Abstract:
A rotatable coupling is used with a replaceable developer cartridge and electrostatographic image devices. The coupling has a driven portion and a driving portion. The driven portion has a shaft with a connecting portion that has a plurality of helical involute teeth extending outwardly. The driving portion has an end with a gear shaft and a twisted recess in the gear shaft. The sides of the recess are engageable with the helical involute teeth so that the driving portion drives the driven portion and transmit torque.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. 13/224900, filed on Sep. 2, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to the field of mechanically transmitting rotational force from a drive mechanism that is coupled to another rotational device. The invention can be used in general situations when a drive shaft is coupled to a driven apparatus. The preferred embodiment of the invention is used in the field of electrostatographic image forming devices such as copiers, facsimile machines, electrophotography printers, and replaceable or changeable cartridges for these devices, such as a toner cartridge for a laser printer. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Many electrophotographic machines, such as photocopiers or laser printers, use a detachable developer cylinder that contains a photosensitive member. The cylinder is also known as a cartridge or developer cartridge, and it is detachably mounted to the complete copier or printer. This construction enables users to maintain the printing capability of the device without the aid of a serviceman. 
         [0004]    The developer cylinder must be coupled to a drive mechanism that rotates the cartridge. Typically this is accomplished by a driving member with a hole or recess that couples with a projecting end in the driven member, which includes the cartridge. U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,287 to Huang, which is incorporated by reference into this disclosure, is a typical attempt to address the problems of connecting the developer cylinder.  FIG. 1  of Huang depicts a typical prior art coupling and is the reference on which the following description is based. The drive coupling includes a drive shaft B that is centered in drive gear A that, in turn, drives developer cylinder E. The end of developer cylinder E has a fixedly mounted a flange that includes a transmission gear F and triangular coupling block D that fits in coupling recess C, which is disposed at the end of drive shaft B. Recess C is a twisted triangular hole, while coupling block D is a twisted triangle that is engageable with recess C. The driven end of the cylinder is typically made of plastic. Although not shown in Huang, many prior art couplings, including those in commercial use, include some form of pin and hole that assist the coaxial alignment of the driving and driven portions of the coupling. 
         [0005]    Because the torque on twisted coupling block D of Huang is concentric to its three pointed vertices, the driven cylinder flange with its projection and the driving mechanism both encounter high stresses. An example of this problematic arrangement can be seen in  FIG. 18  of U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,803 to Kawai et al. In  FIG. 18   a  a triangular projection fits in a larger triangular recess without the two pieces engaging.  FIG. 18   b  depicts the relative rotation of the two pieces such that they engage where the tips of the smaller triangle meet the flat sides of the larger recess. The relative sizes of the projection and recess, and the lack of precise engagement, occur because replacing the developer cartridge requires some dimensional tolerance. Many existing machines use a triangular or twisted triangular recess as the driving mechanism and some form of triangular driven mechanism. 
         [0006]    In an effort to reduce the stress where the driving and driven portions of the coupling engage, some have tried beveling the triangular tips in an attempt to achieve a greater contact area between the triangular tips and the sides of the recess into which it fits. See, e.g., Kawai  FIGS. 19   a  and  19   b . Other examples of attempted solutions to the coupling problem can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 7,433,631 to Karz et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,768,890 to Cho et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,146 to Wang et al; and, U.S. Patent Appl. No. 2010/0196047 to Jin. Karz uses a triangular recess that engages with three skewed blades mounted on a rod. Cho uses a tapered recess with spiral protrusions that engages with a tapered shaft that has spiral sloping ribs. Wang et al describes a triangular recess coupling with a shaft that has a plurality of teeth spaced spirally around the shaft. Wang has circular spiral teeth, not the more adaptable and effective helical involute teeth of the present invention. Jin emphasizes the tradeoffs between accuracy and wear, highlighting that his invention involves point rather than surface contact. According to Jin, that arrangement—point contact—makes torque transmission more mechanically reliable, which in turn makes the printing more accurate. The point contact, however, hastens the wear of the driving and driven mechanisms because of the stress concentration at the point. Jin is also more likely to damage the recess of the driving mechanism, which affects the coaxial alignment of the driving and driven mechanisms and thus causes the print quality to deteriorate as the coupling wears. If the wear to the recess of the driving mechanism is too great, the driving mechanism could require replacement. This part of the device is much more difficult to remove and repair than simply replacing a plastic cartridge that contains a developer cylinder with ink or toner. 
         [0007]    During the life of a device such as a printer or facsimile, the developer cartridge may be replaced many times, depending on the design of the device and the user&#39;s printing needs. A successful mechanical coupling must be designed in a way to 1) maximize the torque that can be transferred from the driving mechanism to the driven mechanism and the developer cylinder; 2) maintain the coaxial alignment of the driving and driven mechanism, which also maintains the accuracy of the printing process; 3) minimize the wear on the driving and driven mechanisms, which in turn maintains the accuracy and reduces the maintenance cost of the machine; 4) maintain the coupling&#39;s dimensional tolerances to facilitate easy replacement of the cartridge with the developer cylinder; and, 5) render a low manufacture cost. Despite the numerous designs of mechanical couplings, both for devices like photocopiers and facsimiles as well as for other types of mechanical couplings, there remains a need for an improved rotational coupling that will overcome all of these problems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention is a substantial improvement to the mechanical coupling, because manufacture and maintenance costs can be reduced without sacrificing printing accuracy. Because the twisted coupling hole or recess is engaged with a plurality of helical involute teeth, the stress transferred from the torque generated between the driving mechanism and the driven mechanism is reduced while the coaxial alignment of the driving and driven portions of the coupling is maintained. As a result, more powerful torque may be transferred with the same size coupling or, alternatively, materials of less strength (and less cost) may be used in fabricating the coupling. 
