaging device. Through the movable component, at least the electrical contact portion moves between a first position and a second position; in the first position, the electrical contact portion does not form an electrical connection with the stylus; in the second position, the electrical contact portion forms an electrical connection with the stylus.

[0010] In one embodiment, the stirring transmission member is driven by a driving force receiving member to reciprocate in the extending direction of the rotation axis of the driving force receiving member, and the stirring transmission member also drives the conveying member to move; the stirring transmission member is provided with a driving portion, and the conveying member is provided with a driven portion. As the driving force receiving member rotates, the stirring transmission member is pushed towards the end where the powder outlet is located, and the driving portion pushes the driven portion to move.

[0011] In one embodiment, the rotation axis of the conveying member intersects with the rotation axis of the driving force receiving member.

[0012] In one embodiment, the conveying member is driven by a driving force receiving member, and the conveying member is further provided with a pushing portion. As the conveying member rotates, the pushing portion intermittently pushes the stirring transmission member in a direction away from the conveying member.

[0013] In one embodiment, the stirring transmission member is arranged in an arc shape and moves along the arc-shaped inner wall of the housing.

[0014] In one embodiment, along the extending direction of the rotation axis of the driving force receiving member, the toner outlet is located at one end of the toner container.

[0015] In one embodiment, the housing includes a first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion. The toner in the first cylindrical portion can enter the second cylindrical portion, the powder outlet is communicated with the second cylindrical portion, the stirring transmission member is arranged in the first cylindrical portion, and the conveying member is arranged in the second cylindrical portion.

[0016] The present invention also provides a developing cartridge, which includes a developing mechanism and the toner container as described above. The developing mechanism and the toner container are detachably combined, and the toner in the toner container is supplied to the developing mechanism through the toner outlet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1A and Figure 1B is a perspective view of the processing cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the state where the developing mechanism and the toner container are separated from each other in the developing cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present utility model.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a perspective view of the toner container according to the first embodiment of the present utility model with the first housing hidden.

[0020] Figure 4 It is an exploded schematic diagram of the chip control mechanism and the container body separated from each other according to the first embodiment of the present utility model.

[0021] Figure 5A It is a side view of the chip control mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present utility model when it is located at the first position, observed along the first direction.

[0022] Figure 5B It is a side view of the chip control mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present utility model when it is located at the second position, observed along the first direction.

[0023] Figure 6 It is an exploded schematic diagram of the chip control mechanism and the container body separated from each other according to the second embodiment of the present utility model.

[0024] Figure 7A It is a side view of the chip control mechanism according to the second embodiment of the present utility model when it is located at the first position, observed along the first direction.

[0025] Figure 7B It is a side view of the chip control mechanism according to the second embodiment of the present utility model when it is located at the second position, observed along the first direction.

[0026] Figure 8 It is an exploded schematic diagram of the chip control mechanism and the container body separated from each other according to the third embodiment of the present utility model.

[0027] Figure 9A It is a side view of the chip control mechanism according to the third embodiment of the present utility model when it is located at the first position, observed along the first direction.

[0028] Figure 9B It is a side view of the chip control mechanism according to the third embodiment of the present utility model when it is located at the second position, observed along the first direction.

[0029] Figure 10 It is a structural diagram of the toner container and the developing mechanism in the developing cartridge before combination in the embodiment.

[0030] Figure 11 It is a structural diagram of the toner container in the embodiment.

[0031] Figure 12A It is a perspective sectional view of the toner container of the modified embodiment 1 provided with a stirring and powder feeding mechanism.

[0032] Figure 12B It is a structural diagram of the first variant embodiment of the powder stirring and feeding mechanism in the toner container.

[0033] Figure 13A It is a three-dimensional sectional view of the toner container with the second variant embodiment of the powder stirring and feeding mechanism.

[0034] Figure 13B It is a structural diagram of the second variant embodiment of the powder stirring and feeding mechanism in the toner container.

[0035] Figure 14A It is a structural diagram of the first embodiment of the detection mechanism, where the detected part is in the initial position.

[0036] Figure 14B It is a structural diagram of the container end cap and the detected part in the first embodiment of the detection mechanism, where the detected part is in the initial position.

[0037] Figure 14C It is a structural diagram of the first embodiment of the detection mechanism, where the detected part is in the end position.

[0038] Figure 14D It is a structural diagram of the container end cap and the detected part in the first embodiment of the detection mechanism, where the detected part is in the end position.

[0039] Figure 15A It is a structural diagram of the second embodiment of the detection mechanism, where the detected part is in the initial position.

[0040] Figure 15B It is a structural diagram of the second embodiment of the detection mechanism, where the detected part is in the end position.

[0041] Figure 16A It is a structural diagram of the third embodiment of the detection mechanism, where the detected part is in the initial position.

[0042] Figure 16B It is an exploded view of the structure of the third embodiment of the detection mechanism.

[0043] Figure 16C It is a structural diagram of the third embodiment of the detection mechanism, where the detected part is in the end position. Specific embodiments

[0044] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] [Embodiment 1]

[0046] Figure 1A and Figure 1B are the three-dimensional views of the processing cartridge related to the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2This is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the developing mechanism and the toner container are separated from each other in the developing cartridge according to Embodiment 1 of the present utility model.

[0047] (Processing cartridge)

[0048] The processing cartridge 100 can be detachably installed in an imaging device, including a drum frame 1 and a developing cartridge 2 which are combined with each other. Among them, the drum frame 1 includes a drum frame 11 and a photosensitive drum 12 rotatably provided in the drum frame. In the developing cartridge 2, a developing roller 35 carrying toner is rotatably provided. After the developing cartridge 2 is installed on the drum frame 1, the developing roller 35 faces the photosensitive drum 12, and the developing roller 35 and the photosensitive drum 12 are close to each other. When the imaging device performs a developing / imaging operation, the developing roller 35 supplies toner to the photosensitive drum 12.

[0049] The processing cartridge 100 can be formed such that the developing cartridge 2 is first installed on the drum frame 1 to form the processing cartridge 100 outside the imaging device, and then the processing cartridge 100 as a whole is detachably installed in the imaging device; the processing cartridge 100 can also be formed such that the drum frame 1 is first detachably installed in the imaging device, and then the developing cartridge 2 is detachably installed on the drum frame. At this time, the developing cartridge 2 and the drum frame 1 form the processing cartridge 100 in the imaging device; the processing cartridge 100 can also be formed such that the drum frame 1 is first fixedly installed in the imaging device, and the developing cartridge 2 is detachably installed on the drum frame 1. When the toner is consumed, the user only needs to take out the developing cartridge 2 from the imaging device.

