Patent Grant
9921539
This application claims the benefit of the priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 201610562291.2, filed on Jul. 13, 2016, entitled “Driving Assembly and Developing Cartridge”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to the field of electrophotographic image forming technology, more particularly, to a driving assembly configured to be arranged in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus to transmit driving forces, and to a developing cartridge having the driving assembly.
The imaging principle of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus (also referred to as an electronic imaging device) is as follows: firstly, uniformly charge the photosensitive material coated surface of the photosensitive drum or the photosensitive tape; then expose the surface of the photosensitive drum or the photosensitive tape with laser beams, then the electric charges on the exposed region disappear, and the electric charges on the other regions unexposed form an electrostatic latent image; then the developing agent like carbon powder is supplied to the electrostatic latent image by a developing roller or other components, so as to develop the latent image; then the image is transferred to a print medium, and fixed by heating, thereby forming a stable image on the print medium.
In general, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided with a detachable developing cartridge. Based on different design concepts, the manufacturers of electrophotographic image forming apparatus will integrate more or less processing components in the developing cartridge. For example, some manufacturers integrate a photosensitive drum, a developing device, a charging device and a cleaning device together to form an integral box, and some manufacturers integrate the photosensitive drum and the charging device together, or integrate the photosensitive drum and the developing device together to form various kinds of split boxes. Regardless of the integration modes, as long as the box is provided with any one of processing members which are required to rotate in the process of image forming, the box needs to be supplied with driving forces, so as to drive the processing components to rotate.
One of the existing driving members is designed to be a universal joint type. One end of the driving member is arranged in a cylindrical member disposed on an end part of the developing cartridge, and the other end of the driving member projects outward from the developing cartridge, so as to engage with the driving shaft of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. When the driving member is mounted onto or detached from the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the driving member deflects to one side relative to the axis of the cylindrical member, in order to avoid forming interference with the driving shaft. The cylindrical member may be arranged at an end of the photosensitive drum or at an end of the developing roller, and after receiving driving forces, the universal joint directly drives the photosensitive drum or the developing roller to rotate. The cylindrical member may alternatively be arranged at other positions parallel to the axis of the photosensitive drum or the developing roller, and the driving forces are transmitted to the processing components like the photosensitive drum or the developing roller through a gear assembly. This type of universal joint driving member is apt to drop out of the cylindrical member, and driving forces cannot be transmitted stably.
In order to solve the problem that this type of universal joint driving member is apt to fall off, the driving member of the exiting developing cartridge typically adopts an axially moveable connector arranged in the cylindrical member. When the connector is mounted or detached, as the driving shaft, namely the driving head, in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus abuts against the connector, the connector moves inwards to avoid interference with the driving shaft. When the developing cartridge is mounted into its position, under the action of a spring or gas pressure, the connector moves outwards and engages with the driving shaft of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, thereby driving the driving force receiving components to rotate, such as the photosensitive drum, the developing roller, and so on. But sometimes, the axial movement of the connector is limited by other members in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, therefore the developing cartridge cannot be detached easily. If the developing cartridge is forcibly mounted or detached, there will be a risk that the driving member cannot engage with the driving shaft of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus stably, and driving forces cannot be transmitted stably.
Chinese utility model patent No. 201120045210.4 disclosed a driving assembly, wherein, the contact head of the driving assembly is connected at a gap of the bracket body through a pivot and a rebound-reset element. When the driving assembly rotates upon receiving driving forces from the driving head of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the acting forces are transmitted to the bracket body through the contact head and the pivot, as a result the driving forces cannot be transmitted stably. Additionally, due to the space limitation of the gap, the pivot is usually quite thin, consequently, when the driving assembly rotates upon receiving driving forces from the driving head of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, due to the torque generated by the rotation, the pivot is apt to be damaged. Moreover, it is not easy to install the contact head and the rebound-reset element due to the space limitation of the gap.
