toner cartridge

Abstract

To provide a toner cartridge that allows easy assembly of a memory holder that holds a toner memory.SOLUTION: A toner cartridge 30 comprises a toner housing 31, a toner memory 36, a memory holder 70, a memory holder cover 80, a gear, and a gear cover 60. The toner housing 31 can store toner. The memory holder 70 holds the toner memory 36. The memory holder cover 80 movably holds the memory holder 70. The memory holder cover 80 has a pawl 81. The gear cover 60 is located on one side in a first direction of the toner housing 31. The gear cover 60 covers at least part of the gear. The gear cover 60 has a hook 62 into which the pawl 81 is inserted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a toner cartridge with a memory. [Background technology]

[0002] A toner cartridge equipped with a memory is known (see Patent Document 1). In this toner cartridge, a memory holder that holds the memory is movably held in a holder cover. The holder cover is fixed to the gear cover by two screws inserted from the inner surface of the gear cover. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-162750 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The toner cartridge of Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it takes time and effort to assemble the memory holder.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a toner cartridge to which a memory holder for holding a toner memory can be easily assembled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A toner cartridge for solving the above problem comprises a toner housing, a toner memory, a memory holder, a memory holder cover, a gear, and a gear cover. The toner housing is capable of containing toner. The memory holder holds the toner memory. The memory holder cover movably holds the memory holder. The memory holder cover has a claw. The gear is located on the outer surface of the toner housing. The gear cover is located on one side of the toner housing in a first direction. The gear cover covers at least a portion of the gear. The gear cover has a hook into which the claw fits.

[0007] According to this configuration, the memory holder cover is fixed to the gear cover by fitting the claws of the memory holder cover into the gear cover, which makes it easy to assemble the memory holder that holds the memory.

[0008] The toner cartridge may further include a screw for fixing the memory holder cover to the gear cover.

[0009] According to this, since the memory holder cover is fixed to the gear cover by the screw, the memory holder cover is reliably fixed to the gear cover.

[0010] In the toner cartridge, the gear cover may have a boss that protrudes toward the one side in the first direction, and the memory holder cover may have a hole into which the boss fits.

[0011] This makes it easy to position the memory holder cover relative to the gear cover.

[0012] In the toner cartridge described above, the claws, screws, and holes may be arranged in a straight line.

[0013] In addition, in the above-mentioned toner cartridge, the hook may further have a first rib, a second rib positioned away from the first rib in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a connecting portion connecting the first rib and the second rib, and the claw may be configured to come into contact with the connecting portion.

[0014] According to this, the claw of the memory holder cover comes into contact with the connecting portion of the hook, thereby restricting the claw from moving to one side in the first direction.

[0015] In addition, in the above-mentioned toner cartridge, the toner cartridge may further have a developing roller that rotates about a developing roller axis extending in a first direction, and the memory holder cover may have an inclined surface that inclines to be positioned on one side in the first direction as it moves away from the developing roller.

[0016] According to this, since the memory holder cover has an inclined surface, when the toner cartridge is mounted in the image forming apparatus, it is possible to prevent the toner cartridge from getting caught in the mounting path.

[0017] In addition, in the toner cartridge, the toner cartridge further includes an agitator that is located inside the toner housing and agitates the toner, the agitator rotating about an agitator shaft that extends in the first direction, The gear may be located at one end of the agitator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a toner cartridge to which a memory holder for holding a toner memory can be easily assembled. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the drum cartridge installed in the image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the drum cartridge. [Figure 3] These figures (a), (b), and (c) explain the procedure for installing a toner cartridge in a drum cartridge. (a) shows the state before installation, (b) shows the toner cartridge in a position raised from the installation position, and (c) shows the installation position. [Figure 4] 1A, 1B, and 1C are diagrams illustrating the procedure for removing a toner cartridge from a drum cartridge, where FIG. 1A shows the installation position, FIG. 1B shows the unlocked position, and FIG. 1C shows the removal position. [Figure 5] 4 is a perspective view showing the other end of the toner cartridge in the first direction. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toner cartridge as seen from one side in a first direction. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the arrangement of gears of the toner cartridge. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a gear cover, a memory holder, and a memory holder cover. [Figure 9] 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 6, illustrating a method for fixing the memory holder cover to the gear cover. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a memory holder held by a memory holder cover, in which FIG. 10A shows the memory holder in a first position and FIG. 10B shows the memory holder in a second position. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a process of mounting a drum cartridge with a toner cartridge partially inserted into a main body housing, showing a state before a protrusion comes into contact with a contact portion. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a process of mounting the drum cartridge with the toner cartridge partially inserted into the main body casing, showing a state in which the protrusion begins to contact the contact portion. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the process of mounting a drum cartridge with a toner cartridge partially inserted into a main body housing, showing the state in which the protrusion comes into contact with the contact portion and the toner cartridge is locked in the drum cartridge. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Next, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a main body housing 10, a drum cartridge 20, a toner cartridge 30, a control unit CU, and a main body contact CR.