[0050] (Developing cartridge)

[0051] The developing cartridge 2 includes a developing mechanism 3 and a toner container 4 which are combined with each other. Among them, the toner container 4 stores the toner required for developing / imaging. Preferably, the developing mechanism 3 and the toner container 4 are detachably combined. In this way, when the toner in the toner container 4 is consumed, the user only needs to replace the toner container 4, and the developing mechanism 3 can be used continuously, thereby reducing the user's usage cost.

[0052] The developing mechanism 3 includes a developing frame 31, a developing roller 35 rotatably provided in the developing frame 31, and a drive head 32 provided at a longitudinal end of the developing frame 35. The drive head 32 is used to receive a driving force from the imaging device to drive the developing roller 35 to rotate. At the same time, the drive head 32 rotates around the rotation axis L1, and the rotation axis L2 of the developing roller 35 can either be coaxial with the rotation axis L1 or parallel to the rotation axis L1.

[0053] Before further description, define the extending direction of the rotation axis L1 as the first direction, the direction intersecting with the first direction as the second direction, and the direction intersecting with both the first direction and the second direction as the third direction. Among them, when the developing cartridge 2 is combined with the drum holder 1, the distribution direction of the developing roller 35 and the photosensitive drum 12 is the second direction. Preferably, the second direction passes through the rotation axis L2 of the developing roller 35 and the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 12. More preferably, the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are orthogonal.

[0054] Along the first direction, the developing cartridge 2 has opposite driving end C1 and non-driving end C2. Correspondingly, the processing cartridge 100, the developing mechanism 3, and the toner container 4 also have the same driving end C1 and non-driving end C2 as the developing cartridge 2. Among them, the driving head 32 is arranged at the driving end, and the developing mechanism 3 further includes a conductive component 33 arranged at the non-driving end C2. When the developing cartridge 2 is installed in the imaging device, the conductive component 33 receives power from the imaging device.

[0055] Further, the developing mechanism 3 further includes a detection mechanism 34, and the detection mechanism 34 is used to interact with the detected part in the imaging device, so that the installation action of the developing cartridge 2 / processing cartridge 100 and various parameters of the developing cartridge 2 / processing cartridge 100 can be detected by the imaging device. For example, the manufacturing information, status information, service life, etc. of the developing cartridge 2 / processing cartridge 100 are detected.

[0056] The detection mechanism 34 works by receiving the driving force of the driving head 32. Therefore, the detection mechanism 34 can be arranged either at the driving end C1 or at the non-driving end C2. Hereinafter, the case where the detection mechanism 34 is arranged at the non-driving end C2 will be taken as an example for description.

[0057] Further, the developing mechanism 3 further includes a container receiving portion 36 for receiving the toner container 4 and a toner inlet 361 arranged in the container receiving portion 36. When the toner container 4 is installed at the predetermined position of the container receiving portion 36, the toner outlet 431 (described below) in the toner container 4 is opened, and the toner can enter the developing frame 31 from the toner outlet 431 and the toner inlet 361.

[0058] (Toner container)

[0059] As shown in the figure, the toner container 4 includes a housing 41 that can accommodate toner, a chip 42, and a movable component 5. At least a part of the chip 42 is supported by the movable component 5. Through the movable component 5, at least a part of the chip 42 is movable relative to the housing 41. Specifically, at least a part of the chip 42 can move between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the chip 42 cannot form an electrical connection with the stylus 101 in the imaging device. In the second position, the chip 42 can form an electrical connection with the stylus 101 in the imaging device.

[0060] The chip 42 includes a substrate 421, a storage part (not shown) disposed on the substrate 421, and an electrical contact part 422 electrically connected to the storage part. The electrical contact part 422 is used for electrically connecting with a stylus. Thus, the electrical contact part 422 can be directly disposed on the substrate 421 or formed separately from the substrate 421. When the electrical contact part 422 is formed separately from the substrate 421, the electrical contact part 422 is electrically connected to the storage part through a wire. It can be understood that at least a part of the chip 42 includes the electrical contact part 422, that is, through the movable assembly 5, at least the electrical contact part 422 is arranged to be movable between a first position and a second position.

[0061] Along the first direction, the chip 42 / the electrical contact part 422 is disposed at a longitudinal end of the housing 41, that is, the chip 42 / the electrical contact part 422 can be disposed at the driving end C1 of the toner container 4 or can be disposed at the non - driving end C2 of the toner container 4; the housing 41 includes a first housing 41a and a second housing 41b which are combined with each other. The first housing 41a and the second housing 41b are arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction, and the two can be integrally formed or separately formed. Hereinafter, the case where the chip 42 / the electrical contact part 422 is disposed at the end of the second housing 41b will be taken as an example for description.

[0062] As Figure 2 shown, the toner container 4 further includes a powder outlet part 43 connected to the housing 41, and a toner outlet 431 is disposed on the powder outlet part 43; the developing mechanism 3 further includes a driving force output member 37, and the driving force output member 37 is used for transmitting the driving force received by the driving head 32 to the toner container 4, and then driving the following stirring transmission mechanism 6 to move.

[0063] (Stirring transmission mechanism)

[0064] Figure 3 is a perspective view after the first housing of the toner container related to the first embodiment of the present invention is hidden.

[0065] To prevent the toner from caking in the housing 41 and ensure that the toner is smoothly supplied to the developing mechanism 3, the toner container 4 further includes a stirring transmission mechanism / a stirring and powder feeding mechanism 6. As the stirring transmission mechanism 6 receives the driving force output by the driving force output member 37, the toner in the toner container 4 is stirred, and the toner is conveyed toward the powder outlet part 43. Then, the toner is supplied outward through the toner outlet 431.

[0066] The stirring drive mechanism 6 includes a driving force receiving member 61 / 45, a stirring transmission member 62, a conveying member 63, and a first reset member 64. The driving force receiving member 61 is used to engage with the driving force output member 37 to receive the driving force, and then drive the stirring transmission member 62 to move within the housing 41. As the stirring transmission member 62 moves, the toner is pushed towards the position where the powder outlet portion 43 is located. At the same time, the conveying member 63 is driven by the stirring transmission member 62 to further convey the toner towards the powder outlet portion 43. The first reset member 64 is used to force the stirring transmission member 62 to reset, so as to ensure that the stirring transmission member 62 can be stably driven by the driving force receiving member 61, that is, the first reset member 64 enables the stirring transmission member 62 to reciprocate along a predetermined path within the housing 41.

