Process cartridge toner supply arrangement for image forming apparatus

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a process cartridge and, more particularly, to a process cartridge toner supply arrangement used in a laser printer for controlling the toner passage between the toner container and the developing device.

2. Description of the Related Art

A regular process cartridge for a laser printer is generally comprised of an electrophotographic photosensitive member, developing means, charging means, cleaning means, and a toner container. When the toner container is used up, the whole assemble of the process cartridge becomes useless and must be thrown away. It is not economical to throw the whole assembly of the process cartridge away after the process cartridge is emptied. Further, the waste process cartridge may cause pollution to the environment if it is not disposed of in a proper manner.

The present invention has been accomplished to eliminate the aforesaid drawbacks. In one aspect, the present invention relates to a sliding cover device arrangement for controlling toner passage between the toner container and the developing device of an image forming apparatus, which enables the user to replace the toner container without throwing the whole assembly of the process cartridge away when the toner of the toner container is depleted. In one embodiment of the present invention, the process cartridge toner supply arrangement comprises a receiving member (developing device), the receiving member comprising a plurality of toner receiving openings and a toner accommodating portion adapted for accommodating toner received from the toner receiving openings, a supplying member (toner container), the supplying member comprising a toner accommodating portion adapted for accommodating toner and a plurality of toner supplying openings adapted for supplying toner from the toner accommodating portion of the supplying member to the toner accommodating portion of the receiving member through the toner supplying openings and the toner receiving openings; and a blocking member provided between the receiving member and the supplying member and moved to close/open the toner passage between the toner receiving openings and the toner supplying openings.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational assembly view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a back side view of the developing device, showing the first sliding cover moved to the open position and the toner receiving openings opened according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 but showing the first sliding cover moved to the close position and the toner receiving openings closed according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a back side view of the toner container, showing the second sliding cover moved to the opening position and the toner supplying openings opened according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5 but showing the second sliding cover moved to the close position and the toner supplying openings closed according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional elevation of the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the toner container coupled to the developing device.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an elevational assembly view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a process cartridge toner supply arrangement is shown comprised of a receiving member, a replaceable supplying member, and a blocking member. The receiving member is a developing device 1 . The supplying member is a toner container 2 . The developing device 1 comprises a first end 31 , an opposite second end 33 , and a body 35 defined between the first end 31 and the opposite second end 33 , wherein the body 35 has a plurality of toner receiving openings 11 arranged in a line on one side thereof, and a toner accommodating portion adapted for accommodating toner. There are electrophotographic photosensitive means, developing means, charging means, and cleaning means provided inside the toner accommodating portion of the developing device 1 . Because the internal structure of the developing device 1 is of the known art and not within the scope of the claims of the present invention, no further detailed description on this part is necessary.

Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 1 again, the toner container 2 comprises a first end 41 , an opposite second end 43 , and a body 45 defined between the first end 41 and the opposite second end 43 , wherein the body 45 has an interior surface defining a volume for accommodating toner, and wherein the body 45 has a plurality of toner supplying openings 21 arranged in a line on one side thereof corresponding to the toner receiving openings 11 of the developing device 1 and adapted for guiding toner from the toner accommodating portion defined inside the toner container 2 to the toner accommodating portion of the developing device 1 through the toner supplying openings 21 and the toner receiving openings 11 .

Referring to FIGS. 3 through 4 and FIG. 1 again, the aforesaid blocking member, according to a first embodiment of the present invention, comprises a first sliding cover 13 of the developing device 1 , a second sliding cover 23 of the toner container 2 , and engagement means. The developing device 1 comprises two elongated guide members 12 arranged in parallel at different elevations above and below the toner receiving openings 11 . The first sliding cover 13 is inserted in between the guide members 12 and moved to close/open the toner receiving openings 11 of the developing device 1 . The first sliding cover 13 comprises a plurality of openings 14 corresponding to the toner receiving openings 11 . The aforesaid engagement means comprise a sliding slot 15 formed on the developing device 1 in line with the toner receiving openings 11 at one side and a projection rod 16 protruded from one end of the first sliding cover 13 and adapted for engaging the sliding slot 15 , wherein when the projection rod 16 is positioned within the sliding slot 15 , the projection rod 16 is movable between a first predetermined position that is at the end of the sliding slot 15 proximate to the first end 31 of developing device 1 and a second predetermined position that is at the other end of the sliding slot 15 distant from the first end 31 of the developing device 1 , and wherein when the projection rod 16 is positioned at the first predetermined position, the first sliding cover 13 closes the plurality of toner receiving openings 11 of the developing device 1 , and when the projection rod 16 is moved from the first predetermined position to the second predetermined position, the movement of the projection rod 16 causes the first sliding cover 13 to shift in direction to open the plurality of toner receiving openings 11 of the developing device 1 .

