A process cartridge

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of process boxes, comprising: developing roller, can rotate around developing roller rotation axis extending along left and right directions;First frame, rotatably support the developing roller;Photosensitive drum, can rotate around photosensitive drum rotation axis;Second frame, rotatably support the photosensitive drum;Force receiving protrusion;The force receiving protrusion can be moved between first position and second position, at least part of the force receiving protrusion is more away from the upper side of the process box when being located at the first position than when being located at the second position, the force receiving protrusion can be moved from the second position to the first position by its own gravity;And, when the process box is placed with the first frame being in the contact position, the force receiving surface and the photosensitive drum rotation axis being at the lower side of the process box, the photosensitive drum rotation axis being lower than the developing roller rotation axis, at least part of the force receiving surface is configured to be downwardly inclined.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electrophotographic imaging technology, and in particular to a processing box. Background Technology

[0002] In traditional imaging equipment, the processing unit (i.e., the developing cartridge) that acts on the photosensitive drum and the photosensitive drum are integrated into a cartridge. The cartridge is detachably installed on the imaging equipment. Depending on the type of cartridge, the user can perform maintenance operations on the device without relying on service personnel, thereby significantly improving operability. Therefore, this type of cartridge is widely used in imaging equipment.

[0003] In existing processing boxes, on the one hand, the shape of the processing box is usually relatively square with a large area of ​​flat surface and many sharp corners. This usually causes some problems. On the one hand, the user's grip is reduced and the feeling of being cut is more obvious; on the other hand, the sharp corners can easily cause injury to the user.

[0004] On the other hand, such as Figure 8 As shown, during the installation of the processing box P (PY, PM, PC, PK) into the imaging device, the force receiving protrusion 44d of the processing box P needs to compress the force-applying component 71 in the imaging device to retract. Therefore, when the processing box P is installed frequently, the spring 73 supporting the force-applying component 71 will be frequently in a compressed state, which can easily cause the spring 73 to be inflexible in its rebound, and thus cause the force-applying component 71 to be unable to properly engage with the force receiving protrusion 44d. Utility Model Content

[0005] To solve the above problems, this utility model provides a new processing box, which is mainly achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A processing box, comprising:

[0007] The developing roller can rotate about a developing roller rotation axis that extends in the left-right direction;

[0008] A first frame rotatably supports the developing roller;

[0009] The photosensitive drum can rotate around its axis of rotation.

[0010] The second frame rotatably supports the photosensitive drum, and the first frame is movable relative to the second frame between a contact position and a separation position, wherein the contact position is where the developing roller and the photosensitive drum are in contact, and the separation position is where at least a portion of the developing roller and the photosensitive drum are separated.

[0011] A force-receiving protrusion is operably connected to the first frame, the force-receiving protrusion having a force-receiving surface configured to receive an external force to move the first frame from the contact position to the separation position.

[0012] The force-receiving protrusion is movable between a first position and a second position. When the force-receiving protrusion is in the first position, at least a portion of it is further away from the upper side of the processing cartridge than when it is in the second position. The force-receiving protrusion can move from the second position to the first position by its own weight. Furthermore, when the processing cartridge is placed with the first frame in the contact position, the force-receiving surface and the photosensitive drum rotation axis on the lower side of the processing cartridge, and the photosensitive drum rotation axis being lower than the developing roller rotation axis, at least a portion of the force-receiving surface is configured to be tilted downward.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a developing unit having the developing roller and the first frame, with the force receiving protrusion disposed on the developing unit.

[0014] Furthermore, the developing unit also includes a first connecting protrusion that can receive external force and drive the developing roller to rotate, and a gear cover disposed at one end of the developing unit and covering at least a portion of the first connecting protrusion, the force receiving protrusion being mounted on the gear cover.

[0015] Furthermore, a positioning shaft is provided on one of the force-receiving protrusion and the gear cover, and a sliding groove is provided on the other. The force-receiving protrusion can be installed on the gear cover and can move relative to the gear cover through the installation and cooperation of the positioning shaft and the sliding groove.

[0016] Furthermore, the extension direction of the groove intersects the vertical direction, and the force-receiving protrusion can slide in the groove.

[0017] Furthermore, when the processing box is placed with the first frame in the contact position, the force receiving surface and the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum on the lower side of the processing box, and the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum being lower than the rotation axis of the developing roller, the angle between the chute and the downward direction is β, where β < 60°.

[0018] Furthermore, in the vertical direction, the maximum movable stroke of the lower end of the force receiving surface is P, where 4mm < P < 10mm.

[0019] Furthermore, when the processing box is placed with the first frame in the contact position, the force receiving surface and the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum on the lower side of the processing box, and the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum being lower than the rotation axis of the developing roller, the force receiving surface has an angle α with the downward direction, wherein 5° < α < 20°.

[0020] Furthermore, it also includes a covering portion that can completely cover the force-receiving surface when the first frame is in the contact position and viewed along the left-right direction.

