toner cartridge

Abstract

The carbon powder box comprises a carbon powder box body, a counting gear, a transmission gear and a conductive end cover; the counting gear comprises a gear body, the gear body comprises a tooth part and a section of toothless part engaged with the transmission gear, a limiting rib is arranged on the gear body, the limiting rib is elastic and can be deformed under external force; the conductive end cover has a notch exposing part of the counting gear, the inner side of the conductive end cover is provided with a protruding fixing rib, the fixing rib can be matched with the limiting rib, so that the counting gear cannot rotate; when the counting gear rotates to be disengaged from the engagement with the transmission gear, the counting gear stops rotating, the limiting rib contacts the fixing rib; the counting gear is manually driven to continue rotating, the limiting rib is deformed, the limiting rib jumps over the fixing rib and moves to the rear of the fixing rib along with the rotation of the counting gear, and the counting gear can be re-engaged with the transmission gear. The counting gear can be manually reset, so that the remaining carbon powder in the carbon powder box can be fully utilized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of electronic imaging photography technology, specifically relating to a toner cartridge with counting gears. Background Technology

[0002] A toner cartridge is a removable box that fits into the main unit of an image forming device. It supplies toner to the developing unit of the image forming device to create a visible image on paper or other media. Some printers on the market currently have a counting switch mechanism that allows the printer to determine the number of pages the toner cartridge has printed. After the toner cartridge is installed, the counting switch mechanism is activated, counting the number of pages printed. When the toner cartridge runs out of pages, the printer will prompt you to replace it with a new toner cartridge to continue using it. Compatible toner cartridges usually have a larger toner capacity than original toner cartridges, exceeding the printer's set page count. For these cartridges, even if the printer indicates that the set page count has been reached, there will still be toner remaining in the cartridge. However, this remaining toner cannot be used, resulting in waste. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a toner cartridge that can achieve count reset, thereby increasing the number of pages used in the toner cartridge and improving product competitiveness.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A toner cartridge includes: a toner cartridge body, a counting gear, a transmission gear, and a conductive end cap enclosing the counting gear and the transmission gear at a first end of the toner cartridge body; the counting gear includes a gear body, the gear body including teeth that mesh with the transmission gear and a section with missing teeth, the gear body being provided with counting ribs and limiting ribs, the counting ribs being for contacting the counting switch structure of the printer, and the limiting ribs being elastic and deformable under external force; the conductive end cap partially exposes the counting teeth. The wheel has a notch, and the inner side of the conductive end cap is provided with a protruding fixing rib. The fixing rib can cooperate with the limiting rib to prevent the counting gear from rotating. When the counting gear rotates to the point of disengaging from the transmission gear, the counting gear stops rotating, and the limiting rib and the fixing rib come into contact. When the counting gear is manually driven to continue rotating, the limiting rib deforms, jumps over the fixing rib, and moves behind the fixing rib as the counting gear rotates, allowing the counting gear to re-engage with the transmission gear.

[0006] In some embodiments, the transmission gear is disposed at the end of the stirring frame and rotates together with the stirring frame.

[0007] In some embodiments, the transmission gear is a spur gear.

[0008] In some embodiments, the counting ribs are arc-shaped ribs that protrude axially along the gear body.

[0009] In some embodiments, the limiting rib is a strip-shaped rib.

[0010] As can be seen from the above technical solution, this utility model adopts a non-full-tooth counting gear and sets elastic (tough) limiting ribs on the counting gear. A fixing rib that cooperates with the limiting ribs is set on the inner side of the conductive end cover. After the toner cartridge is installed, the counting gear rotates, causing the counting ribs to press against the printer's counting switch mechanism to confirm the cartridge's placement. When the counting gear rotates one revolution and reaches the missing tooth position, it disengages from the transmission gear, and the counting gear stops rotating. The cooperation of the limiting ribs and the fixing ribs further prevents the gear from continuing to rotate. When the toner cartridge is removed and the counting gear is manually driven to rotate, the limiting ribs can deform under external force and jump over the fixing ribs, allowing the counting gear to rotate again. After reinstallation, the counting gear can be reset and reused, fully utilizing the remaining toner in the cartridge, improving utilization rate, and enhancing product competitiveness. Attached Figure Description

[0011] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0012] Figure 1 This is a partially exploded structural diagram of the toner cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the counting gear in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the conductive end cap according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the meshing of the teeth of the counting gear and the transmission gear in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the missing tooth portion of the counting gear and the transmission gear in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0017] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention, for ease of explanation, the drawings illustrating the device structure will be partially enlarged without adhering to the general scale. Furthermore, the schematic diagrams are merely examples and should not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be noted that the drawings are in a simplified form and use non-precise scales, solely for the purpose of conveniently and clearly illustrating the embodiments of the present invention. Additionally, in the description of this application, terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Terms such as "positive," "negative," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," and "right" indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention.

[0019] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can also refer to the internal connection of two components; and they can refer to a wireless connection or a wired connection. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, the toner cartridge of this embodiment includes a toner cartridge body 1. The toner cartridge body 1 contains rotating components such as a stirring rack (not shown) and a developing roller (not shown), and also has a toner hopper for holding toner. Conductive end caps 2 and gear end caps 3 are respectively provided at both ends of the toner cartridge body 1 along its axial direction. For ease of description, the end of the toner cartridge body 1 with the conductive end cap 2 is defined as the first end, and the end of the toner cartridge body 1 with the gear end cap 3 is defined as the second end.

[0021] A counting gear 4 and a transmission gear 5 are provided at the first end of the toner cartridge body 1. In this embodiment, the transmission gear 5 is located at the end of the stirring frame, and when the stirring frame rotates, the transmission gear 5 rotates together with the stirring frame. In this embodiment, the transmission gear 5 is a spur gear. In other embodiments, the transmission gear 5 may also be located at the end of other rotating components, such as the end of the developing roller.