Referring to FIGS. 5 through 6 and FIG. 1 again, the toner containers 2 [further] comprises two elongated guide members 22 arranged in parallel at different elevations above and below the toner supplying openings 21 . The second sliding cover 23 is inserted in between the guide members 22 and moved to close/open the toner supplying openings 21 . The second sliding cover 23 comprises a plurality of openings 24 corresponding to the toner supplying openings 21 . The aforesaid engagement means further comprise a retaining hole 25 formed on the toner container 2 in line with the toner supplying openings 21 and adapted for receiving the projection rod 16 of the developing device 1 . The aforesaid engagement means may further comprise a plurality of projections 26 respectively protruded from the second sliding cover 23 around each of the openings 24 and adapted for engaging the toner receiving openings 11 of the developing device 1 .

Referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 1 again, when the toner container 2 is to be mounted on the developing device 1 at a predetermined position, the projection rod 16 of the developing device 1 is positioned in the first predetermined position and received in the retaining hole 25 so as to engage with the toner container 2 , and the projections 26 are, respectively, engaged into the toner receiving openings 11 of the developing device 1 . When the toner container 2 is shifted to be mounted on the developing device 1 at the predetermined position, the shifting movement of the toner container causes the projection rod 16 to move by the engagement between the projection rod 16 and the retaining hole 25 from the first predetermined position to the second predetermined position, and the movement of the projection rod 16 causes the first sliding cover 13 and the second sliding cover 23 to shift in between the respective guide members 12 and 22 in a direction with the toner container 2 to force the plurality of openings 14 into alignment with the toner receiving openings 11 , respectively. At this time, the toner supplying openings 21 of the toner container 2 are respectively positioned at the toner receiving openings 11 of the developing device 1 for the passing of toner from the toner container 2 to the developing device 1 .

On the contrary, when the toner container 2 is shifted in the reverse direction, for example, to be dismounted from the developing device 1 , the shifting movement of the toner container causes the projection rod 16 to move by the engagement between the projection rod 16 and the retaining hole 25 from the second predetermined position to the first predetermined position, and the movement of the projection rod 16 causes the first sliding cover 13 and the second sliding cover 23 to shift in the direction with the toner container 2 to close the toner receiving openings 11 and the toner supplying openings 21 , and therefore, the toner passage between the toner container 1 and the developing device 2 is terminated.

Referring to FIG. 7 again, sponge linings 10 and 20 are, respectively, installed in between the developing device 1 and the first sliding cover 13 around the toner receiving openings 11 and in between the toner container 2 and the second sliding cover 23 around the toner supplying openings 21 to prevent leakage of the toner during toner a supplying operation.

Referring to FIG. 8, the aforesaid blocking member, according to a second embodiment of the present invention, comprises a first strippable strip of sealing film 101 positioned on one side of the developing device 1 to seal the toner receiving openings 11 , and a second strippable strip of sealing film 201 positioned on one side of the toner container 2 to seal the toner supplying openings 21 . Alternatively, the blocking member can be made having only one strippable strip of sealing film positioned on one side of the developing device 1 (or toner container 2 ) to seal the toner receiving openings 11 (or supplying openings 21 ).

Referring to FIG. 9 and FIG. 8 again, when the toner container 2 and the developing device 1 coupled together, the first strippable strip of sealing film 101 and the second strippable strip of sealing film 201 are pulled outwardly away from the developing device 1 and the toner container 2 respectively, thereby causing the toner passage between the toner receiving openings 11 of the developing device 1 and the toner supplying openings 21 of the toner container 2 to be opened.

A prototype of process cartridge toner supply arrangement has been constructed with the features of FIGS. 1 ˜ 8 . The process cartridge toner supply arrangement functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.