[0021] The image forming apparatus 1 is a monochrome printer. The drum cartridge 20 is detachably attached to the main body housing 10. The drum cartridge 20 is attached to the main body housing 10 from an attachment direction. The toner cartridge 30 is attached to the drum cartridge 20. That is, in this embodiment, the drum cartridge 20 is attached to the main body housing 10 with the toner cartridge 30 attached to the drum cartridge 20.

[0022] The main body housing 10 has a guide groove 10G that guides the drum cartridge 20 to the installation position. The guide groove 10G extends in the installation direction. The guide groove 10G has an upper guide surface 10A and a lower guide surface 10B. The upper guide surface 10A extends above the installation path of the drum cartridge 20 and along the installation path. The lower guide surface 10B extends below the installation path of the drum cartridge 20 and along the installation path.

[0023] The control unit CU includes a CPU and executes printing control. When the drum cartridge 20 is installed in the main body housing 10, the control unit CU can communicate with the toner memory 36, which will be described later. The main body contact CR is a member that comes into contact with the electrical contact surface 36A of the toner memory 36 when the drum cartridge 20 is installed in the main body housing 10. The control unit CU communicates with the toner memory 36 via the main body contact CR.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the drum cartridge 20 includes a drum frame 21, a photosensitive drum 22, a charger 23, a transfer roller 24, and a lock lever 25.

[0025] The drum frame 21 is a frame that covers the entire drum cartridge 20. The drum frame 21 rotatably supports the photosensitive drum 22 and the transfer roller 24. The drum frame 21 has a guide groove 21A for guiding the toner cartridge 30 when the toner cartridge 30 is installed (see FIG. 3(a)).

[0026] The photosensitive drum 22 rotates about a drum axis X1 extending in a first direction. In this specification, the first direction is the direction in which the drum axis X1, which is the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 22, extends. In the following description, the direction intersecting the first direction is referred to as the "second direction." In this embodiment, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The second direction is also a direction along the mounting direction of the drum cartridge 20. The direction perpendicular to the first and second directions is referred to as the "third direction."

[0027] The charger 23 charges the photosensitive drum 22. The charger 23 is a scorotron charger that is spaced apart from the photosensitive drum 22.

[0028] The transfer roller 24 is a roller for transferring the toner on the photosensitive drum 22 to a sheet (not shown). The transfer roller 24 is rotatable about a transfer roller axis X2 extending in the first direction. The transfer roller 24 comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 22.

[0029] The lock lever 25 is a member that locks the toner cartridge 30 to the drum frame 21 when the toner cartridge 30 is attached to the drum cartridge 20. The lock lever 25 is located at one end of the drum cartridge 20 in the first direction (the left side in FIG. 2). In the following description, the arrows indicating each direction in each drawing will refer to "one side" in that direction. The opposite side of the "one side" in that direction will be referred to as the "other side."

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3(a), the lock lever 25 is rotatable about a lock lever axis X3 extending in the first direction. The lock lever 25 is swingable between a locked position shown in FIG. 3(c) and an unlocked position shown in FIG. 4(c). In the locked position, the lock lever 25 locks the toner cartridge 30 to the drum frame 21. In the unlocked position, the lock lever 25 releases the lock of the toner cartridge 30 to the drum frame 21.

[0031] The lock lever 25 has an operating portion 25A, a push-up portion 25B, a lock portion 25C, and a torsion spring TS. Note that in Figures 3(a), (b), (c) and 4(a), (b), (c), part of the drum frame 21 and the handle HD of the toner cartridge 30 are omitted for clarity.