[0067] Generally, both the driving force output member 37 and the driving force receiving member 61 are set as gears. In other embodiments, the driving force receiving member 37 and the driving force receiving member 61 can also be set as structures such as pulleys, friction wheels, ratchets, etc., as long as they can transmit the driving force between the driving force output member 37 and the driving force receiving member 61.

[0068] The toner container 4 further includes a container end cap 46, and the container end cap 46 at least partially covers the driving force receiving member 61 / 45.

[0069] After being driven by the driving force receiving member 61, the stirring transmission member 62 can move in at least one of a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction within the housing 41. Specifically, the movement direction of the stirring transmission member 62 can be parallel to or intersect with at least one of the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction. For example, an inclined surface can be provided on the stirring transmission member 62, and as the stirring transmission member 62 moves, the toner is pushed by the inclined surface towards the position where the powder outlet portion 43 is located; preferably, under the action of the first reset member 64, the stirring transmission member 62 is set to reciprocate in the first direction, so as to supply the toner more efficiently.

[0070] As Figure 3 shown, the driving force receiving member 61 includes a driving force receiving portion 611 for receiving the driving force and a driving force output portion 612 for outputting the driving force to the stirring transmission member 62. Preferably, the driving force output portion 612 includes at least one protrusion having an inclined surface / helical surface 613 arranged along the circumferential direction of the driving force receiving member 61. Correspondingly, a mating portion 622 (as described below) capable of mating with the inclined surface / helical surface 613 is provided on the stirring transmission member 62. As the driving force receiving member 61 is driven by the driving force output member 37 to rotate about the rotation axis L4 in the rotation direction r1, along the first direction, the stirring transmission member 62 is pushed towards the end where the powder outlet portion 43 is located / the non-driven end C2.

[0071] The stirring transmission member 62 includes an intermediate portion 621, and a mating portion 622 and a driving portion 623 respectively provided at the longitudinal two ends of the intermediate portion 621. Among them, the mating portion 622 is used to receive the driving force that forces the stirring transmission member 62 to move, and the driving portion 623 is used to force the conveying member 63 to move; the first reset member 64 is arranged as an elastic member combined with the stirring transmission member 62. As the stirring transmission member 62 moves, the first reset member 64 undergoes elastic deformation, and the stirring transmission member 62 uses the elastic force of the first reset member 64 to reset.

[0072] The conveying member 63 includes a screw 633 that can rotate around the rotation axis L5. Preferably, the rotation axis L5 intersects the rotation axis L4, and more preferably, the rotation axis L5 is parallel to the second direction; further, the conveying member 63 is further provided with a driven portion 632, and the driven portion 632 is used to be combined with the driving portion 623. When the stirring transmission member 62 moves towards the non-driving end C2, the driving portion 623 pushes the driven portion 632 to move.

[0073] In some embodiments, the driven portion 632 is arranged as a ratchet coaxial with the screw 633, that is to say, the driven portion 632 and the screw 633 have a common rotation axis 631. In this way, the structure of the conveying member 63 can be simplified and the driving force transmission efficiency is higher; based on this concept, as long as the driven portion 632 can receive the driving force of the driving portion 623, therefore, the driven portion 632 can be regarded as at least one protrusion arranged on the rotation axis 631, and the protrusion is used to abut against the driving portion 623 to receive the driving force.

[0074] In some embodiments, the driving force can also be transmitted between the driving portion 623 and the driven portion 633 in a non-contact manner. For example, magnetic members are respectively arranged on the driving portion 623 and the driven portion 633, and the attraction or repulsion force between the two relatively arranged magnetic members is used to realize the transmission of the driving force.

[0075] Further, the powder outlet portion 43 is provided with a communication port 432 communicating with the housing 41. The conveying member 63 is further provided with a blade 634 that can move as the rotation axis 631 rotates. Along the first direction, the blade 634 is opposite to the communication port 432. Preferably, the blade 634 can rotate as the rotation axis 631 rotates. Therefore, the toner can be smoothly supplied to the ink outlet portion 43.

[0076] In some embodiments, the transmission member 63 can be omitted. At this time, the stirring transmission member 62 can directly convey the toner to the ink outlet portion 43; it can be understood that in the above embodiments provided with the transmission member 63, the toner can be more easily conveyed to the powder outlet portion 43, and then supplied to the developing mechanism 3 through the toner outlet 431.

[0077] (Moving components and their movement process)

[0078] Figure 4 is an exploded view after the chip control mechanism involved in the first embodiment of the present utility model is separated from the container body; Figure 5A is a side view observed along the first direction when the chip control mechanism involved in the first embodiment of the present utility model is in the first position; Figure 5B is a side view observed along the first direction when the chip control mechanism involved in the first embodiment of the present utility model is in the second position.

[0079] The movable component 5 includes a main body member 51 and a support member 52 which are connected to each other. The main body member 51 is movably combined with the housing 41, and the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 is supported by the support member 52. As Figure 2 and Figure 4 shown, in this embodiment, the movable component 5 is arranged to move the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 between the first position and the second position by rotating around the rotation axis L3. Specifically, the main body member 51 is arranged to rotate around the rotation axis L3 relative to the housing 41; further, the movable component 5 further includes a second reset member 54 for forcing the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 to move towards the second position. The second reset member 54 is preferably an elastic member. Specifically, the second reset member 54 is a compression spring. One end of the compression spring abuts against the housing 41, and the other end abuts against the main body member 51 / support member 52.

[0080] In some embodiments, the second reset member 54 can also be arranged as a tension spring. One end of the tension spring is connected to the housing 41, and the other end is connected to the main body member 51 / support member 52.

[0081] As Figure 4 shown, the toner container 4 further includes an extension portion 44 connected to the housing 41. The extension portion 44 is formed with a movable cavity 441 that can accommodate at least a part of the second reset member 54. The main body member 51 is further formed with a force-receiving portion 53 for combining with the second reset member 54. A part of the main body member 51 enters the movable cavity 441. Preferably, a part of the force-receiving portion 53 also enters the movable cavity 441. In this way, the movement track of the force-receiving portion 53 can be restricted by the movable cavity 441, that is, the movable cavity 441 plays a role in guiding the force-receiving portion 53. Furthermore, the movement track of the main body member 51 can also be determined. Finally, the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 can be accurately combined with the contact pin 101 at the second position.