A first objective of the present disclosure is to provide a driving assembly, which is easy to operate, and has stable structure, thereby the developing cartridge can be installed and detached conveniently, and driving forces can be transmitted stably.
A second objective of the present disclosure is to provide a developing cartridge, which is easy to operate, robust in structure, convenient to install and detach, and can transmit driving forces stably.
In order to achieve the first objective above, the present disclosure provides a driving assembly. The driving assembly is configured to be arranged on one end of a developing cartridge, and comprises a connector which is configured to engage with a driving head of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Wherein, the connector comprises a sleeve, having a protrusion portion at its distal end relative to the developing cartridge, said protrusion portion axially projects outwards and has a limiting groove with an outwards opening; a guide rod, having a first end arranged in the sleeve and a second end projecting outwards from the sleeve, said guide rod is coaxial with the sleeve and is capable of reciprocating axially relative to the sleeve; at least one engaging claw hinged at the second end of the guide rod; and when the driving assembly rotates upon receiving driving forces, a side surface of the limiting groove contacts a side surface of the engaging claw.
As can be seen from the scheme above, the driving assembly receives the driving forces from the electrophotographic image forming apparatus through the connector engaging with the driving shaft of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. In the process of transmitting driving forces, the side surface of the limiting groove contacts the side surface of the engaging claw, and the driving forces are transmitted from the engaging claw to the sleeve. On one hand, the intermediate mechanisms for transmitting the driving forces are reduced, on the other hand, the engaging claw is ensured not to drop out of the limiting groove easily, thereby ensuring that the driving forces are transmitted more stably. One end of the engaging claw is hinged at the second end of the guide rod, which enables the engaging claw to rotate around an axis perpendicular to the axis of the guide rod. When the developing cartridge is detached from the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the driving assembly moves relative to the driving shaft, and the driving shaft forces the engaging claw to deflect, so as to avoid forming interference between the engaging claw and the driving shaft, and to enable the driving shaft to be detached from the driving assembly, which is convenient for detaching the developing cartridge. The deflection of the engaging claw makes the guide rod move axially and outwards, and make the deflection angle of the engaging claw increase, further avoiding forming interference with the driving shaft.
In one of the embodiments, at least two engaging claws are provided symmetrically with respect to the guide rod; the engaging claws are hinged at the second end of the guide rod through a pivot or a hinge; and free ends of the engaging claws axially project outwards along the axis of the guide rod.
As can be seen from the scheme above, at least two engaging claws are provided symmetrically with respect to the guide rod, which is not only convenient for installing, but also ensures that the guide rod and the driving assembly receive balanced forces and that the driving forces are transmitted stably. When the pivot is connected, the pivot may be arranged to be perpendicular to the axis of the guide rod. The side surface of the engaging claw abuts against the side surface of the limiting groove to transmit the driving forces from the guide rod to the sleeve. The engaging claw of the guide rod can rotate around the pivot. When the engaging claw abuts against the driving shaft, the guide rod moves axially and outwards, and the deflection angle of the engaging claw increases, and the axial length of the outwardly projecting engaging claw decreases, thereby avoiding forming interference with the driving shaft, and the driving shaft is detached from the driving assembly. The driving assembly is easy to operate, robust in structure, thereby it is convenient for installing and detaching the developing cartridge, and driving forces can be transmitted stably.
In one of the embodiments, along with axial and outwards movement of the guide rod, a deflection angle of the engaging claw relative to the axis of the guide rod increases, and the axial length of outwardly projecting engaging claw decreases.
As can be seen from the scheme above, when the engaging claw rotates around the pivot, the engaging claw rotates in the plane containing the axis of the guide rod or in the plane which is parallel to the axis of the guide rod. When the position of the guide rod relative to the sleeve changes, the deflection angle of the engaging claw will be varied at a larger magnitude, and the axial length of the outwardly projecting engaging claw will be varied at a larger magnitude, thereby, it is easy to realize detaching the driving shaft from the driving assembly or engaging the driving shaft with the driving assembly.
