Waste powder collecting device and image forming equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a waste powder collecting device and image forming equipment, and the waste powder collecting device comprises a collecting device main body which is provided with a containing cavity; the powder outlet part is arranged in the containing cavity, and waste powder can fall into the containing cavity through the powder outlet part in the first direction; the powder guide parts are arranged in the containing cavity, at least one powder guide part is connected with the wall face of the containing cavity, in the first direction, the powder guide parts are located below the powder outlet part, the powder guide parts comprise the first powder guide part and the second powder guide part, the first powder guide part extends in the second direction, and a preset included angle is formed between the second direction and the first direction; in the first direction, at least part of the projection of the powder outlet part is overlapped with the projection of the first powder guide part, and in the third direction, the length of the first powder guide part is smaller than that of the powder outlet part. According to the waste powder collecting device, the powder guiding parts extending in the different directions are arranged in the containing cavity, and when the containing cavity is in an irregular shape, the powder guiding parts can enable waste powder to fall into the irregular-shaped part of the containing cavity in the multiple directions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of printing consumables technology, and in particular to a waste toner collection device and an image forming device. Background Technology

[0002] Image forming equipment, such as laser printers and copiers, which involve toner cartridges, typically includes a waste toner collection device, referred to as a waste toner cartridge. The waste toner cartridge is a crucial component of image forming equipment; its capacity determines the number of times the waste toner cartridge needs to be replaced during the equipment's lifespan. Excessive replacements can negatively impact user experience and increase associated costs.

[0003] In existing waste toner cartridge structures, if the waste toner cartridge itself has a relatively regular shape, no additional structures are needed to meet the required specifications. When the waste toner cartridge space is relatively large, a toner-stirring structure such as a screw is generally added to ensure that waste toner from the outlet falls evenly throughout the cartridge. However, the shape of the waste toner cartridge is affected by the printer's internal structure. To achieve printer miniaturization, the waste toner cartridge may be designed with an irregular shape. If the waste toner cartridge is irregularly shaped, and its space cannot accommodate the added toner-stirring and transmission structures such as screws, then the space of the waste toner cartridge cannot be fully utilized, and it may even fail to meet its specified specifications. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a waste toner collection device and an image forming apparatus to solve the problems in the prior art. When the waste toner box is irregularly shaped, it can still make full use of the space in the waste toner box to collect waste toner.

[0005] In a first aspect, this utility model provides a waste powder collection device, comprising:

[0006] The main body of the collection device has a receiving cavity for containing waste powder;

[0007] A powder outlet is provided inside the receiving cavity, and waste powder can be discharged into the receiving cavity through the powder outlet in a first direction;

[0008] A plurality of powder guiding sections are disposed within the receiving cavity, at least one of the powder guiding sections being connected to the wall of the receiving cavity. In a first direction, the plurality of powder guiding sections are located below the powder dispensing section. The plurality of powder guiding sections include:

[0009] A first powder guiding portion extends along a second direction, and the second direction has a preset angle with the first direction;

[0010] in:

[0011] In the first direction, at least a portion of the projection of the powder outlet overlaps with the projection of the first powder guide. In the third direction, the length of the first powder guide is less than the length of the powder outlet, and the third direction is orthogonal to the first direction.

[0012] In the waste powder collection device described above, preferably, the plurality of powder guiding parts include a second powder guiding part, the second powder guiding part extends along a fourth direction, the fourth direction and the second direction have a preset angle, the second powder guiding part is disposed on the side of the first powder guiding part away from the powder outlet, and in the first direction, at least a portion of the projection of the powder outlet overlaps with the projection of the second powder guiding part.

[0013] In the waste powder collection device described above, preferably, in the third direction, the length of the second powder guiding part is less than the length of the first powder guiding part.

[0014] In the waste powder collection device described above, preferably, a third powder guiding part is further provided in the receiving cavity. The third powder guiding part is located on the side of the second powder guiding part close to the first powder guiding part. One end of the third powder guiding part is connected to the second powder guiding part, and the other end of the third powder guiding part is connected to the wall of the receiving cavity.

[0015] In the waste powder collection device described above, preferably, a fourth powder guiding part is further provided in the receiving cavity. The fourth powder guiding part is located on the side of the second powder guiding part away from the first powder guiding part and extends in a direction away from the first powder guiding part.

[0016] In the waste powder collection device described above, preferably, the angle formed by the second direction and the third direction is smaller than the angle formed by the fourth direction and the third direction.