[0021] Furthermore, it also includes a first connecting protrusion that can receive external force and drive the developing roller to rotate, and a first cover disposed at one end of the second frame. The first cover has a notch, through which the first connecting protrusion can be exposed to the outside of the processing box. The notch is not closed in the direction intersecting the left and right directions.

[0022] This utility model provides a processing box. On the one hand, by providing a first end surface and a second end surface with a structure of bevel or arc, the outer surface of the second frame becomes as rounded as possible, which reduces the sharp feeling when the user holds the processing box and greatly improves the feel; in addition, the more rounded shape will also make the processing box safer.

[0023] On the other hand, by configuring the force-receiving protrusion to be pushed upward by the force-applying component and then moved downward under its own gravity after the pushing force is removed, the spring connected to the force-applying component can be prevented from being compressed during the downward installation of the processing box into the imaging device. This prevents the spring from being frequently compressed and failing, thus improving the printing effect and stability. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the processing box at a certain angle in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the processing box from another angle in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the processing box from another angle in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the right side of the processing box in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the developing roller in the first and second positions in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0029] Figure 6This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the processing box in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the notch in the processing box in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the processing box at the first angle in Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0032] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the developing unit and the drum unit after they are separated in Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0033] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the processing box from a second angle in Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0034] Figure 11 This is a third-angle schematic diagram of the processing box in Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0035] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the processing box from the third angle in Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0036] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the processing box being installed downwards and in contact with the force-applying component of the imaging device in the prior art;

[0037] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the processing box when the force receiving protrusion is in the first position in Embodiment 3 of this utility model;

[0038] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the processing box when the force receiving protrusion is in the second position in Embodiment 3 of this utility model;

[0039] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the first unit when the force-receiving protrusion is in the first position in Embodiment 3 of this utility model;

[0040] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the force receiving protrusion and positioning shaft after being disassembled from the first unit in Embodiment 3 of this utility model;

[0041] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the first unit at a certain angle in Embodiment 3 of this utility model;

[0042] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the process of installing the processing box into the imaging device in Embodiment 3 of this utility model;

[0043] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of one of the optional sliding structures of the force-receiving protrusion in Embodiment 3 of this utility model;

[0044] Figure 21This is a schematic diagram of the second optional sliding structure of the force-receiving protrusion in Embodiment 3 of this utility model;

[0045] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of the sliding structure of the force-receiving protrusion in Embodiment 3 of this utility model, which is an optional method three.

[0046] Figure 23 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth optional sliding structure of the force-receiving protrusion in Embodiment 3 of this utility model;

[0047] Figure 24 This is a schematic diagram of the sliding structure of the force-receiving protrusion in Embodiment 3 of this utility model, which is an optional method five.

[0048] Figure 25 This is a schematic diagram of the sixth optional sliding structure of the force-receiving protrusion in Embodiment 3 of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0049] Example 1

[0050] To facilitate a better description and understanding of the processing box 100 in Embodiment 1 of this utility model, the orientation of the processing box 100 will be defined. The length direction of the processing box 100 is the left-right direction, and the first connecting protrusion 113 is disposed at the right end of the frame in the left-right direction. The up-down direction is perpendicular to the left-right direction. The photosensitive drum 122 and the electrical contact surface 115 of the chip are arranged in the up-down direction (also referred to as the second direction). The photosensitive drum 122 is disposed at the lower end of the processing box 100 in the up-down direction, and the electrical contact surface 115 is disposed at the upper end of the frame in the up-down direction.

[0051] like Figure 1-7 As shown, a processing box 100 of the present invention is illustrated. The processing box 100 is detachably installed in an imaging device having a pushing component. The pushing component can move in a front-back direction that is perpendicular to both the left-right and up-down directions under the control of the imaging device. The processing box 100 includes a developing unit 110 and a drum unit 120 connected to each other.

[0052] The developing unit 110 includes a first frame 111 for containing developer and a developing roller 112 rotatably supported on the first frame 111. A first connecting protrusion 113 coupled to an imaging device is also provided at the right end of the developing unit 110. The first connecting protrusion 113 can receive rotational force from the imaging device and can be operably connected to the developing roller 112, thereby transmitting rotational force to the developing roller 112. The developing roller 112 can rotate about the developing roller axis extending in the left-right direction.

