Abstract: A method for filling toner into a toner cartridge includes the steps of (a) taking a container, which accommodates the toner therein and has opposite first and second ends, and then forming a toner outlet at the first end, (b) sleeving the toner cartridge, which is provided at an end thereof with an opening, onto the container from the first end to the second end via the opening, (c) forming an air permeable hole at the second end, (d) withdrawing the container from the toner cartridge to enable the toner to leave the container via the toner outlet and stay inside the toner cartridge, and (e) sealing the opening of the toner cartridge by a cover. The method is simple and convenient to operate. With the method, the toner can be effectively filled without leakage and with reduced amount of residual toner.

Abstract: A linking mechanism for a toner cartridge includes a cover, a horizontal sliding portion and a tilt sliding portion. The cover has an accommodating space for disposing a toner cylinder. The horizontal sliding portion is horizontally slidden when the toner cartridge is installed or disassembled, and is slidably connected to the cover. When the horizontal sliding portion is slidden, the tilt sliding portion is linked to rise or decline.

Abstract: A toner cartridge is adapted for being connected with an image-forming cartridge of an electronic image-forming, which includes a toner inlet and a step portion located by the toner inlet. The toner cartridge includes a housing having an internal accommodation for storage of toners, a toner outlet communicated with the internal accommodation and an outside of the housing, and a position-limiting hook located by the toner outlet. When the toner cartridge is connected with the image-forming cartridge, the position-limiting hook is engaged with the step portion such that the toner outlet is communicated with the toner inlet. As such, the toner cartridge can be positively positioned with the image-forming cartridge, and the toner outlet can be positively sealed to avoid toner leaking before installation and after dismantlement of the toner cartridge.

Abstract: A leak-prohibiting device includes a fixation mount for being mounted to an toner outlet of a housing of a toner cartridge, a valve member mounted in the fixation mount and forced by a first resilient member to seal an opening of the fixation mount, and a push member mounted in the fixation mount and moveable between an extended position where the push member is abutted against the valve member and a retracted position where an engagement portion of the push member is engaged with a position-limiting portion of the fixation mount such that the push member, on which a biasing force of a second resilient member exerts toward the extended position, is prohibited from moving from the retracted position to the extended position. As such, the leak-prohibiting device can positively block the toner cartridge and the toner cartridge can be repeatedly installed with less manual force.

Abstract: A waste toner detection device includes a stirring shaft for stirring waste toners, a transmission member moveable in response to a rotational load of the stirring shaft between an engaged position and a disengaged position where the transmission member does not transmit rotation to the stirring shaft, a rotary arm drivenable by the transmission member when the transmission member is located at the disengaged position, and an indication member. The indication member is restricted by the rotary arm at a retracted position when the rotary arm is located at a locked position, and the indication member is driven by a biasing force to move to an extended position when the rotary arm is located at a released position. As a result, the waste toner detection device can accurately detects whether the amount of the waste toners stored in a waste toner container has reached a predetermined amount.

Abstract: An error proof device for restricting assembling of a specific toner cartridge into an electronic image-forming apparatus only after the toner cartridge is rotated about a rotation axis includes a guiding portion at the apparatus and a retaining portion at the toner cartridge. The guiding portion has an axial groove and a positioning groove having a circular arc section. The retaining portion has an axial post located at the rotation axis and inserted into the axial groove, and a lateral post spaced from the axial post and inserted into the positioning groove. When the toner cartridge is rotated about the rotation axis, the lateral post moves along the circular arc section of the positioning groove. With the error proof device, a user can positively install a toner cartridge into an accuracy position, thereby avoiding material waste and undesired cleaning procedure due to error installation.

Abstract: A connecting member includes a tube portion, a bottom portion provided at an end of the tube portion, an opening provided at the other end of the tube portion, two resilient arms spacedly extending from the bottom portion toward the opening in a way that each of the resilient arms is distanced from an inner wall surface of the tube portion, and two pin holes disposed in the two resilient arms, respectively. The connecting member is adapted to be coupled with a rotational force receiving member in a way that the rotational force receiving member is freely swingable within an angle range relative to the connecting member without being detached from the connecting member.

