Photosensitive unit and process cartridge

Abstract

According to the photosensitive unit and the processing box with the photosensitive unit provided by the utility model, the photosensitive unit comprises a photosensitive shell and a photosensitive drum rotatably arranged in the photosensitive shell, and the photosensitive drum rotates around a first rotation axis; the direction parallel to the first rotation axis is the left-right direction, the direction intersecting with the left-right direction is the front-back direction, and a part of the photosensitive drum is exposed out of the photosensitive shell towards the rear side; the photosensitive unit further comprises a cleaning scraper, a covering part, a first waste powder bin and a second waste powder bin, the first waste powder bin and the second waste powder bin are communicated with each other, the cleaning scraper is used for cleaning the waste developing agent on the photosensitive drum and supported by the covering part, the first waste powder bin and the second waste powder bin are both used for containing the waste developing agent, and after the photosensitive unit is assembled, the first waste powder bin is covered by the cleaning scraper. The second waste powder bin is covered by the covering part, and the first waste powder bin is closer to the photosensitive drum compared with the second waste powder bin in the front-back direction, so that the capacity of the waste powder bin is increased, and the service life of the processing box is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of electrophotographic imaging, in particular to a photosensitive unit detachably mounted in an electrophotographic imaging device and a processing cartridge having the photosensitive unit. Background Art

[0002] A processing cartridge is a consumable that can be detachably mounted to an electrophotographic imaging device (hereinafter referred to as an "imaging device"). The processing cartridge includes a developing unit and a photosensitive unit. The developing unit includes a developing housing and a developing roller rotatably disposed in the developing housing. The developing housing is used to contain a developer, and the developing roller is used to carry the developer and supply the developer to the photosensitive unit. The photosensitive unit includes a photosensitive housing and a photosensitive drum rotatably disposed in the photosensitive housing. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum. The developing roller is used to transport the developer to the photosensitive drum so that the electrostatic latent image is developed.

[0003] After the imaging device completes imaging, waste developer remains on the photosensitive drum. The processing cartridge further includes a waste powder bin and a cleaning blade. The cleaning blade is used to clean the waste developer on the photosensitive drum. The waste powder bin is used to contain the waste developer. After components such as the photosensitive drum and the cleaning blade are assembled with the photosensitive housing, the waste powder bin is covered by the cleaning blade to prevent the waste developer from leaking to other components. The direction parallel to the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum is the left-right direction, the direction intersecting the left-right direction is the up-down direction, the photosensitive unit and the developing unit are combined in the up-down direction, and the direction intersecting both the left-right direction and the up-down direction is the front-back direction. The size of the cleaning blade in the front-back direction is larger than the size of the waste powder bin in the front-back direction.

[0004] The capacity of the waste powder bin is small, and the amount of waste developer it can contain is small, which increases the frequency for users to clean or replace the waste powder bin, thereby reducing the service life of the processing cartridge and lowering the user experience. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] The photosensitive unit and the processing cartridge having the photosensitive unit provided by the utility model can solve at least one of the above technical problems:

[0006] The photosensitive unit includes a photosensitive housing and a photosensitive drum rotatably disposed in the photosensitive housing. The photosensitive drum rotates around a first rotation axis. The direction parallel to the first rotation axis is the left-right direction, the direction intersecting the left-right direction is the front-back direction, and a part of the photosensitive drum faces backward and is exposed outside the photosensitive housing.

[0007] The photosensitive unit further includes a cleaning blade, a covering member, and a first waste toner bin and a second waste toner bin that communicate with each other. The cleaning blade is used to clean the waste developer on the photosensitive drum and is supported by the covering member. Both the first waste toner bin and the second waste toner bin are used to accommodate the waste developer. After the photosensitive unit is assembled, the first waste toner bin is covered by the cleaning blade, and the second waste toner bin is covered by the covering member. In the front-rear direction, the first waste toner bin is closer to the photosensitive drum than the second waste toner bin; the covering member is formed separately from the photosensitive housing.

[0008] The covering member includes a main body and at least one positioning portion. The main body includes a shielding portion and a first side plate, a second side plate, a third side plate, and a fourth side plate that are respectively connected to the shielding portion. The shielding portion is used to cover the second waste toner bin. In the front-rear direction, the first side plate and the second side plate are spaced apart. In the left-right direction, the third side plate and the fourth side plate are spaced apart; the main body further includes a fifth side plate connected to the first side plate and the second side plate. The first side plate, the second side plate, the third side plate, and the fifth side plate enclose a receiving cavity, and the positioning portion is disposed in the receiving cavity.