[0053] The drum unit 120 includes a second frame 121 and a photosensitive drum 122 rotatably supported on the second frame 121. The photosensitive drum 122 is rotatable about a photosensitive drum axis extending in a left-right direction. The drum unit 120 also includes a second connecting protrusion 123 installed at the right end of the photosensitive drum 122. The second connecting protrusion 123 can receive rotational driving force from the imaging device independently of the first connecting protrusion 113 to drive the photosensitive drum 122 to rotate. The second frame 121 also includes a frame body portion 121c that can accommodate waste developer and a first cover 121a and a second cover 121b respectively disposed on the left and right sides of the frame body portion 121c. The frame body portion 121c is integrally formed with at least one of the second cover 121b and the first cover 121a. To reduce the number of molds, production costs can be lowered and the assembly efficiency of the processing cartridge 100 can be improved. Furthermore, a notch 114 is provided on the first cover 121a, which communicates with the outside (is not closed) in a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction. This allows the first connecting protrusion 113 to be exposed to the outside of the processing cartridge 100 through the notch 114. When the developing unit 110 can be installed onto the drum unit 120 in a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction, the notch 114 increases the installation space of the first cover 121a on the installation path of the developing unit 110, effectively avoiding installation interference between the two, thereby improving the installation efficiency of the developing unit 110 onto the drum unit 120. As an optional implementation, the notch 114 can be configured as shown in the attached figure. Figure 1-4 The structure in the middle, that is, the upper end and the front end of the notch 114 are both connected to the outside, in other words, the upper end and the front end of the first connecting protrusion 113 are not blocked by the first cover 121a, or as... Figure 7As shown, the notch 114 is constructed such that only the front end is connected to the outside, while the upper end is not. That is, the front end of the first connecting protrusion 113 is still exposed to the outside through the notch 114, but the upper end is partially blocked by the structure of the first cover 121a. This construction can reduce installation interference and improve installation efficiency while also giving the first cover 121a higher structural strength to a certain extent, preventing bending and deformation. Furthermore, since the first connecting protrusion 113 passes through the notch 114 and is exposed to the outside of the processing cartridge 100 in the radial direction (perpendicular to the left-right direction), the developing unit 110 can no longer be radially positioned through the first connecting protrusion 113. In other words, when viewed in the left-right direction, the connection portion of the developing unit 110 to the drum unit 120 will not overlap with the first connecting protrusion 113. Preferably, the developing unit 110 is provided with a connecting protrusion 141, and the first cover of the drum unit 120... A connecting groove 142 is provided on 121a. The developing unit 110 can be stably connected to the drum unit 120 through the mounting cooperation of the connecting protrusion 141 and the connecting hole 142. Preferably, at least two of the connecting protrusion 141 or the connecting hole 142 are located at the upper and lower ends of the first connecting protrusion 113, respectively, to maintain the stability of the connection of the developing unit 110. The drum unit 120 also includes a chip holder 116 and a chip that is detachably supported on the chip holder 116. The chip holder 116 is detachably installed on the upper end of the first cover 121a of the second frame 121. The chip includes a storage part (not shown) that stores information such as page yield and model of the processing cartridge 100. The chip also has an electrical contact surface 115 that can make electrical contact with the electrical contacts of the imaging device and is located on the upper end of the processing cartridge 100. The chip can establish a communication connection with the imaging device through the electrical contact surface 115 and the electrical contacts of the imaging device.

[0054] When the processing cartridge 100 performs a printing operation, the developer contained in the first frame 111 is conveyed to the developing roller 112. The developing roller 112, through contact with the photosensitive drum 122, can convey the developer it carries to the photosensitive drum 122, thereby developing the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 122. The photosensitive drum 122 transfers the developed image to the transfer belt, and finally the transfer belt transfers the image to the paper to complete the entire printing process. Therefore, it can be seen that the developing roller 112 and the photosensitive drum 122 are in contact when the processing cartridge 100 performs a printing operation. However, since the outer surface of the developing roller 112 is made of rubber as the main material, it is prone to irreversible deformation after long-term contact with the photosensitive drum 122, which reduces the printing quality of the processing cartridge 100 and causes printing defects. Therefore, to solve this problem, the processing cartridge 200 is also provided with a force receiving protrusion 124. The force receiving protrusion 124 can follow the track groove on the first cover 121a ( (Not shown) A force-receiving protrusion 124 is slidably and operably connected to the first frame 111 of the developing unit 110 in the front-back direction. The force-receiving protrusion 124 has a surface located at the right end of the processing cartridge 100, namely a force-receiving surface 124a. In the vertical direction, the force-receiving surface 124a is located at the lower end of the frame; more specifically, it is located at the lower end of the developing roller's rotation axis. Preferably, the force-receiving surface 124a is perpendicular to the front-back direction, i.e., it extends in the vertical direction. However, alternatively, the force-receiving surface 124a can also be configured such that at least a portion faces the lower end of the processing cartridge 100, i.e., it is inclined downwards. To prevent the force-receiving surface 124a from detaching from the force-applying component of the imaging device, the angle α between the force-receiving surface and the direction of gravity is 1°-45°, preferably 5°-20°, but this is not a limitation. A portion of the force-receiving surface 124a is configured to receive a force that causes the first frame 111 to... Figure 5 (a) The first (contact) position moves to Figure 5 (b) In the second (separated) position, the developing roller 112 supported on the first frame 111 will also move, thereby enabling the developing roller 112 and the photosensitive drum 122 to move from the position of contact to the position of separation. That is, the second position is the position where the developing roller 112 and the photosensitive drum 122 are separated. Therefore, when the processing cartridge 100 does not need to perform a printing task, the developing roller 112 and the photosensitive drum 122 will be separated and spaced a certain distance apart, thereby avoiding printing defects caused by the developing roller 112 being in contact with the photosensitive drum 122 for a long time.