[0017] In the waste powder collection device described above, preferably, a detection part is provided on the inner wall surface of the receiving cavity, the detection part being used to detect whether the receiving cavity is full of waste powder.

[0018] In the waste powder collection device described above, preferably, the receiving cavity is further provided with a blocking part, which is used to prevent waste powder from falling into the detection part.

[0019] In the waste powder collection device described above, preferably, the blocking part is disposed between the powder outlet and the detection part, and in the third direction, the length of the blocking part is greater than the length of the powder outlet.

[0020] Secondly, this utility model provides an image forming apparatus, including the aforementioned waste powder collection device.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the waste powder collection device of this utility model is provided with multiple powder guiding parts extending in different directions in the receiving cavity. When the receiving cavity is irregularly shaped, the multiple powder guiding parts can make the waste powder fall into the irregularly shaped part of the receiving cavity in multiple directions, thereby realizing the full utilization of the receiving cavity space. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the waste powder collection device provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the waste powder collection device provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0026] 100 - Waste powder collection device; 200 - Image forming equipment;

[0027] 1-Collection device body, 11-Accommodation cavity, 2-Powder outlet, 21-Powder outlet, 3-First powder guiding part, 31-First rib, 4-Second powder guiding part, 41-Second rib, 5-Third powder guiding part, 51-Third rib, 6-Fourth powder guiding part, 61-Fourth rib, 7-Detection part, 8-Blocking part, 81-Fifth rib, 9-Powder stirring structure;

[0028] D1 - First direction, D2 - Second direction, D3 - Third direction, D4 - Fourth direction. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0030] Firstly, referring to Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, this utility model provides a waste powder collection device 100, including a collection device body 1, a powder outlet 2, and multiple powder guiding parts, wherein:

[0031] The main body 1 of the collection device includes a receiving cavity 11, which is used to contain waste powder. The waste powder collection device 100 of this application is used to collect waste powder generated by the image forming equipment 200. The waste powder is contained in the receiving cavity 11. After the receiving cavity 11 is full of waste powder, the waste powder collection device 100 can be replaced.

[0032] The powder outlet 2 is located inside the receiving cavity 11 in the first direction D1. Waste powder can fall into the receiving cavity 11 through the powder outlet 2. The first direction D1 is the direction of gravity. The powder outlet 2 is located at the upper part of the receiving cavity 11. After the waste powder generated by the image forming apparatus 200 passes through the powder outlet 2, it falls vertically into the receiving cavity 11 under the action of gravity.

[0033] Multiple powder guiding sections are disposed within the receiving cavity 11, with at least one powder guiding section connected to the wall of the receiving cavity 11. Along the first direction D1, the multiple powder guiding sections are located below the powder dispensing section 2. The multiple powder guiding sections include a first powder guiding section 3, which extends along a second direction D2. A preset angle exists between the second direction D2 and the first direction D1. The first powder guiding section 3 is located below the powder dispensing section 2, and the preset angle between the second direction D2 and the first direction D1 is less than 90°, allowing the first powder guiding section 3 to be positioned at an angle within the receiving cavity 11. When waste powder falls onto the first powder guiding section 3, it can slide along the second direction D2 (i.e., the extending direction of the first powder guiding section 3).

[0034] In the embodiments provided in this application, at least part of the projection of the powder outlet 2 overlaps with the projection of the first powder guide 3 in the first direction D1. That is, in the direction of gravity, at least part of the waste powder can fall directly into the receiving cavity 11, and some waste powder can first fall into the first powder guide 3, and then slide along the second direction D2 into the receiving cavity 11 at a position below the powder outlet 2.

[0035] Reference Figure 1 As shown, when the receiving cavity 11 is irregularly shaped, the first powder guiding part 3 is inclinedly disposed in the receiving cavity 11. One end of the first powder guiding part 3 is located below the powder discharging part 2, and the other end of the first powder guiding part 3 extends to the left side of the receiving cavity 11 in the figure. Due to the action of gravity, the waste powder cannot fill the left side of the receiving cavity 11. Therefore, when the waste powder falls to the first powder guiding part 3 through the powder discharging part 2, it can slide along the second direction D2 to the left side of the receiving cavity 11, thereby filling the left side of the receiving cavity 11.