[0032] The operation portion 25A is located a predetermined distance away from the lock lever axis X3. The operation portion 25A is exposed on the outer surface of the drum cartridge 20. The operation portion 25A is a portion that is operated by the user.

[0033] The push-up portion 25B is located on the opposite side of the lock lever shaft X3 from the operation portion 25A. The push-up portion 25B extends from the lock lever shaft X3 to the opposite side of the operation portion 25A. When the user presses the operation portion 25A, the push-up portion 25B comes into contact with the toner cartridge 30 and pushes up the toner cartridge 30.

[0034] The locking portion 25C is located between the operating portion 25A and the push-up portion 25B. The locking portion 25C is a recess into which a part of the toner cartridge 30 fits when locking the toner cartridge 30. Specifically, the locking portion 25C is a recess into which a locking protrusion 67 of the gear cover 60, which will be described later, fits. The torsion spring TS constantly biases the lock lever 25 from the release position toward the lock position.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the toner cartridge 30 includes a toner housing 31, a developing roller 32, a supply roller 33, a layer thickness regulating blade 34, an agitator 35, a toner memory 36, and a handle HD.

[0036] The toner housing 31 is capable of containing toner.

[0037] The developing roller 32 is a roller that supplies toner to the photosensitive drum 22. The developing roller 32 rotates about a developing roller axis X4 that extends in the first direction. The developing roller 32 is located at one end of the toner casing 31 in the second direction.

[0038] The supply roller 33 is a roller that supplies the toner in the toner casing 31 to the development roller 32. The supply roller 33 is rotatable about a supply roller axis X5 that extends in the first direction.

[0039] The layer thickness regulating blade 34 is a member for regulating the thickness of the toner layer on the developing roller 32. The layer thickness regulating blade 34 comes into contact with the developing roller 32.

[0040] The agitator 35 is located inside the toner housing 31. The agitator 35 agitates the toner. The agitator 35 also supplies the toner in the toner housing 31 to the supply roller 33. The agitator 35 is rotatable about an agitator axis X6 extending in the first direction.

[0041] The toner memory 36 is a medium for storing information, such as an IC chip, but is not limited to an IC chip. The toner memory 36 can store information about the toner cartridge 30. The information about the toner cartridge 30 is at least one of identification information that identifies the toner cartridge 30 and lifespan information about the toner cartridge 30. The identification information is, for example, a serial number. The lifespan information is, for example, at least one of the cumulative number of rotations of the developing roller 32 or the agitator 35, the used dot count, and the remaining amount of toner.

[0042] The toner memory 36 has an electrical contact surface 36A (see also FIG. 6). The electrical contact surface 36A is located at a different position from the toner housing 31 in the first direction. The electrical contact surface 36A extends in the second direction. The electrical contact surface 36A intersects with the third direction.

[0043] The handle HD is located at the other end in the second direction of the toner casing 31. The handle HD is a grip that the user holds when installing or removing the toner cartridge 30 (see also FIG. 6).

[0044] As shown in FIG. 5, the toner cartridge 30 further includes, on the other side of the toner casing 31 in the first direction, a detection gear 37, a development electrode 41, a supply electrode 42, an insulating member 43, and a first collar 44A.

[0045] The detection gear 37 is a member for detecting whether the drum cartridge 20 is new. The detection gear 37 has a known configuration, and rotates by a predetermined angle if the drum cartridge 20 is new, and does not rotate if the drum cartridge 20 is not new. The control unit CU can determine whether the drum cartridge 20 is new based on the rotation of the detection gear 37.

[0046] The developing electrode 41, the supply electrode 42, and the insulating member 43 are made of conductive resin. The developing electrode 41 is a member that is electrically connected to the developing roller 32. The supply electrode 42 is a member that is electrically connected to the supply roller 33. The insulating member 43 is located between the developing electrode 41 and the supply electrode 42.

[0047] The first collar 44A covers the other end in the first direction of the rotation shaft of the developing roller 32. The first collar 44A is formed integrally with the developing electrode 41.