[0055] Furthermore, the processing box 100 also includes a cover portion 125 disposed at the right end of the frame. Preferably, the cover portion 125 is disposed at the lower end of the first cover 121a of the second frame 121 and is configured as a rib protruding downward from the lower side of the first cover 121a. Preferably, the cover portion 125 and the first cover 121a are integrally molded, requiring only one set of molds when producing the second frame 121 and the cover portion 125, thus reducing production costs. In the left-right direction, the cover portion 125 is disposed between the first connecting protrusion 113 and the force receiving surface 124a to avoid interference between the cover portion 125 and the force receiving protrusion 124 in the left-right direction, and to avoid interference between the cover portion 125 and the imaging device during the installation of the processing box 100 onto the imaging device. Furthermore, when the processing box 100 is positioned as follows... Figure 4 As shown, the photosensitive drum 122 and the force receiving protrusion 124 are positioned at the lower end of the processing cartridge 100. The axis of the photosensitive drum 122 is located at the lower end of the axis of the developing roller 112. When viewed from right to left, the force receiving surface 124a of the force receiving protrusion 124 is completely covered by the cover portion 1, 25. That is, the force receiving surface 124a of the force receiving protrusion 124 is blocked by the cover portion 125 and is not exposed. In other words, in the vertical direction, the cover portion 125 is not positioned higher than the force receiving surface 124a of the force receiving protrusion 124. This allows the cover portion 125 to share the weight of the processing cartridge 100 and reduces the possibility of damage to the force receiving protrusion 124 when the processing cartridge 100 is placed.

[0056] Furthermore, in order to solve the problems existing in the prior art, the first end surface 127 located at the lower end of the second frame 121 and the second end surface 129 located at the rear end of the second frame 121 of the processing box 100 are inclined or arc-shaped structures. Next, the structure of the second frame 121 will be described in detail.

[0057] The first end surface 127 is configured to face the lower end of the frame. This surface includes, but is not limited to, the lower surface of the cover 125, the lower surface of the support protrusion 126 that slides on the support force receiving protrusion 124, and the lower surface of the first cover 121a located between a pair of frame positioning parts 128 configured as inclined or arc surfaces. It is worth noting that the pair of frame positioning parts 128 are spaced apart in the front-rear direction and their extending directions intersect each other. After the processing box 100 is installed in the imaging device, the frame positioning parts 128 can engage with the positioning components of the imaging device to achieve positioning of the processing box 100 in the vertical and front-rear directions. Furthermore, the second cover 12 at the left end of the processing box 100... The lower end surface of 1b is also constructed as a sloping or curved surface, which is substantially the same as the structure of the lower end surface 127 of the first cover 121a, so it will not be described again here; preferably, the first end surface 127 is curved; through the arrangement of the above structure, when the first frame 111 is in the first position, and the processing box 100 is positioned such that the photosensitive drum 122 and the force receiving protrusion 124 are located at the lower end of the processing box 100, the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum is located at the lower end of the rotation axis of the developing roller, and when viewed from the left and right direction, the force receiving surface 124a is not perpendicular to the first end surface 127 at the lower end of the processing box 100, that is, the force receiving surface 124a and the first end surface 127 are arranged in a non-perpendicular cross arrangement.

[0058] The second end surface 129 includes an outer surface on the frame body 121c facing the rear end of the processing box 100, and outer surfaces on the first cover 121a and the second cover 121b facing the rear end of the processing box 100. That is, the second end surface 129 and the force receiving surface 124a of the force receiving protrusion 124 face the same direction. Preferably, the second end surface 129 is also an arc surface. In other words, when the first frame 111 is in the first position, and the processing box 100 is positioned such that the photosensitive drum 122 and the force receiving protrusion 124 are located at the lower end of the processing box 100, the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum is located at the lower end of the rotation axis of the developing roller, and when viewed from the left and right direction, the second end surface 129 and the force receiving surface 124a are not parallel, that is, the second end surface 129 and the force receiving surface 124a are arranged in a non-parallel, cross-shaped manner.

[0059] Furthermore, beveled or smooth curved surfaces are used at the joints of the planes to reduce sharp corners or increase the angle of the joints, thereby further improving the grip.

[0060] In Embodiment 1 of this utility model, a processing box 100 is provided. By providing a first end surface 127 and a second end surface 129 with a structure of bevel or arc, the outer surface of the second frame 121 becomes as round as possible. When the user holds the processing box 100, the sharp feeling will be reduced and the feel will be greatly improved. In addition, the more rounded shape will also make the processing box 100 safer.

[0061] Example 2

[0062] like Figure 8-12 As shown, a processing box 300 in this embodiment 2 is illustrated. The processing box 300 is the same as the processing box in embodiment 1 above, so it will not be repeated here. The difference is that the structures of the first cover 321a and the second cover 321b of the drum unit 320 and the gear cover 318 are different, as are the structures and positions of the connection parts that connect the developing unit 310 and the drum unit. The differences will be described in detail below.