[0036] Furthermore, referring to Figure 2 As shown, in the third direction D3, the length of the first powder guiding part 3 is less than the length of the powder discharging part 2. The third direction D3 is orthogonal to the first direction D1. The third direction D3 is the depth direction of the receiving cavity 11. Thus, the height of the first powder guiding part 3 in the receiving cavity 11 is less than the height of the powder discharging part 2 in the receiving cavity 11. This further ensures that some waste powder passing through the powder discharging part 2 can fall onto the first powder guiding part 3. After the waste powder fills the left side of the receiving cavity 11 through the first powder guiding part 3, the waste powder accumulated on the first powder guiding part 3 can continue to fall over the first powder guiding part 3 to fill the position of the receiving cavity 11 located below the first powder guiding part 3.

[0037] The second direction D2 can be set according to the irregular shape of the receiving cavity 11, so that the first powder guiding part 3 extends into the irregular cavity of the receiving cavity 11, thereby ensuring that the waste powder can slide along the first powder guiding part 3 into the corresponding cavity to fill the corresponding space.

[0038] Compared to the waste toner collection device 100 in the prior art, regardless of whether the cavity 11 of the waste toner collection device 100 is of a regular shape, the first toner guide part 3 can fully fill the space of the cavity 11, which can effectively reduce the replacement frequency of the waste toner collection device 100 and help extend the service life of the image forming equipment 200.

[0039] To prevent insufficient accumulation of waste powder in the space on the left side of the receiving cavity 11 and the side of the first powder guiding section 3 away from the powder outlet section 2, the multiple powder guiding sections also include a second powder guiding section 4. The second powder guiding section 4 extends along the fourth direction D4, and there is a preset angle between the fourth direction D4 and the second direction D2. The second powder guiding section 4 is located on the side of the first powder guiding section 3 away from the powder outlet section 2. That is, the second powder guiding section 4 is set in the receiving cavity 11 in an inclined posture that is different from the first powder guiding section 3, and is located below the first powder guiding section 3.

[0040] Reference Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, in the first direction D1, at least part of the projection of the powder outlet 2 overlaps with the projection of the second powder guide 4. After passing through the powder outlet 2, some of the waste powder falls into the first powder guide 3, and some of it falls into the second powder guide 4. It then slides along the extension direction of the second powder guide 4 (i.e., the fourth direction D4) to the left side of the receiving cavity 11 to fill the space between the side of the first powder guide 3 away from the powder outlet 2 and the left side of the receiving cavity 11, thereby making full use of the space of the receiving cavity 11.

[0041] Furthermore, on the third direction D3, the length of the second powder guiding part 4 is less than the length of the first powder guiding part 3, that is, the height of the second powder guiding part 4 in the receiving cavity 11 is less than the height of the first powder guiding part 3 in the receiving cavity 11. Under the action of the second powder guiding part 4, the waste powder accumulates and gradually approaches the back side of the first powder guiding part 3 (that is, the side of the first powder guiding part 3 away from the powder discharging part 2), so as to prevent the back side of the first powder guiding part 3 from being free of waste powder accumulation, thereby further making full use of the space of the receiving cavity 11.

[0042] In order to further improve the utilization rate of the space of the receiving cavity 11, a third powder guiding part 5 is provided in the receiving cavity 11. The third powder guiding part 5 is located on the side of the second powder guiding part 4 close to the first powder guiding part 3. One end of the third powder guiding part 5 is connected to the second powder guiding part 4, and the other end of the third powder guiding part 5 is connected to the wall of the receiving cavity 11.

[0043] Reference Figure 1As shown, the extension direction of the third powder guiding part 5 is nearly parallel to the extension direction of the first powder guiding part 3. One end of the third powder guiding part 5 is connected to the second powder guiding part 4. The third powder guiding part 5 extends to the left side of the receiving cavity 11 and is fixedly connected to the inner wall of this part. When waste powder falls to the third powder guiding part 5, it can continue to slide along the direction D2 to the left side of the receiving cavity 11, and it can continue to fall, thereby completely filling the left side of the receiving cavity 11.

[0044] When the space of the receiving cavity 11 is large, in order to avoid the vertically falling waste powder accumulating too quickly and affecting the operation of the image forming apparatus 200, in the embodiments provided in this application, referring to Figure 1 As shown, the receiving cavity 11 is also provided with a fourth powder guiding part 6. The fourth powder guiding part 6 is located on the side of the second powder guiding part 4 away from the first powder guiding part 3, and extends in a direction away from the first powder guiding part 3. The extension direction of the fourth powder guiding part 6 has a preset angle with the second direction D2 and the fourth direction D4. The extension direction of the fourth powder guiding part 6 is an inclined direction that is different from the second direction D2 and the fourth direction D4. The fourth powder guiding part 6 is inclined in the receiving cavity 11 with an attitude that is different from the first powder guiding part 3 and the second powder guiding part 4.