[0048] 6 and 7, the toner cartridge 30 has a second collar 44B, a coupling 51, a developing gear 52, a supply gear 53, an agitator gear 54, an idle gear 55, a gear cover 60, a memory holder 70, a memory holder cover 80, and a screw 80N on one side of the toner housing 31 in the first direction. The coupling 51, the developing gear 52, the supply gear 53, the agitator gear 54, and the idle gear 55 are examples of gears. The second collar 44B, the coupling 51, the developing gear 52, the supply gear 53, the agitator gear 54, and the idle gear 55 are located on the outer surface of the toner housing 31.

[0049] 7, the second collar 44B covers one end in the first direction of the rotation shaft of the developing roller 32. The second collar 44B has a cylindrical shape and protrudes to one side in the first direction.

[0050] The coupling 51 is rotatable about a coupling axis X7 extending in a first direction. The coupling 51 is rotatable when receiving a driving force. The coupling 51 has a recess 51H that is recessed in the first direction. The recess 51H meshes with a driving member. The coupling 51 has a large diameter gear 51A and a small diameter gear 51B.

[0051] The developing gear 52 rotates together with the developing roller 32. The developing gear 52 meshes with a large diameter gear 51A of the coupling 51.

[0052] The supply gear 53 rotates together with the supply roller 33. The supply gear 53 meshes with the small diameter gear 51B of the coupling 51.

[0053] The idle gear 55 has a large diameter gear 55 A and a small diameter gear 55 B. The large diameter gear 55 A of the idle gear 55 meshes with the large diameter gear 51 A of the coupling 51 .

[0054] The agitator gear 54 is located at one end of the agitator 35. The agitator gear 54 rotates together with the agitator 35. The agitator gear 54 meshes with the small diameter gear 55B of the idle gear 55.

[0055] 6 and 7, the gear cover 60 is located on one side of the toner housing 31 in the first direction. The gear cover 60 covers at least one gear located on one side of the toner housing 31. In this embodiment, the gear cover 60 covers at least a portion of the coupling 51. The gear cover 60 also covers the agitator gear 54 and the idle gear 55 (see also FIG. 9).

[0056] 6, the gear cover 60 is fixed to the toner housing 31 by a plurality of screws 60N. In this embodiment, the gear cover 60 is fixed to the toner housing 31 by the screws 60N inserted from the outer surface of the gear cover 60.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 8, the gear cover 60 has a coupling hole 61, a hook 62, a boss 63, a first elongated hole 64, a second elongated hole 65, a screw hole 66, and a locking protrusion 67.

[0058] The coupling hole 61 is located at one end in the second direction of the gear cover 60. The coupling hole 61 exposes the coupling 51.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 9, the hook 62 is located on the outer surface of the gear cover 60. The hook 62 protrudes on one side in the first direction and opens on the other side in the second direction. The hook 62 is a portion that hooks a claw 81 (described later) of the memory holder cover 80 so that the claw 81 does not separate from the memory holder cover 80 on the one side in the first direction when the claw 81 enters from the other side in the second direction. As shown in FIG. 8, the hook 62 has a first rib 62A, a second rib 62B, and a connecting portion 62C.

[0060] The first rib 62A protrudes to one side in the first direction. The first rib 62A extends in the second direction. The first rib 62A is inclined so that it is positioned from the other side to one side in the first direction as it progresses from one side to the other side in the second direction. The second rib 62B protrudes to one side in the first direction. The second rib 62B extends in the second direction. The second rib 62B is inclined so that it is positioned from the other side to the one side in the first direction as it progresses from one side to the other side in the second direction. The second rib 62B is positioned away from the first rib 62A in the second direction that intersects with the first direction. The connecting portion 62C connects the first rib 62A and the second rib 62B. The connecting portion 62C extends in the third direction.

[0061] The boss 63 is located on the outer surface of the gear cover 60. The boss 63 protrudes to one side in the first direction. The boss 63 is located between the hook 62 and the screw hole 66.

[0062] The first oblong hole 64 and the second oblong hole 65 are oblong holes that are long in the third direction. The dimensions of the first oblong hole 64 and the second oblong hole 65 in the second direction become smaller toward one side in the third direction and become larger toward the other side in the third direction. The first oblong hole 64 is located on one side in the third direction of the second oblong hole 65.

[0063] The screw hole 66 is located at the other end in the second direction. The screw hole 66 is a hole into which a screw 80N that fixes the memory holder cover 80 to the gear cover 60 is inserted.