[0082] The extension part 44 can be formed separately from the housing 41 or integrally formed therewith. The extension part 44 can be made of the same material as the housing 41 or a different material from the housing 41. Regardless of the material used for the extension part 44 and the form in which the extension part 44 is formed with the housing 41, the extension part 44 can be regarded as a part of the housing 41. Along the first direction, the extension part 44 can extend from the end of the second housing 41b in a direction away from the first housing 41a. At this time, the extension part 44 is a protrusion protruding from the second housing 41b. The extension part 44 can also extend from the end of the second housing 41b in a direction close to the first housing 41a. At this time, the extension part 44 is a recess formed on the second housing 41b.

[0083] The movement process of the movable assembly 5 is described below.

[0084] First, refer to Figure 5B , an installation guide rail 102 (shown as a dotted line in the figure) is provided in the imaging device. Along the second direction, the installation guide rail 102 has a flat part 102a and an avoidance part 102b arranged adjacent to each other. Among them, the flat part 102a is located upstream of the avoidance part 102b. The avoidance part 102b is recessed relative to the flat part 102a, and the stylus 101 of the imaging device is opposite to the avoidance part 102b.

[0085] Before the processing cartridge 100 / developer cartridge 2 is installed in the imaging device, under the restoring force of the second restoring member 54, the chip 42 / electrical contact part 422 is located at the second position. During the installation process of the processing cartridge 100 / developer cartridge 2 in the imaging device, the movable assembly 5 or the chip 42 / electrical contact part 422 is squeezed by the flat part 102a, forcing the second restoring member 54 to elastically deform. Correspondingly, the main body member 51 rotates around the rotation axis L3 along the Figure 5A direction shown by r2 in

[0086] At this time, the chip 42 / electrical contact part 422 is located at the first position. Figure 5A When the processing cartridge 100 / developer cartridge 2 is installed at the predetermined position in the imaging device, the support member 52 or rather the chip 42 / electrical contact part 422 is opposite to the avoidance part 102b. The second restoring member 54 releases the restoring force, and the main body member 51 rotates around the rotation axis L3 again along the

[0087] direction shown by r3 in , where the direction shown by r2 is opposite to the direction shown by r3. The chip 42 / electrical contact part 422 enters the avoidance part 102b, and the electrical contact part 422 is in electrical contact with the stylus 101 to achieve electrical connection between the two.

[0087] Preferably, the avoidance portion 102b is configured such that when the support member 52, or rather the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422, enters the avoidance portion 102b, the further movement of the support member 52, or rather the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422, is restricted by the avoidance portion 102b, thereby ensuring a stable electrical connection between the electrical contact portion 422 and the contact pin 101.

[0088] When the processing cartridge 100 / developing cartridge 2 is removed from the imaging device in a direction opposite to the installation direction, during the removal process, the support member 52, or rather the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422, is again converted from a state opposite to the avoidance portion 102b to a state opposite to the flat portion 102a. At this time, the main body member 51 rotates again about the rotation axis L3 in the direction shown by r2, the second reset member 54 is elastically deformed again, and the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 returns to the first position again.

[0089] [Embodiment 2]

[0090] Figure 6 is an exploded view of the chip control mechanism according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention after being separated from the container main body; Figure 7A is a side view of the chip control mechanism according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention when located at the first position, observed in the first direction; Figure 7B is a side view of the chip control mechanism according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention when located at the second position, observed in the first direction.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the second reset member 54 is used to force the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 to move towards the second position, and the installation guide rail 102 in the imaging device is used to force the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 to move towards the first position; in this embodiment, a second reset member (not shown) is used to force the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 to move towards the first position, and the door cover M of the imaging device is used to force the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 to move towards the second position.

[0092] The movable assembly 5 includes a main body member 51, a pushing member 55 that can move relative to each other, and a support member 52 connected to the main body member 51. The chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 is supported by the support member 52. The main body member 51 is provided with a force receiving portion 511 for receiving the pushing force applied by the pushing member 55 and a first engaging portion 512 for engaging with the extension portion 44; the pushing member 55 is provided with a portion to be acted on 554 for receiving an external acting force, a force applying portion 551 for applying a pushing force to the force receiving portion 511, and a second engaging portion 552 for engaging with the extension portion 44. Preferably, the force applying portion 551 and the force receiving portion 511 are configured as mutually cooperating inclined surfaces.

[0093] The extension portion 44 is also provided with a movable cavity 441, and a part of the main body member 51 and a part of the pushing member 55 can enter the movable cavity 441, asFigure 6 As shown, the movable cavity 441 includes a first cavity 441a for accommodating the main body member 51 and a second cavity 441b for accommodating the pushing member 55. The first cavity 441a and the second cavity 441b intersect and communicate with each other. The first cavity 441a is provided with a first engaged portion 441c that engages with the first engaging portion 512, and the second cavity 441b is provided with a second engaged portion 441d that engages with the second engaging portion 552. It is achievable that one of the engaging portion and the engaged portion can be set as a protrusion, and the other can be set as a groove / hole. Preferably, the extending direction of the groove / hole is consistent with the moving direction of the main body member 51 / pushing member 55. It can be seen that the engagement of the engaging portion and the engaged portion not only functions to prevent the movable assembly 5 from detaching from the housing 41, but also functions to define the movement trajectory of the movable assembly 5. During the movement of the movable assembly 5, both the main body member 51 and the pushing member 55 are guided.

[0094] As Figure 7A shown, the door cover M can rotate along the direction shown by r4 in the figure. When the processing cartridge 100 / developer cartridge 2 is installed at a predetermined position of the imaging device and the door cover M is not yet closed, the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 is in a first position where it cannot contact the contact pin 101. Combining Figure 5B it can be known that during the installation process of the processing cartridge 100 / developer cartridge 2, the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 will not contact the installation guide rail 102. Therefore, the installation of the processing cartridge 100 / developer cartridge 2 will become smoother. Preferably, the actuated portion 554 protrudes from the second cavity 441b for receiving the pushing force from the door cover M.

[0095] As Figure 7B shown, as the door cover M rotates along the direction shown by r4, the actuated portion 554 begins to abut against the door cover M, the pushing member 55 moves in the second cavity 441b, the force applying portion 551 abuts against the force receiving portion 511, and then, the main body member 51 begins to move in the first cavity 441a, and the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 moves towards the second position. At least before the door cover M is completely closed, the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 reaches the second position.

[0096] In some embodiments, the actuated portion 554 can also be set not to protrude from the second cavity 441b. At this time, the protrusion provided on the door cover M can be used to enter the second cavity 441b, so as to enable the actuated portion 554 to receive the pushing force of the door cover M.

