Coupler holder based toner locking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11226583-B2
Application number	US-201917252369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Nov 7, 2018
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a main body frame, a developer cartridge detachably mounted on the main body frame, a driving gear deployed on one side of the main body frame to rotate in a first direction to drive the developer cartridge, and a locking member deployed between the driving gear and the developer cartridge to fix the developer cartridge in a locking position in which the developer cartridge is mounted on the main body frame, wherein the locking member is to move the developer cartridge to an unlocking position in which the developer cartridge is separated from the main body frame by a rotation of the driving gear in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a main body frame;
a cartridge detachably mounted on the main body frame;
a driving gear deployed on one side of the main body frame to rotate in a first direction to drive the cartridge; and
a locking member deployed between the driving gear and the cartridge to fix the cartridge in a locking position in which the cartridge is mounted on the main body frame,
wherein the locking member is to move the cartridge to an unlocking position in which the cartridge is separated from the main body frame by a rotation of the driving gear in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

2. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the locking member is coupled to the cartridge by being rotated in the first direction based on a coupling of the cartridge to the main body frame, and
wherein the locking member is separated from the cartridge by being rotated in the second direction based on a separation of the cartridge from the main body frame.

3. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the locking member comprises:
an accommodation groove located on the main body frame;
a coupler holder deployed in the accommodation groove and coupled to a rotary shaft of the cartridge; and
a clutch to transfer a rotating force of the driving gear to the coupler holder based on the rotation of the driving gear in the first direction, and to at least partly block the rotating force of the driving gear transferred to the coupler holder based on the rotation of the driving gear in the second direction.

4. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the locking member further comprises an elastic member to provide an elastic force in a direction in which the coupler holder is separated from the clutch.

5. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the coupler holder is deployed to be able to move forward and backward in the accommodation groove.

6. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the coupler holder is movable between a locking position in which the coupler holder is coupled to the clutch in accordance with a rotating direction of the driving gear and an unlocking position in which the coupler holder is separated from the clutch by the elastic member.

7. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3 ,
wherein the coupler holder includes a guide projection located on an outer periphery of the coupler holder, and
wherein the accommodation groove includes a guide groove located on an inner periphery of the accommodation groove to guide a rotation of the guide projection.

8. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the guide groove is located so that the guide projection is inserted in the guide groove, and comprises:
a first opposite surface to come in contact with the guide projection based on the rotation of the driving gear in the first direction;
a second opposite surface to come in contact with the guide projection based on the rotation of the driving gear in the second direction; and
a guide surface to connect the first opposite surface and the second opposite surface to each other and to guide the guide projection so that the coupler holder moves in the direction of the driving gear based on the rotation of the driving gear in the first direction.

9. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the guide surface is inclined downward in the direction of the driving gear.

10. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3 ,
wherein the coupler holder includes a fixing projection located on an outer periphery of the accommodation groove, and
wherein the cartridge includes a fixing groove located on an outer surface of the cartridge so that the fixing projection can be inserted into the fixing groove by a rotation of the coupler holder.

11. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the fixing projection is to be inserted into the fixing groove to fixedly support the cartridge based on the rotation of the driving gear in the first direction, and is to secede from the fixing groove based on the rotation of the driving gear in the second direction.

12. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a power transfer member to transfer the rotating force of the driving gear to a developing agent conveyance member in the cartridge,
wherein the power transfer member further includes:
a power transfer coupler deployed in the coupler holder to be coupled to the driving gear by a rotation of the coupler holder; and
a power transfer female coupler located on an outside of the cartridge and connected to a rotary shaft of the developing agent conveyance member.

13. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the power transfer coupler is to move forward or backward in a direction of the driving gear in accordance with the rotation of the coupler holder.

14. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the clutch is coupled to a rotary shaft of the driving gear to be rotated together with the driving gear.

15. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the driving gear is to be rotated in the first direction during printing and is to be rotated in the second direction during replacement of the cartridge.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Lee Hanjun
• Kim Younghoon

Classifications

• G03G15/0875 Primary

  cartridges having a box like shape · CPC title

• G03G21/1676

  for the developer unit · CPC title

• G03G21/1647 Primary

  Mechanical connection means · CPC title

• G03G2221/1657

  transmitting mechanical drive power · CPC title