In one of the embodiments, the driving assembly further comprises a cylindrical member, configured to be arranged at one end of the developing cartridge; a force exerting device is provided in the cylindrical member; wherein, the connector has a connecting end arranged inside the cylindrical member and a free end axially projecting outwards from the cylindrical member and out of the developing cartridge; under actions of forces exerted on the connecting end of the connector by the force exerting device, the connector moves axially along the axis of the cylindrical member; a first limiting structure is configured on the cylindrical member to prevent the connecting end of the connector from dropping out of the cylindrical member.
As can be seen from the scheme above, during the process of installing or detaching the developing cartridge, the driving shaft of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus abuts against the connector, so that the connector moves inwardly to avoid forming interference with the driving shaft. When the developing cartridge is installed in position, the force exerting device pushes the connector to move outwardly to engage with the driving shaft of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, thereby transmitting the driving forces stably. The first limiting structure is configured on the cylindrical member to prevent the connecting end of the connector from dropping out of the cylindrical member, and thus, the connector is not apt to drop out of the cylindrical member.
In one of the embodiments, a biasing device is arranged in the sleeve to exert axial biasing forces on the guide rod.
As can be seen from the scheme above, the biasing device forces the guide rod to be in an initial position relative to the sleeve. The axial acting forces exerted on the guide rod by the biasing device may be outwards, or inwards. When the axial acting forces exerted on the guide rod by the biasing device are outwards, the biasing device forces the guide rod to be in an axial and outwards position. In this case, the deflection angle of the engaging claw is larger and the axial length of the outwardly projecting engaging claw is smaller. When the engaging claw engages with the driving shaft, the driving shaft abuts against the engaging claw, forcing the guide rod move inwardly, and forcing the axial length of the outwardly projecting engaging claw to increase. The outwardly projecting engaging claw contacts the curved projection of the driving shaft, so as to transmit driving forces. When the axial acting forces exerted on the guide rod by the biasing device are inwards, the biasing device forces the guide rod to be in an axial and inwards position. In this case, the deflection angle of the engaging claw is smaller and the axial length of the outwardly projecting engaging claw is larger. When the driving shaft releases from the driving assembly, the driving shaft abuts against the engaging claw, forcing the engaging claw to rotate, driving the guide rod to overcome the biasing forces and to move axially and outwardly, as a result, the axial length of the outwardly projecting engaging claw decreases, and the driving shaft and the engaging claw are disengaged from each other. Wherein, the biasing device has an additional function of limiting the position, that is, limiting the axial movements of the guide rod relative to the sleeve. Additionally, a second limiting structure may be configured on the sleeve or on the guide rod to limit axial movements of the guide rod relative to the sleeve. The second limiting structure enables the guide rod not to drop out of the sleeve easily, maintaining the connection between the sleeve and the guide rod while allowing the relative axial movement therebetween. Wherein, the biasing device may be used as one of the implementations of the second limiting structure.
In one of the embodiments, the biasing device is one or more of a metallic elastic device, a non-metallic elastic device, a magnetic device, a gas hermetic device, or a liquid hermetic device. As can be seen from above, various implementations are possible as long as the biasing device can provide axial biasing forces.
In order to achieve the second objective of the present disclosure, a developing cartridge is provided, comprising the driving assembly of the present disclosure as described above.
In one of the embodiments, the developing cartridge further comprises a photosensitive drum; the driving assembly is arranged at an end of the photosensitive drum; and the guide rod of the driving assembly is coaxial with the photosensitive drum.
In one of the embodiments, the developing cartridge further comprises a developing roller; the driving assembly is arranged at an end of the developing roller; and the guide rod of the driving assembly is coaxial with the developing roller.
The present disclosure will be described in more details with reference to the accompanying figures and embodiments.