[0097] During the closing process of the door cover M, the second reset member undergoes elastic deformation to store the reset force. When the door cover M is opened, the second reset member releases the elastic force, and the main body member 51 and the pushing member 55 move in the opposite directions described above, and the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 returns from the second position to the first position.

[0098] It is achievable that the second reset member can also be a part of the main body member 51 and / or the pushing member 55 itself. For example, Figure 6 As shown, a cavity 513 is formed inside the main body member 51. In this way, during the closing process of the door cover M, the pushing member 55 squeezes the main body member 51, causing the main body member 51 to deform. When the door cover M is opened and the pushing member 55 no longer squeezes the main body member 51, the main body member 51 releases its own reset force, thereby enabling the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 to return from the second position to the first position.

[0099] Furthermore, a cavity 553 can also be formed inside the pushing member 55. During the closing process of the door cover M, both the pushing member 55 and the main body member 51 deform. When the door cover M is opened, both the pushing member 55 and the main body member 51 release their reset forces, and the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 can return from the second position to the first position more smoothly.

[0100] [Embodiment III]

[0101] Figure 8 is an exploded schematic view of the chip control mechanism related to Embodiment III of the present utility model after being separated from the container main body; Figure 9A is a side view of the chip control mechanism related to Embodiment III of the present utility model when located at the first position, observed along the first direction; Figure 9B is a side view of the chip control mechanism related to Embodiment III of the present utility model when located at the second position, observed along the first direction.

[0102] In this embodiment, the movable assembly 5 operates by receiving the driving force of the driving head 32. Specifically, the movable assembly 5 receives the driving force at the non-driving end C2. For example, the movable assembly 5 directly receives the driving force for supply to the detection mechanism 34.

[0103] For example, Figure 8 As shown, the movable assembly 5 includes a main body member 51 and a driving member 56 that can be combined with each other, and a supporting portion 52 connected to the main body member 51. The chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 is supported by the supporting portion 52. The main body member 51 is also provided with a force receiving portion 511 and a first engaging portion 512. The force receiving portion 511 is used to receive the driving force from the driving member 56, and the first engaging portion 512 is used to engage with the engaged portion 441c to prevent the main body member 51 from detaching from the housing 41, and at the same time, it also plays a role in guiding the main body member 51.

[0104] Continuing as Figure 8 shown, the extension portion 44 is provided with a movable cavity 441 and a limiting portion 442. A part of the main body member 51 can enter the movable cavity 441. The engaged portion 441c can be provided either on the extension portion 44 or on the housing 41, as long as it can achieve engagement with the first engaging portion 512 and guide the movement of the main body member 51.

[0105] Further, the main body member 51 is further provided with a limited portion 514 that can be limited by the limiting portion 442. For example, one of the limiting portion 442 and the limited portion 514 is provided as an elastically deformable cantilever, and the other is provided as a protrusion; the force receiving portion 511 is provided as a rack, and the driving member 56 is provided as a gear that can mesh with the rack, and the driving member 56 can be driven by the detection mechanism 34.

[0106] As Figure 9A shown, before the processing cartridge 100 / developer cartridge 2 is installed in the imaging device, or after the processing cartridge 100 / developer cartridge 2 has been installed in the predetermined position of the imaging device but before the driving head 32 receives the driving force, the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 is located at the first position and will not contact the installation guide 102. Therefore, the installation process of the processing cartridge 100 / developer cartridge 2 will be smoother.

[0107] After the driving head 32 receives the driving force, the detection mechanism 34 starts to work. At this time, the detection mechanism 34 can be used as another embodiment of the driving force output member. The driving member 56 is driven by the detection mechanism 34 to rotate in the direction shown by r5, and the main body member 51 drives the support portion 52 and the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 to start moving upward Figure 9A as shown in Figure 9B shown. At least before the gear 56 disengages from the rack 511, the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 reaches the second position. When the gear 56 disengages from the rack 511, the driving force transmission between the gear 56 and the rack 511 is interrupted. At the same time, the limited portion 514 is limited by the limiting portion 442. Therefore, the position of the main body member 51 can be maintained, that is, the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 is held at the second position.

[0108] Similarly, in order to enable the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 to return from the second position to the first position, the movable assembly 5 can either be additionally provided with a second reset member or the inside of the main body member 51 can be set as a cavity so that the main body member 51 can elastically deform. In some embodiments, the support portion 52 can also be set as a cavity. During the process of removing the processing cartridge 100 / developer cartridge 2 from the imaging device, the support portion 52 / main body member 51 elastically deforms under the extrusion of the installation guide 102. Furthermore, the processing cartridge 100 / developer cartridge 2 can be smoothly removed.

[0109] When the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 has reached the second position, even if the gear 56 and the rack 511 have not disengaged yet, the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 can still be held at the second position through the deformation of the main body member 51 / support portion 52 itself.

[0110] In some embodiments, the gear 56 can also be configured as a non-full-tooth structure, that is, teeth are not provided on a partial circumferential surface of the gear 56. In this way, the number of teeth of the gear 56 can be set according to the distance that the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 needs to move from the first position to the second position, so as to precisely control the position of the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422.

[0111] In some embodiments, the gear 56 can also be configured to provide driving force to the stirring transmission mechanism 6 simultaneously, that is, the gear 56 is equivalent to the driving force receiving member 61 in the first embodiment. At this time, a component for transmitting the driving force does not need to be provided at the driving end C1 of the toner container 4, so that the structure of the driving end C1 of the toner container 4 is simplified; further, the gear 56 drives the stirring transmission member 62 and the conveying member 63 to rotate simultaneously. Preferably, the stirring transmission member 62 and the conveying member 63 in the stirring drive transmission mechanism 6 are coaxially arranged.

[0112] In summary, the movable assembly 5 can receive a force through the force receiving portion provided therein, so that the chip 42 / electrical contact portion 422 moves between the first position and the second position. The force receiving portion can be any one of the force receiving portion 53, the portion to be acted upon 554, and the gear 56. The force can be applied by a component inside the toner container 4, such as the second reset member 54, or can be applied by a component outside the processing cartridge 100 / developer cartridge 2, such as the door cover M of the imaging device, or can be applied by a component outside the toner container 4, such as the drive head 32 of the processing cartridge 100 / developer cartridge 2.

[0113] As described above, the stirring transmission mechanism 6 only needs to be provided with one driving force receiving member 61 / 56. After receiving the driving force, the stirring transmission mechanism stirs the toner and simultaneously conveys the toner towards the toner outlet, and the structure of the toner container 4 can be simplified.