[0009] At least one mating portion for mating with the positioning portion is provided on the photosensitive housing. The positioning portion includes a positioning hole that mates with the mating portion, and a mating manner of a protrusion and a groove is formed between the positioning hole and the mating portion.

[0010] The positioning hole is provided as a circular groove facing the second waste toner bin, and the mating portion is provided as a stud extending from the photosensitive housing toward the covering member.

[0011] The positioning hole is provided as an oval groove facing the second waste toner bin, and the mating portion is provided as a stud extending from the photosensitive housing toward the covering member.

[0012] In the front-rear direction, the size of the cleaning blade is larger than the size of the first waste toner bin and smaller than the combined size of the first waste toner bin and the second waste toner bin in the front-rear direction.

[0013] A processing cartridge, detachably installed in an imaging device, includes a developing unit and a photosensitive unit that are combined with each other. The developing unit includes a developing cartridge housing for accommodating a developer and a developing roller rotatably provided in the developing cartridge housing. The developing roller is used to supply the developer to the photosensitive drum.

[0014] In the photosensitive unit provided by the present utility model and the processing cartridge having the photosensitive unit, the waste toner bin includes a first waste toner bin and a second waste toner bin that communicate with each other. After components such as the photosensitive drum and the cleaning blade are assembled with the photosensitive housing, the first waste toner bin is covered by the cleaning blade, and the second waste toner bin is covered by the covering member, preventing the waste developer from leaking to the outside of the waste toner bin. Such a setting increases the capacity of the waste toner bin, extends the service life of the processing cartridge, and reduces the frequency of users cleaning or replacing the waste toner bin. Description of the Drawings

[0015] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the processing cartridge related to the present utility model.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the developing unit related to the present utility model.

[0017] Figure 3A and Figure 3B This is a perspective view of the photosensitive unit related to the present utility model.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the photosensitive unit after being sectioned along the AA direction in Figure 3A the figure.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the covering member in the photosensitive unit related to the present utility model. Detailed implementation manners

[0020] The embodiments of the present utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] The processing cartridge 100 can be detachably installed on an imaging device, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3A shown. The processing cartridge 100 includes a photosensitive unit 10 and a developing unit 20 which are combined with each other; the photosensitive unit 10 includes a photosensitive housing 11 and a photosensitive drum 12 rotatably arranged in the photosensitive housing 11, and the photosensitive drum 12 rotates around a first rotation axis L1; the developing unit 20 includes a developing cartridge housing 21 for accommodating a developer and a developing roller 22 rotatably arranged in the developing cartridge housing 21, and the developing roller 22 rotates around a second rotation axis L2, and the second rotation axis L2 is parallel to the first rotation axis L1; the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 is used for forming an electrostatic latent image, and the developing roller 22 is used for supplying the developer to the photosensitive drum 12 to develop the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 12; the processing cartridge 100 further includes a handle 13 for easy handling, and the handle 13 can be arranged on the photosensitive unit 10 or the developing unit 20.

[0022] After the imaging operation of the processing cartridge 100 is completed, there is still residual waste developer on the photosensitive drum 12. As Figure 3A and Figure 3B shown, the photosensitive unit 10 further includes a waste toner bin 14 and a cleaning blade 15. The cleaning blade 15 is used for cleaning the residual waste developer on the photosensitive drum 12, and the waste toner bin 14 is used for accommodating the waste developer.

[0023] The direction parallel to the first rotation axis L1 is the left - right direction, the direction intersecting the left - right direction is the up - down direction, the photosensitive unit 10 and the developing unit 20 are combined in the up - down direction, the direction intersecting both the left - right direction and the up - down direction is the front - back direction, and a part of the photosensitive drum 12 is exposed rearward outside the photosensitive housing 11.

[0024] In order to solve the technical problems existing in the background art, the utility model changes the structure of the photosensitive housing 11, thereby changing the structure of the waste powder bin 14, as follows.