[0022] The counting gear 4 and the transmission gear 5 mesh together. When the transmission gear 5 rotates with the stirring frame, it drives the counting gear 4 to rotate as well. Figure 2As shown, the counting gear 4 in this embodiment includes a gear body 4-1. Teeth 4-1a are provided on the circumferential surface of the gear body 4-1, and mesh with the transmission gear 5 through the teeth 4-1a. The teeth 4-1a are not all teeth; that is, the gear body 4-1 has a section with missing teeth 4-1b. When the counting gear 4 rotates to the point where the missing teeth 4-1b is opposite the transmission gear 5, the counting gear 4 and the transmission gear 5 disengage. The transmission gear 5 cannot mesh with the counting gear 4 and cannot drive the counting gear 4 to rotate together, thus stopping the counting gear 4 from rotating.

[0023] A counting rib 4-2 protruding axially along the gear body 4-1 is provided on the gear body 4-1. The counting rib 4-2 is used to contact the counting switch structure on the printer to realize the machine's closing confirmation. In this embodiment, the counting rib 4-2 is an arc-shaped rib. In specific applications, the shape of the counting rib, such as the arc length, can vary depending on the toner cartridge capacity, and is not limited here. A limiting rib 4-3 is also provided on the gear body 4-1. The limiting rib 4-3 is strip-shaped and elastic, and can deform under a certain external force. When the counting gear 4 is installed on the first end of the toner cartridge body 1, both the counting rib 4-2 and the limiting rib 4-3 are located on the outside of the gear body 4-1, that is, the limiting rib 4-3 is opposite to the conductive end cap 2.

[0024] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the inner side of the conductive end cap 2 (the side opposite to the toner cartridge body) is provided with a fixing rib 2-1. The fixing rib 2-1 protrudes from the inner side of the conductive end cap 2 and is used to cooperate with the limiting rib 4-3. The contact between the fixing rib 2-1 and the limiting rib 4-3 prevents the counting gear 4 from rotating. The conductive end cap 2 is provided with a notch 2a that partially exposes the counting gear 4.

[0025] The following describes the operation of the toner cartridge after it is inserted into the printer. When the toner cartridge is inserted, the printer's rotation drive unit drives the main drive gear (not shown) of the toner cartridge to rotate. The main drive gear transmits the printer's rotational driving force to the stirring rack gear, developing roller gear, etc., thereby driving the stirring rack and developing roller to rotate. After the stirring rack rotates, the transmission gear 5 located at the end of the stirring rack also rotates. The transmission gear 5 meshes with the teeth 4-1 of the counting gear 4, driving the counting gear 4 to rotate. At this time, the counting rib 4-2 of the counting gear 4 contacts the counting switch on the printer, confirming the insertion and starting the counting process.

[0026] When the counting gear 4 rotates from the state where the toothed portion 4-1a and the transmission gear 5 are engaged to the state where the toothed portion 4-1b and the transmission gear 5 are facing each other, as... Figure 4As shown, the counting gear 4 gradually disengages from the transmission gear 5 and is no longer driven to rotate by the transmission gear 5. The counting gear 4 stops rotating. At this time, the limiting rib 4-3 and the fixing rib 2-1 come into contact, which can prevent the counting gear 4 from continuing to rotate.

[0027] When the printer indicates that the set number of pages has been reached and the toner cartridge can no longer be used, remove the toner cartridge from the printer. Then, move the counting rib 4-2 of the counting gear 4 through the notch 2a of the conductive end cover 2. Figure 5 As shown, when the counting gear 4 is manually driven to continue rotating at a certain angle, the limiting rib 4-3, being elastic, deforms under external force, causing it to jump over the fixed rib 2-1. As the counting gear 4 rotates, the limiting rib 4-3 moves back to the fixed rib 2-1, completing its reset. After being reinstalled in the printer, the counting gear 4 returns to a state where its teeth 4-1a can mesh with the transmission gear 5, thus resetting the printer's page count. The toner cartridge can continue to be used, fully utilizing the remaining toner. The limiting rib 4-3's movement over the fixed rib 2-1 also prevents the counting gear 4 from reversing.

[0028] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. Toner cartridge, including: A toner cartridge body, wherein a counting gear, a transmission gear, and a conductive end cap enclosing the counting gear and the transmission gear are provided at the first end of the toner cartridge body; characterized in that: The counting gear includes a gear body, which includes a toothed portion that meshes with the transmission gear and a section with missing teeth. The gear body is provided with counting ribs and limiting ribs. The counting ribs are used to contact the counting switch structure of the printer. The limiting ribs are elastic and can deform under external force. The conductive end cap has a notch that partially exposes the counting gear, and a protruding fixing rib is provided on the inner side of the conductive end cap. The fixing rib can cooperate with the limiting rib to prevent the counting gear from rotating. When the counting gear rotates to the point of disengaging from the transmission gear, the counting gear stops rotating, and the limiting rib and the fixing rib come into contact. If the counting gear is manually driven to continue rotating, the limiting rib deforms, and the limiting rib jumps over the fixing rib and moves behind the fixing rib as the counting gear rotates. The counting gear can then re-engage with the transmission gear.

2. The toner cartridge as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission gear is located at the end of the stirring frame and rotates together with the stirring frame.

3. The toner cartridge as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission gear is a spur gear.

4. The toner cartridge as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The counting ribs are arc-shaped ribs that protrude along the axial direction of the gear body.

5. The toner cartridge as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting rib is a strip-shaped rib.

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