[0114] [Deformation method]

[0115] (First deformation embodiment of the stirring and powder feeding mechanism)

[0116] As Figure 12A and 12B shown, a powder feeding screw (a structure of the conveying member 63) 472 and a flat stirring frame (a structure of the stirring transmission member 62) 471 are provided in the housing 41. Among them, the powder feeding screw 472 is rotatably arranged in the housing 41 and is used to push the toner in the housing 41 towards the powder outlet portion 43; the stirring frame 471 is movably arranged in the housing 41 and is used to stir the toner in the housing 41.

[0117] The powder feeding screw 472 is connected to the driving force receiving member 45 provided at the driving end of the toner container 4, and there is a transmission fit between the driving force receiving member 45 and the driving force output member 37 of the developing mechanism 3, preferably forming a gear transmission fit. Different from the above embodiment, when the developing cartridge in this embodiment works, the driving head 32 transmits power to the powder feeding screw 472 through the driving force output member 37 and the driving force receiving member 45, so that the powder feeding screw 472 rotates. Specifically, the driving powder feeding screw 472 is directly driven by the driving force receiving member 45.

[0118] In the embodiment, the housing 41 includes a first cylindrical portion 411 with a relatively large diameter and a second cylindrical portion 412 with a relatively small diameter, and the powder outlet portion 43 can communicate with either the first cylindrical portion 411 or the second cylindrical portion 412. The stirring frame 471 is movably arranged in the first cylindrical portion 411, and the powder feeding screw 472 is rotatably arranged in the second cylindrical portion 412. The powder feeding screw 472 is provided with a pushing portion 4721. When the powder feeding screw 472 rotates, the pushing portion 4721 can intermittently push the stirring frame 471 in a direction away from the powder feeding screw 472 to stir the toner in the housing 41. Preferably, a plurality of through holes 4712 can be provided on the stirring frame 471 to facilitate the flow of the toner.

[0119] The number of the pushing portions 4721 can be one or more. For example, one pushing portion 4721 can be provided at each of the axial / longitudinal two ends of the powder feeding screw 472 to make the movement process of the stirring frame 471 more stable; the pushing portion 4721 can be a protruding portion protruding radially along the powder feeding screw 472, and its shape can be cam-shaped or other shapes; that is, the present invention does not specifically limit the shape of the pushing portion 4721 as long as it can push the stirring frame 471 to move.

[0120] One or more (such as two) elastic resetting members (a structure of the first resetting member 64) 473 are further provided in the toner container 4, and the elastic resetting members 473 are connected to the stirring frame 471 and the housing 41; when the pushing portion 4721 is separated from the stirring frame 471, the stirring frame 471 can move in a direction close to the powder feeding screw 472 to its initial position under the action of the elastic resetting members 473. Under the action of the elastic resetting members 473 and the powder feeding screw 471, the stirring frame 471 will reciprocate in the housing 41 to stir the toner in the housing 41 and make the toner in the first cylindrical portion 411 enter the second cylindrical portion 412. The elastic resetting member 473 is preferably a spring.

[0121] (Variant Embodiment 2 of the Stirring and Powder Feeding Mechanism)

[0122] As a variation, such as Figure 13A and 13BAs shown, the stirring frame 471 can also be an arc-shaped stirring frame, which is arranged to move along the arc-shaped inner wall of the housing 41 (the inner wall of the first cylindrical portion 411). Among them, using an arc-shaped stirring frame is more conducive to transporting the toner in the housing 41 to the powder feeding screw 472, that is, more conducive to transporting the toner in the first cylindrical portion 411 to the second cylindrical portion 412. Further, the arc-shaped stirring frame is arranged to move along the arc-shaped inner wall of the housing 41, which can also reduce the toner residue in the toner container 4 and improve the toner utilization rate.

[0123] In the embodiment, when the powder feeding screw 472 rotates, it can push the stirring frame 471 to stir the toner in the toner container 4, and there is no need to set a stirring frame gear for the stirring frame 471, so as to simplify the structure of the toner container 4, especially simplify the driving structure of the toner container 4, and can improve the design freedom of the driving end of the toner container 4.

[0124] [Other descriptions]

[0125] (Detection mechanism)

[0126] The developing cartridge 2 further includes a detection mechanism, which can be arranged at the driving end of the toner container 4 and work by receiving the driving force of the driving head 32 through the driving force receiving member 45. After the developing cartridge 2 is installed in the electrophotographic imaging device, the detected member of the detection mechanism can change the on-off state of the detection light of the photoelectric sensor in the electrophotographic imaging device, thereby causing the detection signal of the photoelectric sensor to change, so that the imaging device can identify the installation action of the developing cartridge 2 / processing cartridge 100 and various parameters of the developing cartridge 2 / processing cartridge 100, such as the manufacturing information, status information, service life, etc. of the developing cartridge 2 / processing cartridge 100 are identified / detected.

[0127] In the embodiment, in combination with Figure 10 and 11 As shown, the container end cover 46 of the toner container 4 is provided with a first detection light through hole 461 located on the detection light path, and the driving end side wall 413 of the housing 41 is provided with a second detection light through hole 4131 located on the detection light path. The first detection light through hole 461 and the second detection light through hole 4131 are oppositely arranged in the longitudinal direction of the toner container 4. The detection mechanism can be arranged between the container end cover 46 and the driving end side wall 413. The following will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments.

[0128] (Embodiment 1 of the detection mechanism)

[0129] As Figures 14A to 14DAs shown, the detection mechanism of Embodiment 1 includes a detected member 481, a rotating member 482, and a torsion spring 483 (elastic reset member); among them, the detected member 481 has a rotation axis that coincides with the rotating member 482. In the present utility model, the rotating member 482 can be a gear and directly or indirectly form a gear transmission fit with the driving force receiving member 45 through an intermediate gear. As a variation, the rotating member 482 and the driving force receiving member 45 can also form a pulley, a friction wheel, or a ratchet transmission mechanism, as long as the driving force can be transmitted between the rotating member 482 and the driving force receiving member 45.

[0130] In the detection mechanism of Embodiment 1, a support portion 462 is provided inside the container end cap 461, the detected member 481 is rotatably sleeved on the support portion 462, and an anti - detachment protrusion 463 is provided at the free end of the support portion 462. The main body portion of the torsion spring 483 is sleeved on the support portion 462, and the two ends of the torsion spring 483 are respectively connected to the container end cap 461 and the detected member 481.

