Developer cartridge provided with gear having engagement portions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9952535-B2
Application number	US-201715407857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2017
Priority date	Oct 2, 2015
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A developer cartridge may include: a first gear having a small-diameter gear portion and a large-diameter gear portion; and a second gear including: a first columnar portion centered on a second axis; a second columnar portion having a smaller diameter than the first columnar portion; a first engagement portion extending along a portion of a peripheral surface of the first columnar portion and engageable with the small-diameter gear portion; a second engagement portion extending along a portion of a peripheral surface of the second columnar portion and positioned closer to a housing than the first engagement portion in an axial direction and engageable with the large-diameter gear portion; and a protruding portion protruding in the axial direction and rotatable together with the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion. The second engagement portion may engage the large-diameter gear portion after the first engagement portion engages the small-diameter gear portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A developer cartridge comprising:
a housing configured to accommodate developer therein;
a first gear rotatable about a first axis extending in an axial direction, the first gear comprising:
a small-diameter gear portion; and
a large-diameter gear portion having a diameter larger than a diameter of the small-diameter gear portion; and

a second gear rotatable about a second axis extending in the axial direction, the second gear comprising:
a first columnar portion extending in the axial direction and centered on the second axis;
a second columnar portion extending in the axial direction and centered on the second axis, the second columnar portion having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first columnar portion;
a first engagement portion extending along a portion of a peripheral surface of the first columnar portion, the first engagement portion being engageable with the small-diameter gear portion;
a second engagement portion extending along a portion of a peripheral surface of the second columnar portion, the second engagement portion being positioned closer to the housing than the first engagement portion to the housing in the axial direction, the second engagement portion being engageable with the large-diameter gear portion; and
a protruding portion protruding in the axial direction, the protruding portion being rotatable together with the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion, the second engagement portion being configured to engage the large-diameter gear portion after the first engagement portion is engaged with the small-diameter gear portion.

2. The developer cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the first engagement portion is a plurality of gear teeth provided on the portion of the peripheral surface of the first columnar portion,
wherein the second engagement portion is a plurality of gear teeth provided on the portion of the peripheral surface of the second columnar portion,
wherein the plurality of gear teeth of the first engagement portion is engageable with the small-diameter gear portion, and
wherein the plurality of gear teeth of the second engagement portion is engageable with the large-diameter gear portion.

3. The developer cartridge according to claim 1 , further comprising an agitator configured to agitate the developer in the housing,
wherein the first gear is supported by a rotation shaft of the agitator.

4. The developer cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the small-diameter gear portion and the large-diameter gear portion are rotatable about the first axis.

5. The developer cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the second gear comprises a disc portion positioned farther away from the housing than the first engagement portion from the housing, the disc portion being rotatable about the second axis,
wherein the protruding portion protrudes from a surface of the disc portion in a direction away from the housing, the surface of the disc portion being opposite to a surface of the disc portion facing the housing.

6. The developer cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the first columnar portion has a cylindrical shape extending in the axial direction.

7. The developer cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between an outer surface of the housing and the large-diameter gear portion in the axial direction is smaller than a distance between the outer surface of the housing and the small-diameter gear portion in the axial direction.

8. The developer cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the second columnar portion of the second gear is rotatably supported by a boss, the boss being arranged at an outer surface of the housing and extending in the axial direction.

9. The developer cartridge according to claim 8 , wherein the boss is a separate member from the housing.

10. The developer cartridge according to claim 9 , wherein the housing comprises a fill hole through which developer is filled into the housing, and a cap configured to close the fill hole, and
wherein the cap includes the boss.

11. The developer cartridge according to claim 8 , wherein the boss protrudes from the outer surface of the housing.

12. The developer cartridge according to claim 1 , further comprising a spring configured to contact the second gear to urge the second gear in a rotation direction of the second gear until the second engagement portion becomes engaged with the large-diameter gear portion after the first engagement portion is engaged with the small-diameter gear portion.

13. The developer cartridge according to claim 12 , wherein the spring is configured to contact the second gear between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion in the axial direction.

14. The developer cartridge according to claim 13 , wherein the spring is a torsion coil spring.

15. The developer cartridge according to claim 14 , wherein the housing comprises a fill hole through which developer is filled into the housing, and a cap configured to close the fill hole, and
wherein the spring has one end which is in contact with the cap and another end which is in contact with the second gear.

16. The developer cartridge according to claim 15 , wherein the spring comprises a first arm including the one end, and a second arm including the another end, and
wherein the first arm and the second arm extend to cross each other.

17. The developer cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding portion of the second gear has an arcuate shape extending in the rotation direction, the protruding portion comprising:
a first end in the rotation direction;
a second end opposite to the first end in the rotation direction; and
an extending portion extending from the second end toward the second axis.

18. The developer cartridge according to claim 17 , wherein the extending portion is curved.

19. The developer cartridge according to claim 18 , wherein the extending portion is connected to the second columnar portion.

20. The developer cartridge according to claim 17 , wherein an angle defined by a line segment connecting the first end and the second axis and a line segment connecting the second end and the second axis is not less than 188° and not more than 190°.

21. The developer cartridge according to claim 17 , wherein an angle defined by a line segment connecting the first end and the second axis and a line segment connecting the second end and the second axis is not less than 97° and not more than 99°.

22. The developer cartridge according to claim 12 , wherein the first gear comprises a first rib extending in a direction crossing the first axis, the first rib being rotatable together with the first gear,
wherein the second gear comprises a second rib extending in a direction crossing the second axis, the second rib being rotatable together with the second gear,
wherein the second gear is movable from a first position where the first engagement portion is positioned outside of a rotational locus of the small-diameter gear portion in a state where the second rib is positioned on a rotational locus of the first rib, to a second position where first engagement portion is engaged with the small-diameter gear portion after the first rib and the second rib are engaged with each other according to rotation of the first gear, and
wherein the second gear is further movable from the second position to a third position where the second engagement portion is engaged with the large-diameter gear po

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Shimizu Keita
• Shimizu Takashi
• Nishiyama Hideshi
• Kamimura Naoya
• Watanabe Tomonori

Classifications

• G03G21/1647

  Mechanical connection means · CPC title

• G03G15/0863

  provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. an electronic memory · CPC title

• F16H27/04

  for converting continuous rotation into a step-by-step rotary movement · CPC title

• G03G15/0891

  for conveying or circulating developer, e.g. augers · CPC title

• G03G15/0806 Primary

  on a donor element, e.g. belt, roller (complete developer unit G03G15/0896) · CPC title