[0045] When waste powder falls vertically, the waste powder that falls on the right side of the receiving cavity 11 accumulates slowly, which can easily lead to excessive and rapid accumulation of waste powder below the powder outlet 2. The fourth powder guiding part 6 extends to the right side of the receiving cavity 11. After the waste powder falls downward into the fourth powder guiding part 6, it can slide along the extension direction of the fourth powder guiding part 6 to the right side of the receiving cavity 11 to accelerate the accumulation of waste powder on the right side of the receiving cavity 11.

[0046] The inclination of the fourth powder guiding section 6 can be set according to the specifications of the waste powder collection device 100 and the speed of waste powder accumulation, so that the waste powder can accumulate in different directions at the same time, and there is no limitation here.

[0047] In one feasible implementation, the angle formed by the second direction D2 and the third direction D3 is smaller than the angle formed by the fourth direction D4 and the third direction D3. That is, the angle formed by the extension direction of the first powder guiding part 3 and the third direction D3 is smaller than the angle formed by the second powder guiding part 4 and the third direction D3. In other words, compared with the first powder guiding part 3, the second powder guiding part 4 is arranged in the receiving cavity with a steeper posture, so that waste powder can accumulate in the area below the first powder guiding part 3 near the second powder guiding part 4.

[0048] It should be noted that the inclination of the first powder guiding section 3 and the second powder guiding section 4 varies with the irregularity of the waste powder collection device's shape. Specifically, refer to... Figure 1As shown, when the height of the space on the left side of the cavity 11 remains constant while the length increases, the angle between the second direction D2 and the third direction D3, as well as the angle between the fourth direction D4 and the third direction D3, will both decrease.

[0049] During the waste toner collection process, in order to know in real time whether the waste toner in the receiving cavity 11 is full, so as to replace the waste toner collection device 100 in a timely manner and prevent the failure to replace it in time from affecting the operation of the image forming equipment 200, in the embodiment provided in this application, a detection part 7 is provided on the inner wall surface of the receiving cavity 11. The detection part 7 is used to detect whether the waste toner in the receiving cavity 11 is full. (Refer to...) Figure 1 As shown, the detection unit 7 is located on the inner wall surface above the receiving cavity 11, close to the powder outlet 2. The detection unit 7 can detect and provide feedback on the collection of waste powder in the receiving cavity 11. When the waste powder is close to filling the receiving cavity 11, the detection unit 7 can remind the user so that the user can replace the waste powder collection device 100 in time.

[0050] Furthermore, since the detection unit 7 is close to the powder outlet 2 and located below it, waste powder may fall onto the detection unit 7 during its vertical descent, thus affecting the detection results of the detection unit 7. Therefore, a blocking unit 8 is also provided in the receiving cavity 11 to prevent waste powder from falling into the detection unit 7 and causing false detections.

[0051] In one feasible embodiment, the blocking part 8 is disposed between the powder dispensing part 2 and the detection part 7. In the third direction D3, the length of the blocking part 8 is greater than the length of the powder dispensing part 2, that is, the blocking part 8 separates the powder dispensing part 2 and the detection part 7. Furthermore, the height of the blocking part 8 in the receiving cavity 11 is greater than the height of the powder dispensing part 2 in the receiving cavity 11. During the falling of waste powder, the blocking part 8 can prevent the waste powder falling through the powder dispensing part 2 from drifting towards the detection part 7, thereby effectively preventing the waste powder from falling into the detection part 7 and affecting the detection results of the detection part 7.

[0052] Based on the above embodiments, preferably, the powder outlet 2 includes a powder outlet 21, and waste powder can fall evenly into the receiving cavity 11 from the powder outlet 21 under the action of the powder stirring structure 9. The first powder guiding part 3 is the first rib 31, the second powder guiding part 4 is the second rib 41, the third powder guiding part 5 is the third rib 51, the fourth powder guiding part 6 is the fourth rib 61, and the blocking part 8 is the fifth rib 81.

[0053] The first rib 31 extends along the second direction D2. One end of the first rib 31 is located below the powder outlet 21, and the other end of the first rib 31 extends to the left side of the receiving cavity 11 (i.e., the irregular space of the receiving cavity 11). Waste powder can fall from the powder outlet 21 onto the first rib 31 and slide down along the first rib 31 to the left side of the receiving cavity 11 to fill the corresponding space.

