CN-117111427-B - Developing cartridge

Abstract

A developing cartridge (2) includes a casing (21), a developing roller (22), a first agitator (25), a supply roller (23), and a second agitator (26). The casing (21) is configured to contain toner. The developing roller (22) is rotatable about a developing roller rotation axis (22A) extending in a first direction. The first agitator (25) is configured to agitate the toner. The first agitator (25) is rotatable about a first agitator rotation axis (25A) extending in a first direction. The supply roller (23) is located between the first agitator (25) and the developing roller (22). The supply roller (23) is rotatable about a supply roller rotation axis (23A) extending in a first direction. The second agitator (26) is located between the supply roller and the first agitator (25). The second agitator (26) is rotatable about a second agitator rotation axis (26A) extending in the first direction. The rotation locus of the second agitator (26) is located outside the rotation locus of the first agitator (25).

Inventors

• Oka Chicheng
• Haramoto Junichi
• Iyama Shota
• NAKAJIMA KEIGO
• YADA KENGO

Assignees

• 兄弟工业株式会社

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20190701

Priority Date

20180928

Claims (20)

1. 1. A developing cartridge, characterized by comprising: A housing configured to contain toner, the housing having an end portion in a first direction, the end portion having an outer surface; a developing roller rotatable about a developing roller rotation axis extending in the first direction; A first agitator configured to agitate the toner, the first agitator being rotatable about a first agitator rotation axis extending in the first direction; A second agitator rotatable about a second agitator rotation axis extending in the first direction; A coupler located at the outer surface, the coupler rotatable about a coupler axis extending in the first direction, the coupler comprising a coupler gear portion; a first agitator gear located at the outer surface, the first agitator gear being rotatable with the first agitator; A second agitator gear located at the outer surface, the second agitator gear being rotatable with the second agitator, the second agitator gear being positioned closer to the outer surface than the coupler in the first direction, at least a portion of the second agitator gear being located between the coupler and the outer surface in the first direction, and An idler gear rotatable according to the rotation of the coupler, the idler gear comprising: A first idler gear portion in meshing engagement with the coupler gear portion; A second idler gear portion positioned closer to the outer surface than the first idler gear portion in the first direction; a first drive gear in partial meshed engagement with the second idler gear, and A second drive gear in meshing engagement with both the first drive gear and the second agitator gear.
2. 2. The developing cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising: A support member having a flat plate shape, the support member having one side portion and another side portion opposite to each other in the first direction, the one side portion being positioned farther from the outer surface than the other side portion, Wherein the coupler is located at the one side portion of the support member, and Wherein the second agitator gear is located at the other side portion of the support member.
3. 3. The developing cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the first drive gear and the second drive gear are located at the other side portion of the supporting member.
4. 4. A developing cartridge according to claim 3, wherein said outer surface has a recessed portion recessed in a direction from said one end portion to another end portion of said housing in said first direction, and Wherein the first drive gear, the second drive gear, and the second agitator gear are housed in the recessed portion.
5. 5. A developing cartridge, characterized by comprising: A housing configured to contain toner, the housing having an end portion in a first direction, the end portion having an outer surface; a developing roller rotatable about a developing roller rotation axis extending in the first direction; A first agitator configured to agitate the toner, the first agitator being rotatable about a first agitator rotation axis extending in the first direction; A second agitator rotatable about a second agitator rotation axis extending in the first direction; A coupler located at the outer surface, the coupler rotatable about a coupler axis extending in the first direction, the coupler comprising a coupler gear portion; a first agitator gear located at the outer surface, the first agitator gear being rotatable with the first agitator; A second agitator gear located at the outer surface, the second agitator gear being rotatable with the second agitator, the second agitator gear being positioned closer to the outer surface than the coupler in the first direction, at least a portion of the second agitator gear being located between the coupler and the outer surface in the first direction, and an idler gear rotatable according to the rotation of the coupler, the idler gear comprising: A first idler gear portion in meshing engagement with the coupler gear portion; a second idler gear portion positioned closer to the outer surface in the first direction than the first idler gear portion, and An even number of drive gears configured to transmit a driving force from the second idler gear portion to the second agitator gear.
6. 6. The developing cartridge according to claim 5, further comprising: A support member having a flat plate shape, the support member having one side portion and another side portion opposite to each other in the first direction, the one side portion being positioned farther from the outer surface than the other side portion, Wherein the coupler is located at the one side portion of the support member, and Wherein the second agitator gear is located at the other side portion of the support member.
7. 7. A developing cartridge according to claim 6, wherein said drive gear is located at said other side portion of said supporting member.
8. 8. The developing cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the outer surface has a recessed portion that is recessed in a direction from the one end portion to the other end portion of the casing in the first direction, and Wherein the drive gear and the second agitator gear are housed in the recessed portion.
9. 9. A developing cartridge, characterized by comprising: A housing configured to contain toner, the housing having an end portion in a first direction, the end portion having an outer surface; a developing roller rotatable about a developing roller rotation axis extending in the first direction; A first agitator configured to agitate the toner, the first agitator being rotatable about a first agitator rotation axis extending in the first direction; A second agitator rotatable about a second agitator rotation axis extending in the first direction; A coupler located at the outer surface, the coupler rotatable about a coupler axis extending in the first direction, the coupler comprising a coupler gear portion; a first agitator gear located at the outer surface, the first agitator gear being rotatable with the first agitator; A second agitator gear located at the outer surface, the second agitator gear being rotatable with the second agitator, the second agitator gear being positioned closer to the outer surface than the coupler in the first direction, at least a portion of the second agitator gear being located between the coupler and the outer surface in the first direction, and A support member having a flat plate shape, the support member having one side portion and another side portion opposite to each other in the first direction, the one side portion being positioned farther from the outer surface than the other side portion, Wherein the coupler is located at the one side portion of the support member, and Wherein the second agitator gear is located at the other side portion of the support member.
10. 10. The developing cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: A developing roller gear located at the outer surface, the developing roller gear being rotatable with the developing roller according to rotation of the coupling.
11. 11. The developing cartridge according to claim 10, wherein the developing roller includes a developing roller shaft extending in the first direction, and Wherein the developing roller gear is attached to the developing roller shaft and is rotatable together with the developing roller shaft.
12. 12. The developing cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: A supply roller located between the first agitator and the developing roller, the supply roller being rotatable about a supply roller rotation axis extending in the first direction.
13. 13. The developing cartridge according to claim 12, further comprising: a supply roller gear located at the outer surface, the supply roller gear being rotatable with the supply roller according to the rotation of the coupler.
14. 14. The developing cartridge according to claim 13, wherein the supply roller includes a supply roller shaft extending in the first direction, and Wherein the supply roller gear is attached to the supply roller shaft and is rotatable with the supply roller shaft.
15. 15. The developing cartridge according to claim 12, wherein a peripheral speed of the second agitator is greater than or equal to a peripheral speed of the supply roller.
16. 16. The developing cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the supply roller is configured to supply the toner to an outer peripheral surface of the developing roller.
17. 17. The developing cartridge according to claim 12, wherein an outer peripheral surface of the developing roller is in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the supply roller.
18. 18. The developing cartridge according to claim 12, wherein said supply roller is located between said first agitator and said developing roller in a second direction connecting said first agitator rotation axis and said developing roller rotation axis.
19. 19. The developing cartridge according to claim 18, wherein the second agitator is located between the supply roller and the first agitator in the second direction.
20. 20. The developing cartridge according to claim 19, wherein the second agitator is positioned closer to the supply roller than the first agitator is to the supply roller in the second direction.