[0064] The locking projection 67 is located at the end on the other side in the second direction and projects to the other side in the third direction.

[0065] The memory holder 70 is a member that holds the toner memory 36. The memory holder 70 holds the toner memory 36 so that the electrical contact surface 36A of the toner memory 36 is movable relative to the toner housing 31.

[0066] The memory holder 70 has a base 70A, a cylindrical portion 70B, a first boss B1, a second boss B2, and a third boss B3. The base 70A is a portion that holds the toner memory 36. The base 70A protrudes from the cylindrical portion 70B toward one side in the first direction.

[0067] The cylindrical portion 70B has a rectangular cylindrical shape. The cylindrical portion 70B extends from the base 70A in the direction opposite to the toner memory 36. The first boss B1 and the second boss B2 protrude from the cylindrical portion 70B to the other side in the first direction toward the gear cover 60. The first boss B1 fits into the first elongated hole 64. The second boss B2 is located a predetermined distance away from the first boss B1 on the other side in the third direction. The second boss B2 fits into the second elongated hole 65. The third boss B3 protrudes from the cylindrical portion 70B toward one side in the first direction. The third boss B3 fits into a third elongated hole 84, which will be described later.

[0068] The memory holder 70 has a spring holder 71 and a spring 72 attached thereto. As shown in FIG. 10(a), the spring holder 71 is located inside the cylindrical portion 70B. The spring holder 71 is slidably held inside the memory holder 70 and is slidable in the third direction relative to the memory holder 70. The spring 72 is located between the memory holder 70 and the spring holder 71. The spring 72 extends in the third direction. The spring 72 is a coil spring. The spring 72 biases the spring holder 71 in a direction away from the toner memory 36.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 8, the memory holder cover 80 is a member that movably holds the memory holder 70. As shown in Fig. 2, at least a portion of the memory holder cover 80 is farther from the outer surface of the toner housing 31 in the first direction than the lock lever 25. In other words, the memory holder cover 80 protrudes to one side in the first direction than the lock lever 25.

[0070] 8, the memory holder cover 80 is fixed to the gear cover 60 by a screw 80N with the claw 81 fitting into the hook 62 of the gear cover 60 (see also FIG. 9). The memory holder cover 80 has the claw 81, a boss hole 82 as an example of a hole into which a boss fits, an inclined surface 83, a third elongated hole 84, a screw hole 85, a protrusion 86, and a holding surface 87.

[0071] The claw 81 is located at one end of the memory holder cover 80 in the second direction. The claw 81 has a triangular shape with a rounded tip. The dimension of the claw 81 in the third direction decreases as it approaches one side in the second direction. When the memory holder cover 80 is fixed to the gear cover 60, the claw 81 enters the hook 62 and comes into contact with the connecting portion 62C of the hook 62.

[0072] The boss hole 82 is a hole into which the boss 63 of the gear cover 60 fits.

[0073] The inclined surface 83 is located at one end of the memory holder cover 80 in the second direction. The inclined surface 83 is located between the claw 81 and the third elongated hole 84 in the second direction. The inclined surface 83 is a surface that inclines so as to be located on one side in the first direction as it moves away from the developing roller 32.

[0074] The third oblong hole 84 is an oblong hole that is long in the third direction. The dimension of the third oblong hole 84 in the second direction becomes smaller toward one side in the third direction, and the dimension of the third oblong hole 84 in the second direction becomes larger toward the other side in the third direction. The third oblong hole 84 is adapted to receive the third boss B3.

[0075] 9, the screw hole 85 is a hole into which the screw 80N is inserted. The screw 80N is inserted from one side in the first direction of the gear cover 60, i.e., from the outer surface. When the screw 80N is inserted into the screw hole 85, the pawl 81, the screw 80N, and the boss hole 82 are aligned in a straight line.

[0076] 8, the protrusion 86 is located at the other end in the second direction. The protrusion 86 is farther from the developing roller 32 in the second direction than the claw 81. The protrusion 86 protrudes toward a third direction, which is an example of a direction intersecting with the first direction. In this embodiment, the protrusion 86 protrudes toward the other side in the third direction.

[0077] The holding surface 87 is a surface that is perpendicular to the third direction and is located at the end on the other end side in the third direction. The holding surface 87 is capable of holding the base 70A of the memory holder 70.