Abstract: A toner detection device of a waste toner container having a housing includes a rotational wheel, a transmission member and a resilient member. The rotational wheel is rotatably disposed to the housing and provided with a first abutment portion. The transmission member including a second abutment position is connected with the rotational wheel in a way that the transmission member is rotatable with the rotational wheel and moveable relative to the rotational wheel between a first position and a second position. Two ends of the resilient member are respectively abutted against the first and second abutment portions in a way that the second abutment portion approaches the first abutment portion and the transmission member is rotatable relative to the rotational wheel with the transmission member moving from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: A connecting member includes a plate body having first and second lateral sides, a tube portion extending from the first lateral side and defining a central axis, two resilient arms extending from the second lateral side, two pin holes provided at the two resilient arms respectively and defining an imaginary line passing therethrough and an imaginary plane orthogonal to the imaginary line in a way that the central axis is located on the imaginary plane, and two restricting portions extending from the second lateral side and located at two sides of the imaginary plane in a way that inner peripheries of the two restricting portions are spaced from the central axis at a distance smaller than a distance between inner peripheries of the two resilient arms and the central axis. A transmission unit of an electronic image-forming apparatus having the connecting member is also disclosed.

Abstract: A chip module for a toner cartridge includes a substrate having a top surface, a memory disposed on the substrate, transmission terminals electrically connected with the memory, and a ground terminal. Each transmission terminal has two legs disposed on the substrate, and a bridge connected between the two legs and located at a distance above the top surface of the substrate. The ground terminal is disposed on the substrate and located between the transmission terminals. The ground terminal is a lamellar-shaped piece and nonparallel to the top surface of the substrate. The chip module is firmly mounted to the toner cartridge and positively aligned and contacted with a reading head of an electronic image-forming apparatus.

Abstract: A transmission device includes a gear member, an intermediate member removably attached to the gear member and including a guiding groove, and a transmitter including a shaft, the shaft having at least one protrusion extending radially outward from the shaft, and the guiding groove is shaped such that the protrusion is movable along the guiding groove in an axial direction and rotatable relative to the guiding groove.

Abstract: A connecting member includes a tube portion, a bottom portion provided at an end of the tube portion, an opening provided at the other end of the tube portion, a first limit portion extending from the bottom portion toward the opening in a way that a gap is left between the first limit portion and an internal periphery of the tube portion, and a second limit portion located inside the tube portion and spacedly facing the first limit portion. The first and second limit portions have first and second notches. The connecting member is used in a roller unit of an electronic image-forming apparatus. The connecting member is capable of being coupled with a rotational force receiving member in a way that the rotational force receiving member is freely swingable within an angle range relative to the connecting member without being detached from the connecting member.

Abstract: A lateral cap of a process cartridge includes a main body, a through hole, a flange and a guiding portion. The main body has a first side for being disposed to a housing of a process cartridge, and a second side opposite to the first side. The through hole penetrates through the first and second sides. The flange extends from the second side of the main body toward a direction away from the first side. The guiding portion extends from the flange toward an axis direction of the through hole. The lateral cap guides a rotational force receiving member to a desired position and can guide the rotational force receiving member to move toward a driving head to make them firmly coupled with each other when the rotational force receiving member is moved from a biased position to a coaxial position in alignment with the driving head.

Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a cylinder having an opening and accommodating carbon powder, a transmission member having a pipe portion sleeved onto the cylinder, an end portion and at least one outlet communicating with the opening, a powder guiding member having a main body disposed at the end portion and blades extended from the main body radially, a powder storing cover having a cover body sleeved onto the pipe portion, a powder exiting passage located under the powder guiding member and a powder exit provided on the bottom side of the cover body and communicating with the powder exiting passage, and a spring. As a result, when the blades stir the spring, the carbon powder accumulating in the powder exiting passage can be vibrated, so the carbon powder remaining near the powder exit can be effectively reduced and the powder exit can be prevented from being blocked.

Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a housing having a toner exit and two coupling portions, a slide piece disposed to the housing and slidably moveable between opened and sealed positions, a sealing member disposed to the slide piece in a way that the sealing member blocks the toner exit when the slide piece stays at the sealed position, and a clamping cover having an abutment portion, and two coupling arms extending upwardly from two lateral sides of the abutment portion and engaged with the two coupling portions, respectively. The abutment portion is abutted against the slide piece that stays at the sealed position in a way that the sealing member is compressed and deformed. As such, the sealing member can positively block the toner exit, and the slide piece can smoothly move between the opened and sealed positions after the clamping cover is removed.

Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a housing, a toner conveying shaft and a percussion device. The housing has a barrel portion, in which toners are contained, and a transmission portion rotatably disposed at an end of the barrel portion. The toner conveying shaft is rotatably disposed inside the barrel portion of the housing and drivenable by the transmission portion of the housing to rotate. The percussion device is configured to intermittently vibrate the barrel portion of the housing when the toner conveying shaft rotates. As such, when the percussion device intermittently vibrates the barrel portion of the housing, the toners attached on an inner wall surface of the barrel portion will be shaken down for being further discharged out of barrel portion, thereby reducing the residual amount of the toners that are contained in the barrel portion of the housing.

Abstract: An end member includes a tubular bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member. The shaft member includes a rotating shaft rotatable around an axis and movable in an axial direction, and a rotating force receiving member disposed in one end portion of the rotating shaft and including an engaging member to be engaged with a driving shaft of the image forming apparatus body. The engaging member is switchable between a posture of being engaged with the driving shaft and a posture of not being engaged with the driving shaft. A maximum static friction coefficient applied when the rotating shaft moves in a rotating axial direction with respect to the bearing member is equal to or less than 0.40 where a force that acts in a direction orthogonal to a frictional force direction is 2.5 to 10.5 N.

Abstract: A toner cartridge for accommodating toners includes a barrel, a transmission member and a toner conveying shaft. The barrel is adapted for accommodating toners and provided at an end thereof with an opening. The transmission member is rotatably disposed at the end of the barrel. The toner conveying shaft is rotatably disposed inside the barrel and provided with a shaft portion and at least one scoop portion extending from the shaft portion in a way that the scoop portion conveys the toners from the barrel to the transmission member when the toner conveying shaft rotates relative to the barrel. As a result, the toners inside the barrel can be continuously discharged out via the scoop portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transmission device for engagement with a photosensitive drum having a drum axis, which includes a housing detachably attached to the photosensitive drum; a sleeve coupled with the housing and arranged coaxially to the drum axis; and a transmission unit having a shaft disposed to the sleeve and being rotatable about and movable along the drum axis relative to the sleeve. The shaft includes a first part, a second part and a bushing, each part has a body, the bodies of the first and second parts are detachably attached to each other, and the bushing is disposed outside the bodies of the first and second parts so that the first and second parts can be attached to each other firmly. Accordingly, the transmission device will not separate apart when it is driven to rotate.

Abstract: A toner cartridge includes a housing, a photosensitive drum, a connecting unit having a coupling member rotatable about a second imaginary axis, and a linking unit disposed on the photosensitive drum and rotatable about a first imaginary axis. When the coupling member is at a first position, the first and second imaginary axes are not parallel, and the coupling member doesn't contact the linking unit. When the toner cartridge is installed in an electronic imaging device and the coupling member is moved to a second position, the first and second imaginary axes are coaxial, the coupling member and the linking unit are engaged and driven to rotate by the electronic imaging device, thereby transmitting rotary kinetic energy to the photosensitive drum. Because the coupling member is movable between the first and second positions, the toner cartridge is installed in and removed from the electronic imaging device easily and smoothly.