As shown in
As shown in
The connector 2 includes a guide rod 22 and a sleeve 3, which are arranged coaxially. The guide rod 22 is capable of reciprocating axially relative to the sleeve 3. A limiting structure is configured on the sleeve 3 or on the guide rod 22 to limit axial movements of the guide rod 22 relative to the sleeve 3, thereby preventing the guide rod 22 from dropping out of the sleeve 3. The guide rod 22 has a first end arranged inside the sleeve 3, and a second end projecting outwards from the sleeve 3. A pivot 24 is provided on the second end. Two engaging claws 21, which are capable of rotating around the pivot 24, are installed (namely, hinged) on the second end of the guide rod 22. The pivot 24 is perpendicular to the axis of the guide rod 22, such that, the engaging claws 21 can rotate in the plane containing the axis of the guide rod 22, and the free ends of the engaging claws 21 axially project outwards. When the deflection angle, which is formed between the engaging claw 21 on the second end of the guide rod 22 and the axis of the guide rod 22, increases, the axial length of the outwardly projecting engaging claw 21 decreases. For example, the deflection angle of the engaging claw 21 relative to the axis of the guide rod 22 can be defined as an acute angle α formed by the engaging claw 21 relative to a plane, said plane is parallel to or contains the axis of the guide rod 22, and is perpendicular to a second plane formed by the rotation of the engaging claw 21; or said plane contains the pivot of the engaging claw 21, and is parallel to or contains the axis of the guide rod 22. A head. 33 is provided on the connecting end of the sleeve 3 to seal the connecting end. The free end of the sleeve 3, which is the distal end relative to the developing cartridge, is provided with a protrusion portion 32, the protrusion portion 32 axially projects outwards and has a limiting groove 34 opening outwards. The first end of the guide rod 22 is provided with a head 25, which radially projects outwards. A spring 23 is sleeved around the guide rod 22. One end of the spring 23 abuts against the head 25, and the other end abuts against the inner wall of the sleeve 3. The spring 23, as one implementation of the biasing device, is configured to exert axial and inwards biasing forces on the guide rod 22. The engaging claw 21 is partially accommodated in the limiting groove 34, and the protrusion portion 32 of the sleeve 3 limits the maximum deflection angle of the engaging claw 21 to some extent, thereby limiting the axial length of the outwardly projecting engaging claw 21.
When the developing cartridge is mounted on the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the sleeve 3 of the connector 2 outwardly projects the maximum distance under the action of the spring 31, and the guide rod 22 axially moves the maximum distance inwardly under the action of the spring 23. When the sleeve 3 of the connector 2 abuts against the curved projection 202 arranged at the end of the driving shaft 200, under the pushing of the curved projection 202, the connector 2 moves into the cylindrical member 1 against the three of the spring 31. When the end of the guide rod 22 abuts against the curved projection 202, the sleeve 3 of the connector 2 will move outwards under the action of the spring 31. The curved projection 202 pushes against the guide rod 22, and the engaging claws 21 get closer to the driving shaft 200. When the driving shaft 200 rotates, the engaging claws 21 engage with the radial projection 201 of the driving shaft 200, and side surface of the engaging claw 21 abuts against the side surface of the limiting groove 34 to drive the guide rod 22 and the sleeve 3 to rotate, and thus the driving assembly rotates. In this embodiment, as shown in
In other embodiments, only one engaging claw is hinged on the second end of the guide rod through a pivot or a hinge. When a plurality of engaging claws are provided, preferably, the engaging claws are arranged symmetrically with respect to the guide rod. In other embodiments, the biasing device is a spring sheet or other metallic elastic devices.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 1 0562291 | Jul 2016 | CN | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20150050050 | Huang | Feb 2015 | A1 |
| 20150153701 | Huang | Jun 2015 | A1 |
| 20160231688 | Huang | Aug 2016 | A1 |
| 20160282798 | Matsuoka | Sep 2016 | A1 |
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| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 201945803 | Aug 2011 | CN |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180017933 A1 | Jan 2018 | US |