[0078] By configuring the memory holder 70 as described above, the memory holder 70 is movable in the second direction and the third direction relative to the toner casing 31, as shown in Figures 10(a) and 10(b). Specifically, the memory holder 70 is movable between a first position shown in Figure 10(a) and a second position shown in Figure 10(b).

[0079] 10(a), the first position is a position where the toner cartridge 30 is not installed in the main body housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1. More specifically, when the memory holder 70 is located in the first position, the base 70A of the memory holder 70 contacts the holding surface 87 of the memory holder cover 80.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 10(b), the second position is a position where the toner cartridge 30, attached to the drum cartridge 20, is located when the toner cartridge 30 is attached to the main body housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1. When the toner cartridge 30 is attached to the drum cartridge 20, the spring holder 71 is pressed toward the other side in the third direction by the lower guide surface 10B (see FIGS. 11 to 13). As a result, when the memory holder 70 is located at the second position, the electrical contact surface 36A of the toner memory 36 is located on the other side in the third direction relative to the electrical contact surface 36A of the memory holder 70 located at the first position. Furthermore, when the memory holder 70 is located at the second position, the electrical contact surface 36A of the toner memory 36 is located on one side in the second direction relative to the electrical contact surface 36A of the memory holder 70 located at the first position. When the memory holder 70 is in the second position, the toner memory 36 is urged toward the main body contact CR by the urging force of the spring 72, and the electrical contact surface 36A comes into contact with the main body contact CR (see FIG. 1).

[0081] Next, the procedure for installing the toner cartridge 30 into the drum cartridge 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3(a), when the toner cartridge 30 is not installed in the drum cartridge 20, the lock lever 25 is biased by the torsion spring TS and is positioned in the locked position. When installing the toner cartridge 30 in the drum cartridge 20, the first collar 44A and the second collar 44B of the developing roller 32 are inserted into the guide groove 21A of the drum frame 21.

[0082] Next, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the toner cartridge 30 is moved toward the drum frame 21, with the first collar 44A and the second collar 44B acting as a rotation axis. As a result, the locking protrusion 67 comes into contact with the contact surface 25M of the locking lever 25. At this time, the locking protrusion 67 presses against the contact surface 25M of the locking lever 25, causing the locking lever 25 to rotate from the locked position toward the unlocked position. In the state shown in FIG. 3(b), the toner cartridge 30 is positioned above the drum frame 21 and is not locked by the locking lever 25. In other words, when the toner cartridge 30 is positioned above the drum frame 21, the locking lever 25 is positioned at the unlocked position. In the following description, the state in which the toner cartridge 30 is positioned above the drum frame 21 is also referred to as the "partially inserted state."

[0083] Next, as the toner cartridge 30 is moved further toward the drum frame 21 from the position where it is lifted from the drum frame 21 (partially inserted state), the toner cartridge 30 moves to the installation position shown in FIG. 3(c). When the toner cartridge 30 is in the installation position, the locking protrusion 67 enters the locking portion 25C, and the locking lever 25 is biased by the torsion spring TS and moves from the unlocked position to the locked position. In this way, the locking lever 25 is in the locked position when the toner cartridge 30 is installed in the installation position. When the locking lever 25 is in the locked position, the locking protrusion 67 comes into contact with the upper surface of the locking portion 25C, preventing the locking protrusion 67 from moving upward relative to the drum frame 21, and the toner cartridge 30 cannot be removed.

[0084] Next, the procedure for removing the toner cartridge 30 from the drum cartridge 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. To remove the toner cartridge 30 from the drum cartridge 20, the operating portion 25A of the lock lever 25, which is in the locked position shown in FIG. 4(a), is pushed downward. When the operating portion 25A is pushed downward, the lock lever 25 moves from the locked position to the unlocked position, as shown in FIG. 4(b). When the lock lever 25 moves to the unlocked position, the lock protrusion 67 moves away from the upper surface of the lock portion 25C and is positioned outside the lock portion 25C, making it possible to remove the toner cartridge 30 from the drum frame 21.

[0085] Then, when the operating portion 25A of the lock lever 25 is pressed further downward, as shown in Figure 4(c), the push-up portion 25B of the lock lever 25 pushes up the toner cartridge 30. When the push-up portion 25B pushes up the toner cartridge 30 against the drum frame 21, the toner cartridge 30 becomes easier to remove.