[0131] Further, a stop member 491 is provided inside the container end cap 46. As Figure 14A and 14B shown, in the initial state where the developing cartridge is not detected, the torsion spring 483 causes the detected member 481 to abut against the stop portion 491 to hold the detected member 481 in a non - detection position that allows the detection light to pass through; at the same time, the main body portion of the torsion spring 483 can apply a force to the detected member 481 so that the detected member 481 abuts against the anti - detachment protrusion 463.

[0132] A pushing portion 4821 is provided on the rotating member 482, and the pushing portion 4821 is provided with an abutting surface 4822, and the abutting surface 4822 can be an inclined surface, an arc surface, or a spiral surface. In the initial state where the developing cartridge is not detected, the abutting surface 4822 does not contact the detected member 481; when the imaging device detects the developing cartridge, as the rotating member 482 rotates, the abutting surface 4822 abuts against the detected member 481, causing the detected member 481 to rotate around the rotation axis to a detection position that blocks the detection light from passing through, and the detected member 481 moves in the direction of the inner wall of the container end cap 46 (away from the anti - detachment protrusion 463) during the rotation process. In the detection position, the detected member can block the optical signal transmission between the first detection light through - hole 461 and the second detection light through - hole 4131.

[0133] One side of the pushing portion 4821 facing the container end cap 46 forms an end face 4823. Preferably, the end face 4823 can be a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating member 482. As the rotating member 482 further rotates, the detected member 481 separates from the abutting surface 4822 to complete the detection process, and the detected member 481 will enter the gap between the pushing portion 4821 and the container end cap 46 and abut against the end face 4823.

[0134] Further, a protrusion 492 is provided on the stopper 491, and a limiting groove 493 is formed between the protrusion 492 and the inner wall of the container end cap 46. After the detection process of the detected member 481 is completed, the abutting surface 4822 no longer contacts the detected member 481; at this time, as Figure 14C and 14D shown, under the action of the torsion spring 483, the detected member 482 can rotate reversely from the detection position to the non-detection position, and enter the limiting groove 493, so that the detected member 481 is no longer pushed by the rotating member 482.

[0135] (Embodiment 2 of the detection mechanism)

[0136] As Figures 15A to 15B shown, the detection mechanism of Embodiment 2 includes a detected member 481, a rotating member 482, and a torsion spring 483 (elastic reset member); among them, the detected member 481 has a rotation axis parallel to the rotating member 482.

[0137] In the detection mechanism of Embodiment 2, a support portion 4132 is provided on the side wall 413 of the driving end of the housing 41. The detected member 481 is rotatably sleeved on the support portion 4132, and an anti-disengagement protrusion 4133 is provided at the free end of the support portion 4132. The main body portion of the torsion spring 483 is sleeved on the support portion 4132, and the two ends of the torsion spring 483 are respectively connected to the side wall 413 of the driving end and the detected member 481.

[0138] Further, a stopper 491 is provided on the side wall 413 of the driving end. As Figure 15A shown, in the initial state where the developing cartridge is not detected, the torsion spring 483 causes the detected member 481 to abut against the stopper portion 491 to hold the detected member 481 in the non-detection position where the detection light is allowed to pass through; at the same time, the main body portion of the torsion spring 483 can apply a force to the detected member 481, so that the detected member 481 abuts against the anti-disengagement protrusion 4133.

[0139] The rotating member 482 is provided with a pushing portion 4821, and the pushing portion 4821 is provided with an abutting surface 4822. The abutting surface 4822 can be an inclined surface, an arc surface or a spiral surface. In the initial state where the developing cartridge is not detected, the abutting surface 4822 does not contact the detected member 481; when the imaging device detects the developing cartridge, as the rotating member 482 rotates, the abutting surface 4822 abuts against the detected member 481, so that the detected member 481 rotates around the rotation axis to the detection position where the detection light is blocked, and the detected member 481 moves in the direction of the side wall 413 of the driving end (away from the anti-disengagement protrusion 4133) during the rotation process. At the detection position, the detected member can block the light signal transmission between the first detection light through hole 461 and the second detection light through hole 4131.

[0140] One side of the abutting and pushing portion 4821 facing the side wall 413 of the driving end forms an end face 4823. Preferably, the end face 4823 can be a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating member 482. As the rotating member 482 further rotates, the detected member 481 separates from the abutting surface 4822 to complete the detection process. The detected member 481 will enter the gap between the abutting and pushing portion 4821 and the side wall 413 of the driving end and abut against the end face 4823.

[0141] Further, a protruding portion 492 is provided on the stopper 491. A limiting groove 493 is formed between the protruding portion 492 and the side wall 413 of the driving end. After the detection process of the detected member 481 is completed, the abutting surface 4822 no longer contacts the detected member 481. At this time, as Figure 15B shown, under the action of the torsion spring 483, the detected member 482 can rotate reversely from the detection position to the non-detection position and enter the limiting groove 493, so that the detected member 481 is no longer pushed by the rotating member 482.

[0142] (Embodiment 3 of the detection mechanism)

[0143] As Figures 16A - 16C shown, in Embodiment 3 of the detection mechanism, a sliding guiding portion 4134 is provided on the side wall 413 of the driving end of the toner container 4. A sliding fit is formed between the sliding guiding portion 4134 and the detected member 481. Specifically, a guiding groove 4135 is provided on the sliding guiding portion 4134, and the detected member 481 is provided with a guiding post 4811 that cooperates with the guiding groove 4135. Among them, the sliding guiding portion 4134 is made of a material that can transmit the detection light to avoid affecting the transmission of the detection light.

[0144] A transmission member 484 is provided between the detected member 481 and the rotating member 482. The transmission member 484 forms a rotational connection with the connecting arm 4812 of the detected member 481. The connecting arm 4812 and the guiding post 4811 can have an integrally formed structure. Specifically, a supporting portion 4132 is provided on the side wall 413 of the driving end of the housing 41. The transmission member 484 is rotatably sleeved on the supporting portion 4132. The main body portion of the torsion spring 483 is sleeved on the supporting portion 4132, and the two ends of the torsion spring 483 are respectively connected to the side wall 413 of the driving end and the transmission member 484.

[0145] Further, a stopper 491 is provided on the side wall 413 of the driving end. The stopper 491 can be connected to the sliding guiding portion 4134. As Figure 16A shown, when the developing cartridge is in the initial state of not being detected, the torsion spring 483 applies a force to the transmission member 484, so that the transmission member 484 pushes the detected member 481 to abut against the stopper portion 491 to hold the detected member 481 in the non-detection position where the detection light is allowed to pass through.