Description

Developing cartridge The application is a divisional application of the following patent applications: application number 201980001524.3 Application day 2019, 07, 01 Developing box Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a developing cartridge. Background An electrophotographic type image forming apparatus, such as an LED printer, is conventionally known. This type of image forming apparatus includes a frame provided with a photosensitive drum, and a developing cartridge attachable to and detachable from the frame. For example, japanese patent application laid-open No.2018-66973 discloses a conventional image forming apparatus including a developing cartridge. The developing cartridge disclosed in japanese patent application laid-open No.2018-66973 includes a casing, a developing roller, a agitator, and a supply roller. The casing may contain toner. The developing roller is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a first direction. The agitator rotates about a rotation axis extending in the first direction to agitate the toner accommodated in the casing. The agitator is spaced apart from the developing roller in the second direction. The supply roller rotates about a rotation axis extending in a first direction to supply toner to the developing roller. The supply roller is located between the developing roller and the agitator in the second direction. [ Citation list ] [ Patent literature ] 【PTL1】 Japanese patent application laid-open No.2018-66973. Disclosure of Invention [ Problem ] However, in the developing cartridge disclosed in japanese patent application laid-open No.2018-66973, in the inner space of the casing, there is an area where sufficient stirring of the toner cannot be achieved only by rotation of the agitator. For example, when the residual amount of toner in the casing is low, toner stagnation may occur in an area around the supply roller. In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a developing cartridge capable of sufficiently stirring toner in an inner space of a casing. Solution to the problem (First aspect) to achieve the above and other objects, according to one aspect, the present disclosure provides a developing cartridge including a housing, a developing roller, a first agitator, a supply roller, and a second agitator. The casing is configured to contain toner. The developing roller is rotatable about a developing roller rotation axis extending in a first direction. The first agitator is configured to agitate the toner. The first agitator is rotatable about a first agitator rotation axis extending in a first direction. The supply roller is located between the first agitator and the developing roller. The supply roller is rotatable about a supply roller rotation axis extending in a first direction. The second agitator is located between the supply roll and the first agitator. The second agitator is rotatable about a second agitator rotation axis extending in the first direction. The rotation locus of the second agitator is located outside the rotation locus of the first agitator. (Second aspect) in the developing cartridge according to the first aspect, preferably, an outer peripheral surface of the developing roller is in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the supply roller. (Third aspect) in the developing cartridge according to the first or second aspect, preferably, the supply roller is located between the first agitator and the developing roller in a second direction connecting the first agitator rotation axis and the developing roller rotation axis. (Fourth aspect) in the developing cartridge according to the third aspect, preferably, the second agitator is located between the supply roller and the first agitator in the second direction. (Fifth aspect) in the developing cartridge according to the fourth aspect, preferably, the second agitator is located closer to the supply roller than the first agitator is to the supply roller in the second direction. (Sixth aspect) in the developing cartridge according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, preferably, the rotation direction of the second agitator is the same as the rotation direction of the first agitator. (Seventh aspect) in the developing cartridge according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, it is preferable that the casing has an end portion in the first direction, the end portion has an outer surface, and the developing cartridge further includes a coupling, a developing roller gear, a supply roller gear, a first agitator gear, a second agitator gear, an idler gear, a first drive gear, and a second drive gear. The coupler is located at the outer surface. The coupler is rotatable about a coupler axis extending in a first direction. The coupler includes a coupler gear portion. The developer roller gear is located at the outer surface. The developing roller gear may rotate together with the developing roller according to the rotation of the coupling. The supply