[0086] 11 to 13, a process for installing the drum cartridge 20 with the toner cartridge 30 partially inserted into the main body casing 10 will be described. Part of the drum frame 21 and the handle HD of the toner cartridge 30 are omitted from FIGS.

[0087] Here, a contact portion 10C is formed on the upper guide surface 10A. The contact portion 10C is located on one side wall in the first direction of the main body housing 10. The contact portion 10C is a portion that comes into contact with the protrusion 86 of the toner cartridge 30 when the drum cartridge 20 with the toner cartridge 30 in a partially inserted state is attached to the main body housing 10. The contact portion 10C is a part of the upper guide surface 10A that is located on the upper guide surface 10A. The contact portion 10C is a portion that protrudes from the upper guide surface 10A toward the lower guide surface 10B.

[0088] 11, when the toner cartridge 30 is partially inserted into the drum cartridge 20, the locking protrusion 67 of the gear cover 60 does not fit into the locking portion 25C of the locking lever 25. In other words, the toner cartridge 30 is not locked to the drum cartridge 20 by the locking lever 25.

[0089] When the drum cartridge 20 is moved slightly in the installation direction from the state shown in Figure 11, the protrusion 86 of the memory holder cover 80 begins to contact the contact portion 10C of the guide groove 10G, as shown in Figure 12. This presses the toner cartridge 30 toward the drum cartridge 20, causing the locking protrusion 67 to move toward the drum cartridge 20. As the locking protrusion 67 approaches the drum cartridge 20, it presses against the contact surface 25M of the locking lever 25, causing the locking lever 25 to move toward the unlocked position.

[0090] 12, when the drum cartridge 20 is further moved in the installation direction, the protrusion 86 comes into contact with the apex of the contact portion 10C, as shown in FIG. 13. This presses the toner cartridge 30 further toward the drum cartridge 20, and the locking protrusion 67 enters the locking portion 25C of the locking lever 25. This releases the partially inserted state of the toner cartridge 30, and the toner cartridge 30 is now completely installed in the drum cartridge 20.

[0091] Thereafter, when the drum cartridge 20 is further moved in the installation direction, the protrusion 86 passes through the contact portion 10C and moves away from the upper guide surface 10A. In this way, when the drum cartridge 20 is installed in the main body housing 10 with the toner cartridge 30 positioned higher than the installation position from the drum frame 21 (partially inserted state), the toner cartridge 30 moves from the raised position (partially inserted state) relative to the drum frame 21 to the installation position (fully installed state) as the protrusion 86 comes into contact with the contact portion 10C.

[0092] As described above, the following effects can be obtained in this embodiment. In conventional configurations, replacing the memory holder that holds the toner memory required removing two screws inserted from the inner surface of the gear cover. This made replacing the toner memory extremely time-consuming. However, with the toner cartridge 30 of the present disclosure, the memory holder cover 80 is secured to the gear cover 60 by inserting the claws 81 of the memory holder cover 80 into the hooks 62 of the gear cover 60. This makes it easier to assemble the memory holder 70 that holds the toner memory 36 compared to conventional configurations, reducing the time and effort required to replace the toner memory 36. Specifically, the toner cartridge 30 allows the memory holder 70 to be easily replaced without removing the gear cover 60 from the toner housing 31 by removing a single screw 80N inserted from the outside of the gear cover 60. As a result, the time and effort required to replace the toner memory 36 can be reduced, even when recycling the toner cartridge 30, for example.

[0093] Furthermore, since the memory holder cover 80 is fixed to the gear cover 60 by the screw 80N, the memory holder cover 80 is reliably fixed to the gear cover 60. In the toner cartridge 30 of the present disclosure, the memory holder cover 80 is fixed by a single screw 80N inserted from the outer surface of the gear cover 60, making it easy to assemble the memory holder 70.

[0094] Furthermore, the memory holder cover 80 has a boss hole 82 into which the boss 63 of the gear cover 60 fits. This makes it easy to position the memory holder cover 80 relative to the gear cover 60.

[0095] Furthermore, when the memory holder cover 80 is fixed to the gear cover 60, the claw 81 of the memory holder cover 80 is in contact with the connecting portion 62C, which prevents the claw 81 from moving to one side in the first direction.