[0025] As Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a first waste powder bin 141 and a second waste powder bin 142 which are communicated with each other are provided on the photosensitive housing 11. In the front - back direction, the first waste powder bin 141 is closer to the photosensitive drum 12 than the second waste powder bin 142. After components such as the photosensitive drum 12 and the cleaning blade 15 are assembled with the photosensitive housing 11, the first waste powder bin 141 is covered by the cleaning blade 15; the processing cartridge 100 further includes a covering member 30 for covering the second waste powder bin 142, and the covering member 30 is formed separately from the photosensitive housing 11.

[0026] The covering member 30 includes a main body 31 and at least one positioning portion 32. The main body 31 includes a shielding portion 33, a first side plate 311, a second side plate 312, a third side plate 313, a fourth side plate 314, and a support plate 34. The shielding portion 33 is used for covering the second waste powder bin 142. The first side plate 311 and the second side plate 312 are respectively connected to the shielding portion 33. In the front - back direction, the first side plate 311 and the second side plate 312 are spaced apart. The third side plate 313 and the fourth side plate 314 are also respectively connected to the shielding portion 33. In the left - right direction, the third side plate 313 and the fourth side plate 314 are spaced apart. The support plate 34 is used for supporting the cleaning blade 15, and the support plate 34 is connected to the first side plate 311 or the second side plate 312. The main body 31 further includes a fifth side plate 315 connected to the first side plate 311 and the second side plate 312. The first side plate 311, the second side plate 312, the third side plate 313, and the fifth side plate 315 enclose an accommodation cavity 50, and the accommodation cavity 50 is located at one of the left and right ends of the main body 31.

[0027] As Figure 3B As shown, the positioning portion 32 is arranged in the accommodation cavity 50, and at least one fitting portion 40 for cooperating with the positioning portion 32 is provided on the photosensitive housing 11. Through the mutual cooperation between the positioning portion 32 and the fitting portion 40, the covering member 30 is correctly installed on the photosensitive housing 11.

[0028] In some embodiments, the positioning portion 32 includes a positioning hole 321 that cooperates with the cooperating portion 40. A protruding and recessed mating manner is formed between the positioning hole 321 and the cooperating portion 40. The positioning hole 321 is provided as a circular recess facing the second waste toner bin 142, and the cooperating portion 40 is provided as a stud extending from the photosensitive housing 11 towards the cover member 30.

[0029] In some embodiments, in the left - right direction, the cover member 30 may further be provided with another positioning portion 32, and the positioning hole 321 in the positioning portion 32 is provided as an oval recess.

[0030] By providing the positioning portion 32 with different shapes, it can be ensured that the cover member 30 can be correctly installed. At the same time, the step of installing the cover member 30 onto the photosensitive housing 11 may further be that the cover member 30 moves in a direction parallel to the first rotation axis L1, which facilitates the adjustment of the position of the cover member 30 so that the cover member 30 can better cover the second waste toner bin 142.

[0031] In some embodiments, the positioning hole 321 and the cooperating portion 40 may be exchanged.

[0032] In some embodiments, the positioning portion 32 further includes at least one reinforcing member 322, and the reinforcing member 322 is used to increase the strength of the positioning hole 321 to prevent the cover member 30 from being damaged during the installation process / use process.

[0033] In some embodiments, the cover member 30 and the photosensitive housing 11 are joined to each other by welding or bonding or the like.

[0034] In some embodiments, when manufacturing the photosensitive housing 11, the setting of the cover member 30 can also make the photosensitive housing 11 easy to demold, which further simplifies the manufacturing process.

[0035] As described above, the positioning portion 32 is located in the accommodation cavity 50. In this way, at least the second side plate 314 and the fifth side plate 315 can further ensure that the waste developer is not leaked outside the waste toner bin 14.

[0036] In the front - rear direction, the cover member 30 is located between the handle 13 and the cleaning blade 15, and the cleaning blade 15 is supported by the support plate 34 on the cover member 30. Additionally, in the front - rear direction, the size of the cleaning blade 15 is larger than the size of the first waste toner bin 141 and smaller than the combined size of the first waste toner bin 141 and the second waste toner bin 142 in the front - rear direction. This enables the cleaning blade 15 in the processing cartridge 100 to use an existing cleaning blade instead of a dedicated cleaning blade.