[0063] To further improve the assembly efficiency of the developing unit 310 and the drum unit 320, the first cover 321a of the processing box 300 in this embodiment no longer has a recess or notch for the first connecting protrusion 313 to pass through. That is, the front end of the first cover 321a basically does not have or does not have the above-mentioned recess or notch structure, but is a larger open space. In other words, in the front-rear direction, the first cover 321a is located at the rear end of the first connecting protrusion rotation axis A1 of the first connecting protrusion 313, that is, on the downstream side in the installation direction of the processing box 300. This can further avoid the coupling member 1108 and significantly improve the assembly efficiency of the developing unit 310 to the drum unit 320.

[0064] Based on the above structure, the connecting protrusion or connecting hole located at the lower end of the first connecting protrusion rotation axis A1 can no longer be arranged. Therefore, in the state where the developing roller and the photosensitive drum are in contact with each other, the connecting protrusion 341 and the connecting hole 342 of this embodiment are arranged at the upper end of the first connecting protrusion rotation axis A1, or at least a part of the connecting protrusion 341 and at least a part of the connecting hole 342 are arranged at the upper end of the first connecting protrusion rotation axis A1. Therefore, the rotation center or swing center of the developing unit 310 will still overlap with the first connecting protrusion rotation axis A1. Thus, along the left and right direction... In the projection, the second connecting portion 345, located at the left end of the processing cartridge 300 and used to connect the developing unit 310 and the drum unit 320, will overlap with the rotation axis A1 of the first connecting protrusion. However, the second connecting portion 345 will not overlap with the connecting protrusion 341 and the connecting hole 342. In this way, even if the position of the first connecting portion at the right end of the processing cartridge 300 is changed, the rotation center or swing center of the developing unit 310 will still overlap with the rotation axis A1 of the first connecting protrusion. This can avoid the situation where the movement of the first connecting protrusion 313 interferes with the drive head of the imaging device when the drum rollers separate.

[0065] Furthermore, due to the change in the structure of the first cover 321a, the covering part 325 can no longer be arranged at the lower end of the first cover 321a. Therefore, in this embodiment, the covering part 325 is arranged on the developing unit 310. Preferably, the covering part 325 is arranged on the gear cover 318 of the developing unit 310.

[0066] Furthermore, due to the change in the structure of the first cover 321a, the first support portion (also known as the support protrusion) originally provided on the first cover 321a for supporting and positioning the processing cartridge 300 in the tray of the imaging device can no longer be arranged at the lower end of the front side of the first cover 321a. Therefore, the first support portion 350 of the processing cartridge 300 is provided on the developing unit 310, or more specifically, the first support portion 350 is provided on the gear cover 318. Furthermore, the processing box 300 also includes a second support portion 351 and a third support portion 352 located at the left end of the processing box 300 for supporting and positioning the processing box 300 in the tray of the imaging device. In the front-back direction, the second support portion 351 and the third support portion 352 are arranged at intervals. More specifically, the second support portion 351 is located at the front end of the third support portion 352. In the vertical direction, the lower end of the second support portion 351 is located above the lower end of the third support portion 352. That is, the second support portion 351 is closer to the upper end of the processing box 300 than the third support portion 352, so as to match the installation with the support structure in the tray. By having the second support portion 351 and the third support portion 352 jointly support the processing box 300, the processing box 300 can be stably positioned in the tray.

[0067] Example 3

[0068] like Figure 14-25 As shown, a processing box 200 is illustrated. The processing box 200 is similar to the processing boxes in the embodiments 1-2 described above. For example, the force receiving surface 224a can be constructed as an inclined surface that is tilted relative to the direction of gravity. At least a portion of the force receiving surface 224a faces the lower end of the processing box 100. Similarly, to prevent the force receiving surface 224a from detaching from the force-applying component of the imaging device, the angle α between the force receiving surface 224a and the direction of gravity is 1°-45°, preferably 5°-20°. Other similarities of the processing box 200 will not be repeated in this embodiment. The differences lie in the structure and operation mode of the force receiving protrusion 224 and the installation structure that cooperates with the force receiving protrusion 224. The following will describe these differences in detail.