[0146] The rotating member 482 is provided with a pushing portion 4821, and the pushing portion 4821 is provided with an abutting surface 4822. Preferably, the abutting surface 4822 can be an inclined surface, an arc surface or a spiral surface. In the initial state where the developing cartridge is not detected, the abutting surface 4822 does not contact the transmission member 484; when the imaging device detects the developing cartridge, as the rotating member 482 rotates, the abutting surface 4822 abuts against the transmission member 484, causing the transmission member 484 to rotate. When the transmission member 484 rotates, it will drive the detected member 481 to slide to the detection position where the detection light is blocked. During this process, the transmission member 484 and the detected member 481 will move simultaneously towards the side wall 413 of the driving end. At the detection position, the detected member 481 can block the optical signal transmission between the first detection light through hole 461 and the second detection light through hole 4131.

[0147] One side of the pushing portion 4821 facing the side wall 413 of the driving end forms an end face 4823, and the end face 4823 can be a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating member 482. As the rotating member 482 further rotates, the transmission member 484 separates from the abutting surface 4822 to complete the detection process, and the transmission member 484 will enter the gap between the pushing portion 4821 and the side wall 413 of the driving end and abut against the end face 4823.

[0148] Further, the stopper 491 is provided with a protrusion 492, and a limiting groove 493 is formed between the protrusion 492 and the side wall 413 of the driving end. After the detection process of the detected member 481 is completed, the abutting surface 4822 no longer contacts the transmission member 484; at this time, as Figure 16C shown, under the action of the torsion spring 483, the transmission member 484 can rotate in the reverse direction, thereby causing the detected member 481 to slide to the non-detection position, and the detected member 481 enters the limiting groove 493, so that the detected member 481 is no longer pushed by the rotating member 482.

[0149] As a variation of Embodiment 3, the detected member 481 can also be arranged to move or move in other ways under the drive of the transmission member 484. For example, the detected member 481 is arranged to be able to rotate between the detection position and the non-detection position under the drive of the transmission member 484.

[0150] Further, although in the above-described detection mechanism embodiments 1-3, the detected member 481 is only described as blocking the detection light once during the detection process, as a variation, the detected member 481 can also be configured to block the detection light twice: First, after the detected member 481 is driven by the rotating member 482 to move to the detection position where the detection light is blocked for the first time in a predetermined direction, it continues to move in the predetermined direction and moves away from the detection position. During this process, the abutting surface 4822 of the rotating member 482 remains in contact with the detected member 481 or the transmission member 484; then, the abutting surface 4822 of the rotating member 482 separates from the detected member 481 or the transmission member 484. At this time, under the restoring force of the torsion spring 483, the detected member 481 moves in a direction opposite to the aforementioned predetermined direction. During this process, the detected member 481 will move to the detection position where the detection light is blocked again until it enters the limiting groove 493.

[0151] It is easy to understand that in the above-described detection mechanism embodiments 1-3, the non-detection position of the detected member 481 in the initial state and the non-detection position after the detection is completed can be different positions, as long as the transmission of the detection light is not blocked. As a variation, the rotating member 482 can be connected to the stirring frame provided in the toner container to drive the stirring frame to rotate for toner stirring. In this way, both the stirring frame and the detected member are driven to rotate by the rotating member 482, which is beneficial to simplifying the drive end structure of the toner container 4.

[0152] Further, in the embodiment, the detected member 481 is held in the non-detection position by an elastic reset member such as a torsion spring 483, which is beneficial to simplifying the structure of the detection mechanism and optimizing the space management and design freedom of the drive end of the toner container 4.

[0153] It should be noted that unless there are mutually contradictory or exclusive situations, the different embodiments disclosed above can be cited, referred to, or combined with each other, and the technical features / components of different embodiments can also be combined and / or replaced with each other.

[0154] Although the present invention has been depicted through the embodiments above, it should be understood that the above embodiments are only used to exemplarily describe the feasible implementation schemes of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the protection scope of the present invention. That is, any substitution or variation made by those skilled in the art in accordance with the present invention should also be covered by the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A toner container, used in an imaging device, comprising a housing for accommodating toner, a toner outlet connected to the housing, and a toner outlet arranged at the toner outlet, through which toner is supplied to the outside; characterized in that: The toner container also includes: a driving force receiving member configured to receive a driving force from outside the toner container; A stirring transmission member is configured to reciprocate along a predetermined path within the housing; A conveying member is rotatably disposed in the housing and is used to convey the carbon powder in the housing to the powder outlet; One of the stirring transmission member and the conveying member is driven by the driving force receiving member, and at the same time, the conveying member is driven by the stirring transmission member, or the stirring transmission member is driven by the conveying member.

2. The carbon powder container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carbon powder container also includes an elastic reset member used for combining with the stirring transmission member, and the elastic reset member is used for forcing the stirring transmission member to reset.

3. The carbon powder container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying member is configured as a screw.

4. The carbon powder container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The toner container further includes a chip and a movable assembly, the chip having an electrical contact portion for electrically connecting to a contact pin in the imaging device, and at least the electrical contact portion is moved between a first position and a second position by the movable assembly; In the first position, the electrical contact portion does not form an electrical connection with the contact pin; In the second position, the electrical contact portion makes electrical connection with the contact pin.

5. The carbon powder container according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that: The stirring transmission member is driven by the driving force receiving member to reciprocate in the extending direction of the rotation axis of the driving force receiving member, and the stirring transmission member also drives the conveying member to move; The stirring transmission member is provided with a driving part, and the conveying member is provided with a driven part. As the driving force receiving member rotates, the stirring transmission member is pushed toward the end where the powder outlet is located, and the driving part pushes the driven part to move.

6. The carbon powder container according to claim 5, characterized in that: The rotation axis of the transmission member intersects with the rotation axis of the driving force receiving member.

7. The carbon powder container according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that: The conveying member is driven by the driving force receiving member, and the conveying member is also provided with a forced pushing portion. As the conveying member rotates, the forced pushing portion intermittently pushes the stirring transmission member to move in a direction away from the conveying member.

8. The carbon powder container according to claim 7, characterized in that: The stirring transmission member is arranged in an arc shape and moves along the arc-shaped inner wall of the shell.

9. The carbon powder container according to claim 7, characterized in that: The toner outlet is located at one end of the toner container along the direction in which the rotation axis of the driving force receiving member extends.

10. A developing cartridge, characterized in that: The developing box comprises a developing mechanism and a toner container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the developing mechanism and the toner container are detachably combined, and the toner in the toner container is supplied to the developing mechanism through a toner outlet.

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