[0037] [Beneficial effects]

[0038] Compared with the prior art, the photosensitive unit 10 provided by the present utility model and the processing cartridge 100 having the photosensitive unit 10 have the following beneficial effects:

[0039] In the first aspect, in the present utility model, the waste powder bin 14 includes a first waste powder bin 141 and a second waste powder bin 142 that are interconnected. After components such as the photosensitive drum 12 and the cleaning blade 15 are assembled with the photosensitive housing 11, the first waste powder bin 141 is covered by the cleaning blade 15, and the second waste powder bin 142 is covered by the covering member 30, preventing waste developer from leaking outside the waste powder bin 14. Such a setting increases the capacity of the waste powder bin 14, extends the service life of the processing cartridge 100, and reduces the frequency of users cleaning or replacing the waste powder bin.

[0040] In the second aspect, since the covering member 30 for covering the second waste powder bin 142 is provided in the processing cartridge 100, the cleaning blade 15 is supported by the support plate 34 on the covering member 30. In the front-rear direction, the size of the cleaning blade 15 is smaller than that of the waste powder bin 14, which enables the cleaning blade 15 to use an existing cleaning blade, thus reducing the production cost of the processing cartridge 100.

[0041] In the third aspect, the covering member 30 in the processing cartridge 100 is separately provided from the photosensitive housing 11. Such a setting makes it easier for the photosensitive housing 11 to be demolded during the manufacture of the photosensitive housing 11, simplifying the manufacturing process.

Claims

1. A photosensitive unit, comprising a photosensitive housing, a photosensitive drum rotatably disposed in the photosensitive housing, the photosensitive drum rotating around a first rotation axis; a direction parallel to the first rotation axis is a left-right direction, a direction intersecting the left-right direction is a front-back direction, and a portion of the photosensitive drum is exposed to the rear outside the photosensitive housing; It is characterized in that The photosensitive unit also includes a cleaning scraper, a covering member, and a first waste powder bin and a second waste powder bin that are interconnected. The cleaning scraper is used to clean the waste developer on the photosensitive drum and is supported by the covering member. The first waste powder bin and the second waste powder bin are both used to accommodate waste developer. After the photosensitive unit is assembled, the first waste powder bin is covered by the cleaning scraper and the second waste powder bin is covered by the covering member. In the front-to-back direction, compared with the second waste powder bin, the first waste powder bin is closer to the photosensitive drum.

2. The photosensitive unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover is formed separately from the photosensitive housing.

3. The photosensitive unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The covering member includes a main body and at least one positioning portion, the main body includes a shielding portion and a first side plate, a second side plate, a third side plate and a fourth side plate respectively connected to the shielding portion, the shielding portion is used to cover the second waste toner bin, in the front-to-back direction, the first side plate and the second side plate are arranged at intervals, and in the left-to-right direction, the third side plate and the fourth side plate are arranged at intervals; The main body also includes a fifth side plate connected to the first side plate and the second side plate. The first side plate, the second side plate, the third side plate and the fifth side plate are enclosed to form an accommodating cavity, and the positioning portion is arranged in the accommodating cavity.

4. The photosensitive unit according to claim 3, characterized in that: At least one matching portion for matching with the positioning portion is arranged on the photosensitive housing, and the positioning portion comprises a positioning hole matching with the matching portion, and a matching mode of a protrusion and a groove is formed between the positioning hole and the matching portion.

5. The photosensitive unit according to claim 4, characterized in that: The positioning hole is configured as a circular groove facing the second waste toner bin, and the matching portion is configured as a protruding column extending from the photosensitive housing toward the covering member.

6. The photosensitive unit according to claim 4, characterized in that: The positioning hole is configured as an elliptical groove facing the second waste toner bin, and the matching portion is configured as a protruding column extending from the photosensitive housing toward the covering member.

7. The photosensitive unit according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that: In the front-to-back direction, the size of the cleaning blade is larger than that of the first waste toner bin and smaller than a common size of the first waste toner bin and the second waste toner bin in the front-to-back direction.

8. A process cartridge, detachably mounted to an imaging device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a developing unit and a photosensitive unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the photosensitive unit and the developing unit are combined with each other; the developing unit comprises a developing box housing for accommodating a developer and a developing roller rotatably arranged in the developing box housing, wherein the developing roller is used to supply the developer to the photosensitive drum.

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