[0069] In this embodiment, the force-receiving protrusion 224 of the processing box 200 is movably mounted on the gear cover 218, but is not limited thereto. The force-receiving protrusion 224 can also be movably mounted on the first protective cover 221a. To further solve the problems existing in the prior art, the force-receiving protrusion 224 of the processing box 200 is constructed such that, during the process of installing the processing box 200 to the imaging device, after the force-receiving protrusion 224 contacts the force-applying component 71 of the imaging device, the force-receiving protrusion 224 can move upward in a vertical direction parallel to the direction of gravity after being subjected to force. When the force-receiving protrusion 224 is not subjected to external force, it can extend downward by gravity. Preferably, the force-receiving protrusion 224 of this embodiment... The protrusion 224 is connected to the gear cover 218 via a positioning shaft 206 extending in the left-right direction, so that the force receiving protrusion 224 rotates to the left after being subjected to force. However, the specific movement of the force receiving protrusion 224 in the up-down direction is not limited. It can be the rotation used by the processing box 200 in this embodiment, or it can be sliding, swinging, or a combination of the three, or it can make irregular movements, as long as the force receiving protrusion 224 can move upward after contacting the force-applying member 71 of the imaging device, and can extend downward by gravity when not subjected to external force. Optionally, the positioning shaft 206 can also be set on the gear cover 218, which is not limited.

[0070] Option 1 of the sliding structure of force-receiving protrusion 224 Figure 20A sliding structure that extends and retracts due to gravity is shown (the cover structure is not shown for ease of description and observation). The shaft 206 of the force-receiving protrusion 224 is slidably mounted on a gear cover or a bearing plate 217 for supporting the first connecting protrusion. A groove 260 is provided in the gear cover or bearing plate 217, which extends vertically. The force-receiving protrusion 224 can extend downward or retract upward in the vertical direction. In other words, the force-receiving protrusion 224 can extend or retract in a direction parallel to the direction of gravity. Furthermore, when the developing roller and the photosensitive drum need to be separated, the force-receiving surface of the force-receiving protrusion 224 is pushed by the force-applying component of the imaging device. However, since the force-receiving surface is a downward slope, this can easily cause the force-receiving protrusion 224 to slide upward after being pushed, and then detach from the force-applying component. Therefore, to avoid this problem, a groove 206 can be provided on the force-receiving protrusion 224 or the developing unit in the area where the force-receiving protrusion 224 slides in contact with the developing unit. Figure 20 The continuous wave-shaped protrusions shown in (b) are also the inhibition parts. This part of the structure can be called the inhibition part, as long as it can inhibit the force received by the protrusion 224 and slide upward.

[0071] Alternatively, the sliding structure of the force-receiving protrusion 224 can also be as follows: Figure 21 The structure shown is a sliding structure, and Figure 20 The difference lies in the structure of the force-receiving protrusion 224. Specifically, the suppressing portion 224c is attached to the force-receiving protrusion 224, so that the force-receiving surface 224a is formed on the suppressing portion 224c. The suppressing portion 224c has a certain elasticity and can be elastically deformed after being subjected to force. Preferably, the suppressing portion is made of silicone or rubber. The lower end of the force-receiving protrusion 224 is provided with a protrusion 224b extending toward the suppressing portion 224c. When the developing roller and the photosensitive drum need to be separated, the force-applying component of the imaging device contacts the force-receiving surface 224a of the suppressing portion 224c and applies a pushing force to the suppressing portion 224. At this time, the suppressing portion 224c will undergo elastic deformation, so that the force-applying component can stably maintain contact with the suppressing portion 224c, thereby allowing the force-receiving protrusion 224 to push the developing unit to move, realizing the separation of the developing roller and the photosensitive drum.

[0072] Option 3 for the sliding structure of force-receiving protrusion 224, such as Figure 22 As shown, the force-receiving protrusion 224 may not extend strictly in the direction of gravity or retract in the opposite direction of gravity, but may also extend in accordance with... Figure 22The downward sliding or retracting direction shown is not a strict vertical sliding, but has a vertical component. That is, in this embodiment, the force receiving protrusion 224 also moves back and forth synchronously during the vertical sliding process. Preferably, the angle between the extension direction of the groove 260 and the direction of gravity is defined as β, where 0° < β < 60°, preferably 15° < β < 45°. Within this range, the tilt angle of the groove 260 is most appropriate, because if β is too large, the tilt of the groove 260 will be too small, which will make it difficult for the force receiving protrusion to extend, and thus the developing roller and the photosensitive drum cannot be separated, affecting the printing quality.

[0073] Option four for the sliding structure of force-receiving protrusion 224, such as Figure 23 As shown, the force-receiving protrusion 224 can, in addition to... Figures 20 to 22 In addition to the linear sliding method shown, it can also be the swing sliding or compound motion in this embodiment. Specifically, the slide 260 includes a first slide 261 and a second slide 262 that are at least partially spaced apart in the front-back direction. The first slide 261 and the second slide 262 are arc-shaped slides and their centers overlap. That is, the first slide 261 and the second slide 262 are coaxially arranged. The force receiving protrusion 224 can swing and slide along the first slide 261 and the second slide 262 through the shaft. Of course, it is also possible that the centers of the first slide 261 and the second slide 262 do not overlap, that is, the first slide 261 and the second slide 262 are not coaxially arranged. In this case, the force receiving protrusion 224 can slide in a compound motion, which is different from only linear and only swing sliding.