[0054] The second rib 41 is located below the first rib 31. One end of the second rib 41 is located below the powder outlet 21, and the other end of the second rib 41 extends to the edge of the left side of the receiving cavity 11. On the one hand, the waste powder falling from the powder outlet 21 can fall onto the second rib 41. On the other hand, after the waste powder accumulated on the first rib 31 falls, it can accumulate in the space below the first rib 31 under the action of the second rib 41, so that the space on the left side of the receiving cavity 11 between the first rib 31 and the second rib 41 can be filled with waste powder.

[0055] The third rib 51 is positioned nearly parallel to the first rib 31 between the first rib 31 and the second rib 41, further ensuring that the space below the first rib 31 can be filled with waste powder.

[0056] The fourth rib 61 is inclined away from the first rib 31 and is set in a relatively regular space in the receiving cavity 11. After the waste powder falling from the powder outlet 21 falls onto the fourth rib 61, some of the waste powder continues to fall to the bottom of the receiving cavity 11, and the other part of the waste powder slides down along the fourth rib 61 to the right side of the receiving cavity 11, so that the waste powder can be evenly accumulated in the receiving cavity 11.

[0057] The fifth rib 81 is located between the powder outlet 21 and the detection section 7 to prevent waste powder from falling into the detection section 7 and to prevent waste powder from affecting the detection results.

[0058] In other embodiments, the powder outlet 2, the first powder guide 3, the second powder guide 4, the third powder guide 5, the fourth powder guide 6, and the blocking part 8 may adopt other structures or components that can achieve the corresponding functions, and are not limited here.

[0059] Secondly, referring to Figure 3 As shown, this utility model provides an image forming apparatus 200, including the aforementioned waste toner collection device 100. Since the shape of the waste toner collection device 100 can be configured according to the structure of the image forming apparatus 200, even when the interior of the waste toner collection device 100 is irregularly shaped, the space within the waste toner collection device 100 can still be fully utilized to collect waste toner. This effectively reduces the frequency of replacement of the waste toner collection device 100, which helps extend the service life of the image forming apparatus 200, improves the user experience, and reduces costs.

[0060] The above description, based on the embodiments shown in the drawings, details the structure, features, and effects of this utility model. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this utility model, but the scope of implementation of this utility model is not limited to what is shown in the drawings. Any changes made in accordance with the concept of this utility model, or modifications to equivalent embodiments, that do not exceed the spirit covered by the specification and drawings, shall be within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A waste powder collection device, characterized in that, include: The main body of the collection device has a receiving cavity for containing waste powder; A powder outlet is provided inside the receiving cavity, and waste powder can be discharged into the receiving cavity through the powder outlet in a first direction; A plurality of powder guiding sections are disposed within the receiving cavity, at least one of the powder guiding sections being connected to the wall of the receiving cavity. In a first direction, the plurality of powder guiding sections are located below the powder dispensing section. The plurality of powder guiding sections include: A first powder guiding portion extends along a second direction, and the second direction has a preset angle with the first direction; in: In the first direction, at least a portion of the projection of the powder outlet overlaps with the projection of the first powder guide. In the third direction, the length of the first powder guide is less than the length of the powder outlet, and the third direction is orthogonal to the first direction.

2. The waste powder collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plurality of powder guiding parts include a second powder guiding part, which extends along a fourth direction. The fourth direction and the second direction have a preset angle. The second powder guiding part is located on the side of the first powder guiding part away from the powder discharging part. In the first direction, at least a portion of the projection of the powder discharging part overlaps with the projection of the second powder guiding part.

3. The waste powder collection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, In the direction of the third party, the length of the second powder guiding part is less than the length of the first powder guiding part.

4. The waste powder collection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cavity is further provided with a third powder guiding part, which is located on the side of the second powder guiding part close to the first powder guiding part. One end of the third powder guiding part is connected to the second powder guiding part, and the other end of the third powder guiding part is connected to the wall of the cavity.

5. The waste powder collection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cavity is further provided with a fourth powder guiding part, which is located on the side of the second powder guiding part away from the first powder guiding part and extends in a direction away from the first powder guiding part.

6. The waste powder collection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The angle formed by the second direction and the third direction is smaller than the angle formed by the fourth direction and the third direction.

7. The waste powder collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the receiving cavity is provided with a detection part, which is used to detect whether the waste powder in the receiving cavity is full.

8. The waste powder collection device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The cavity is also provided with a blocking part, which is used to prevent waste powder from falling into the detection part.

9. The waste powder collection device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The blocking part is located between the powder dispensing part and the detection part, and in the third direction, the length of the blocking part is greater than the length of the powder dispensing part.

10. An image forming apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the waste powder collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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