[0096] Furthermore, the memory holder cover 80 has an inclined surface 83 that is inclined to be positioned to one side in the first direction as it moves away from the developing roller 32. Therefore, when the toner cartridge 30 is attached to the main body housing 10 of the image forming apparatus 1, it is possible to prevent the toner cartridge 30 from getting caught in the attachment path.

[0097] According to the drum cartridge 20 of the present disclosure, when the toner cartridge 30 is installed in the main body housing 10 in a state where it is raised above the drum frame 21 from the installed position (partially inserted state), the protrusion 86 of the toner cartridge 30 comes into contact with the contact portion 10C of the main body housing 10. This causes the toner cartridge 30 to move from the raised position relative to the drum frame 21 to the fully installed position. In other words, according to the drum cartridge 20 of the present disclosure, even if the toner cartridge 30 is partially inserted, installing the drum cartridge 20 in the main body housing 10 eliminates the partially inserted state, and image formation can be performed appropriately.

[0098] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be used in various forms as exemplified below.

[0099] In the above-described embodiment, the second direction is a direction perpendicular to the first direction, but this is not limited to this. Also, although the second direction is a direction along the mounting direction of the drum cartridge 20, the second direction does not have to be a direction along the mounting direction of the drum cartridge 20.

[0100] In the above-described embodiment, the protrusion 86 protrudes in the third direction, which is an example of a direction intersecting the first direction, but the protrusion may also protrude in a direction different from the third direction. In this case, the contact portion located on the side wall of the main body housing 10 may be arranged in the direction in which the protrusion protrudes in a direction different from the third direction.

[0101] In the above-described embodiment, the toner memory 36 for storing information has an electrical contact surface and a memory element integrated together, but the electrical contact surface and the memory element may be configured separately. In this case, the electrical contact surface may be electrically connected to the memory element via a harness.

[0102] In the above-described embodiment, the present disclosure is applied to a monochrome printer, but the present disclosure is not limited to this and may be applied to other image forming apparatuses, such as color printers, copiers, and multifunction devices.

[0103] The elements described in the above-described embodiment and modified examples may be implemented in any combination. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1. Image forming device 10 Main unit housing 10C contact part 10G guide groove 20 drum cartridges 21 Drum Frame 22 Photosensitive drum 25 Lock lever 30 Toner Cartridges 31 Toner housing 32 Developing roller 36 Toner Memory 36A Electrical Contact Surface 60 gear cover 62 Hook 62A First Rib 62B 2nd Rib 62C connection part 63 Boss 70 Memory Holder 80 Memory holder cover 80N screw 81 Nails 82 boss hole 83 Slope 86 Protrusion

Claims

1. A toner cartridge, a toner housing capable of containing toner; A toner memory; a memory holder for holding the toner memory; a memory holder cover that movably holds the memory holder, the memory holder cover having a claw; a gear located on an outer surface of the toner housing; a gear cover located on one side of the toner casing in the first direction and covering at least a portion of the gear, the gear cover having a hook into which the claw fits; a screw for fixing the memory holder cover to the gear cover; the gear cover has a boss that protrudes toward the one side in the first direction, The toner cartridge is characterized in that the memory holder cover has a hole into which the boss fits.

2. 2. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the pawl, the screw, and the hole are aligned in a straight line.

3. the hook further includes a first rib, a second rib positioned apart from the first rib in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a connecting portion connecting the first rib and the second rib, 3. The toner cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the claw contacts the connecting portion.

4. A toner cartridge, a toner housing capable of containing toner; A toner memory; a memory holder for holding the toner memory; a memory holder cover that movably holds the memory holder, the memory holder cover having a claw; a gear located on an outer surface of the toner housing; a gear cover located on one side of the toner casing in the first direction and covering at least a portion of the gear, the gear cover having a hook into which the claw fits; a developing roller that rotates about a developing roller axis that extends in the first direction, The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the memory holder cover has an inclined surface that is inclined so as to be positioned toward the one side in the first direction as it moves away from the developing roller.

5. the toner cartridge further includes an agitator located inside the toner housing for agitating the toner, the agitator rotating about an agitator shaft extending in the first direction; 5. The toner cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the gear is located at one end of the agitator.

Images