[0074] Option five for the sliding structure of force-receiving protrusion 224, such as Figure 24 As shown, the slide 260 is generally an inclined slide. The slide 260 includes a first slide portion 260a, a second slide portion 260b, and a third slide portion 260c connecting the first slide portion 260a and the second slide portion 260b. The third slide portion 260c is a bent slide, which intersects the extension directions of the first slide portion 260a and the second slide portion 260b. The extension length of the first slide portion 260a is greater than that of the second slide portion 260b and the third slide portion 260c. In the vertical direction, the third slide portion... At least a portion of the third groove portion 260c is located below the first groove portion 260a and the second groove portion 260b. In the front-rear direction, at least a portion of the third groove portion 260c is located at the front end of the first groove portion 260a and the second groove portion 260b. This configuration allows the shaft 206 of the force receiving protrusion 224 to be blocked by the inner wall of the third groove portion 260c when the force receiving protrusion 224 is pushed forward by the force applying member, thereby inhibiting the upward sliding of the force receiving protrusion 224 and allowing the force receiving surface to stably contact the force applying member.

[0075] Option six for the force-receiving protrusion 224 sliding structure, such as Figure 25 As shown, this embodiment is a modified embodiment of embodiment five. The slide 260 still includes a first slide portion 260a, a second slide portion 260b, and a third slide portion 260c connecting the first slide portion 260a and the second slide portion 260b. However, the second slide portion 260b is positioned closer to the upper end of the first slide portion 260a, which makes the extension lengths of the first slide portion 260a and the third slide portion 260b approximately the same.

[0076] Furthermore, to control the amount of extension of the force receiving protrusion 224 during its downward extension process and to prevent the force receiving protrusion 224 from falling out of the processing box 200, the force receiving protrusion 224 is also provided with a first restricted portion 224b constructed as a protrusion or surface. Correspondingly, the frame of the processing box 200 is provided with a first restricted portion 208. The first restricted portion 224b can contact the first restricted portion 208, thereby blocking the downward movement of the force receiving protrusion 224. In this embodiment, the frame includes not only the first frame 211 and the second frame 221, but also components such as gear covers or bearings. This is not a limitation. Preferably, in this embodiment, the first restricted portion 201 is provided on the gear cover 218 of the second frame 221, and the first restricted portion 208 is constructed as a protrusion or surface formed on the gear cover 218.

[0077] Furthermore, the force-receiving protrusion 224 is also provided with a second restricted portion 224c constructed as a protrusion or surface. Correspondingly, the frame 201 of the processing box 200 is also provided with a second restricted portion 209 constructed as a protrusion or surface. During the retraction process of the force-receiving protrusion 224 moving upward, the second restricted portion 224c can contact the second restricted portion 209, thereby restricting the position of the force-receiving protrusion 224 and preventing the force-receiving protrusion 224 from retracting too much and getting stuck, making it difficult for the force-receiving protrusion 224 to extend. However, it should be noted that the retraction stroke of the upward movement of the force-receiving protrusion 224 also needs to be limited to avoid the second restricted portion 224c of the force-receiving protrusion 224 being too small and causing the second restricted portion 224 to be restricted. If the limiting part 224c comes into contact with the second limiting part 209 of the processing box 200 too early, the force after the two come into contact will act on the force-applying member 71 of the imaging device, causing the force-applying member 71 to be forced to retract inward. Therefore, in order to avoid this situation, the maximum movable stroke of the force receiving protrusion 224 in the vertical direction is set to P, that is, the position where the force receiving protrusion 224 is fully extended is the first position, and the uppermost position that the force receiving protrusion 224 can reach after moving upward is the second position. P is the distance from the lower end surface of the force receiving surface 224a in the first position to the lower end surface of the force receiving surface 224a in the second position. Preferably, 4mm < P < 10mm, more preferably, 4.5mm < P < 7mm.

[0078] Therefore, by providing a first restricted portion 224b and a second restricted portion 224c on the force receiving protrusion 224, after cooperating with the frame of the processing box 200, the movement of the force receiving protrusion 224 in the vertical direction is limited to a certain range, thereby making the movement of the force receiving protrusion 24 more precise and improving the stability of the movement of the force receiving protrusion 224.

[0079] The process by which the force-receiving protrusion 224 cooperates with the force-applying component 71 in the imaging device to separate the developing roller and the photosensitive drum in this embodiment is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0080] For ease of description, such as Figure 15 The diagram shown illustrates the installation of the processing cartridge 200 into the imaging device in this embodiment. When the processing cartridge 200 is installed downwards into the imaging device, as... Figure 15 As shown in (a), the force receiving protrusion 224 of the processing box 200 contacts the protrusion 72 of the force-applying member 71 in the imaging device, as... Figure 15As shown in (b), since the force receiving protrusion 224 is movably mounted on the gear cover 218 and can be moved upward with only a small upward force, the protrusion 107 of the force applying member 71 can force the force receiving protrusion 224 to move upward to the second position. It can be understood that the force applying member 71 in the imaging device is supported by the spring 73, and the force receiving protrusion 224 can move upward under the action of the spring force of the spring 73. At this time, the developing roller of the processing cartridge 200 and the photosensitive drum are in contact with each other.

[0081] like Figure 15 As shown in (c), when the processing cartridge 200 is installed in the imaging device, the force-applying member 71 in the imaging device moves to the left, and the protrusion 72 of the force-applying member 71 passes over the force-receiving member 224. That is, the force-applying member 71 no longer abuts against the force-receiving member 224 in the vertical direction. The force-applying member 71 moves to the rear position of the force-receiving member 224. The force-receiving member 224 moves downward under its own gravity to a first position that is stopped by the first limiting part 208. At this time, the developing roller of the processing cartridge 200 and the photosensitive drum are in contact with each other.

[0082] Subsequently, when the processing cartridge 200 does not need to perform a print job, such as Figure 15 As shown in (d), the force-applying member 71 moves forward under the control of the imaging device and pushes the force-receiving surface 224a of the force-receiving protrusion 224, causing the force-receiving protrusion 224 to drive the developing unit 210 to swing relative to the drum unit 220, thereby keeping the developing roller and the photosensitive drum separated. When the processing cartridge 200 needs to perform a printing task again, the force-applying member 71 moves backward, causing the pushing force applied to the force-receiving surface 224a to be removed. At this time, the elastic force of the elastic element connected between the developing unit and the drum unit is released, which can force the developing unit 210 to swing relative to the drum unit 220 and reset to a position where the developing roller and the photosensitive drum are in contact with each other. At this point, the processing cartridge 200 can perform a printing task again.

[0083] The processing box 200 of this embodiment is configured such that the force receiving protrusion 224 can be pushed upward by the force-applying member 71 and can move downward under its own gravity after the pushing force is removed. This structure prevents the spring 73 connected to the force-applying member 71 from being compressed during the downward installation of the processing box 200 onto the imaging device, thereby preventing the problem of the spring 73 being frequently compressed and failing, and improving the printing effect and stability.

Claims

1. A processing box, comprising: The developing roller can rotate about a developing roller rotation axis that extends in the left-right direction; A first frame rotatably supports the developing roller; The photosensitive drum can rotate around its axis of rotation. The second frame rotatably supports the photosensitive drum, and the first frame is movable relative to the second frame between a contact position and a separation position. The contact position is where the developing roller and the photosensitive drum are in contact, and the separation position is where at least a portion of the developing roller and the photosensitive drum are separated. A force-receiving protrusion is operably connected to the first frame, the force-receiving protrusion having a force-receiving surface configured to receive an external force to move the first frame from the contact position to the separation position. The force-receiving protrusion is characterized in that it is movable between a first position and a second position, and at least a portion of the force-receiving protrusion is further away from the upper side of the processing box when it is in the first position than when it is in the second position. The force-receiving protrusion can move from the second position to the first position by its own weight. Furthermore, when the processing box is placed with the first frame in the contact position, the force-receiving surface and the photosensitive drum rotation axis on the lower side of the processing box, and the photosensitive drum rotation axis being lower than the developing roller rotation axis, at least a portion of the force-receiving surface is configured to be inclined downward.

2. The processing box according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a developing unit having the developing roller and the first frame, with the force receiving protrusion disposed on the developing unit.

3. The processing box according to claim 2, characterized in that, The developing unit further includes a first connecting protrusion that can receive external force and drive the developing roller to rotate, and a gear cover disposed at one end of the developing unit and covering at least a portion of the first connecting protrusion, the force receiving protrusion being mounted on the gear cover.

4. The processing box according to claim 3, characterized in that, The force-receiving protrusion and the gear cover are provided with a positioning shaft on one of them and a sliding groove on the other. The force-receiving protrusion can be installed on the gear cover and can move relative to the gear cover through the installation and cooperation of the positioning shaft and the sliding groove.

5. The processing box according to claim 4, characterized in that, The extension direction of the groove intersects the vertical direction, and the force-receiving protrusion can slide in the groove.

6. The processing box according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the processing box is placed with the first frame in the contact position, the force receiving surface and the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum on the lower side of the processing box, and the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum being lower than the rotation axis of the developing roller, the angle between the chute and the downward direction is β, where β < 60°.

7. The processing box according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the vertical direction, the maximum movable stroke of the lower end of the force receiving surface is P, where 4mm < P < 10mm.

8. The processing box according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the processing box is placed with the first frame in the contact position, the force receiving surface and the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum on the lower side of the processing box, and the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum being lower than the rotation axis of the developing roller, the force receiving surface has an angle α with the downward direction, wherein 5° < α < 20°.

9. The processing box according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a covering portion that can completely cover the force-receiving surface when the first frame is in the contact position and viewed along the left-right direction.

10. The processing box according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a first connecting protrusion that can receive external force and drive the developing roller to rotate, and a first cover disposed at one end of the second frame. The first cover has a notch through which the first connecting protrusion can pass to be exposed to the outside of the processing box. The notch is not closed in the direction intersecting the left and right directions.

Images