         [0009]    The invention includes a plurality of helical involute teeth projecting from a cylinder, as shown in  FIG. 1 . The teeth engage with a twisted recess or coupling hole in the drive shaft, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  or  FIGS. 7 and 8 . The invention permits the involute teeth and recess to engage each other so that a curved surface of the gear and a surface of the recess engage in three locations. Moreover, this engagement minimizes the shear stress, maximizes the compression force, and distributes the compression force over a greater surface area on the tooth and on the side of the recess. Greater shear means more wear, less printing accuracy, and a greater chance of failure. In testing, these ends of the developer cylinder have outlasted the prior art coupling ends. This endurance, which results from emphasizing the compression force over the shear and spreading it out over a larger area, ultimately means less part wear, less maintenance cost, and greater printing accuracy. 
         [0010]    One embodiment of the invention includes a driving member having an end portion; a driven member having an end portion that is engageable with the driving member; a recess disposed in the end portion of the driving member; a projection disposed on the end portion of the driven member that is coaxially and rotationally engageable with the recess, the projection comprising a plurality of teeth constructed on a base cylinder; and, wherein rotation of the driving member causes the sides of the recess to drivably engage with the teeth. 
         [0011]    In a preferred embodiment the diameter of a base circle, defines the shape and the placement of the helical involute teeth, is approximately 0.25 to 0.57 of the side of a triangle defined by vertices in the recess, although the invention is not limited by that ratio. Ratios on the order of ⅙ to ¾, i.e., about 0.16 to 0.75, are acceptable limits of the invention. Preferably, the helix angle, the angle between a helix tooth and the axial line on its cylinder, is approximately 0 to 40 degrees. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, the teeth can be comprised of twisted or helical cycloid curves. Other embodiments are also contemplated, such as three helical involute teeth that are not connected by a center cylinder. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to and appreciated by those of skill in the art from the following detailed description of the invention, including the preferred embodiment, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention&#39;s helical involute teeth and recess; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view along the line A-A in  FIG. 1  after the projection is inserted into the twisted petaline recess but has not yet engaged with the helical involute teeth; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 2  with the twisted petaline recess engaged with the helical involute teeth; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the twisted involute coupling in which the helical involute teeth are not connected to a center cylinder; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view along the line B-B in  FIG. 4  after the projection is inserted into the recess but is not yet engaged with the helical involute teeth; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 5  in which the recess is engaged with the helical involute teeth; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 2  illustrating an alternative recess; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 3  illustrating the alternative recess of  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]      FIGS. 1-3  depict a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Mounted on the end of developer cylinder  118  is a driven member or driven coupling  110  that is adapted to engage with driving member or driving coupling  100 . Drive gear  101  includes a gear shaft  103  at its center and an outside edge  102  having gear teeth. Gear shaft  103  has a front surface  104 , which includes a twisted petaline recess  105  having defined vertices  106   a,    106   b,    106   c  formed therein. The twisted petaline recess  105  is engageable with the plurality of helical involute teeth  116   a,    116   b,    116   c.    
         [0023]    Driven coupling  110  is attached to photosensitive drum  118  of a replaceable or changeable developer cylinder and has geared driven shaft cylinder  112  that includes shaft cylinder flange  111 . Concentric shaft  113  extends longitudinally outwardly from shaft cylinder flange  111 . Concentric shaft  113  includes a front surface  114  from which extends an engagement projection  115  that has a plurality of helical involute teeth  116  extending radially outward from the centerline of rotation of driven shaft cylinder  112 , concentric shaft  113 , and engagement projection  115 . The plurality of helical involute teeth  116   a,    116   b,    116   c  are adapted to fit within twisted petaline recess  105  shown in driving shaft  103  of driving coupling member  100 . The helical involute teeth  116  are constructed on a helical petaline cylinder along the axis of rotation AR of the driven coupling  110 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  depicts the initial, non-rotational engagement of the driving and driven couplings  100 ,  110  shown in  FIG. 1 . Recess  105  in gear shaft  103  is petaline (or petaloid) shaped, with three petal tips  106   a,    106   b,    106   c.  In the preferred embodiment the three petal tips are pointed. The three tips  106  define an equilateral triangle with center C 2  and side length T.  FIG. 2  also depicts engagement projection  115  that includes three helical involute teeth  116   a,    116   b,    116   c  that preferably have flattened tips  117   a,    117   b,    117   c.  Engagement projection  115  is preferably symmetrical and has a center C 1 . In  FIG. 2 , when engagement projection  115  is not engaged with the sides of recess  105 , centers C 1  and C 2  do not coincide. When driving shaft  103  rotates in the direction of arrow A, the surface areas near or adjacent the flattened tips  117   a,    117   b,    117   c  of teeth  116   a,    116   b,    116   c  eventually contact the sides  105   a,    105   b,    105   c  of recess  105 . At this point centers C 1  and C 2  become concentric, which places driving coupling  100  and driven coupling  110  in coaxial alignment. From this single center there is the Base Circle BC of diameter D, as shown in  FIG. 3 . The profile of teeth  116   a,    116   b,    116   c  is the involute of the Base Circle. The involute curves of teeth  116   a,    116   b,    116   c  engage recess  105  at the rounded sides  105   a,    105   b,    105   c.  Hole or recess  119  in projection  115  is adapted to receive a pin (not shown) in recess  105  to facilitate co-axial alignment. Various pin-and-hole arrangements are known in the prior art and are currently used in commercial applications. 
         [0025]    As noted above, the invention&#39;s configuration distributes the shear and compressive forces far better than if the teeth were simply a twisted triangle or circular segments like those of Wang et al. The projection  115  has larger surface areas that contact with recess  105  and in turn permit any compressive force to be distributed over more area, thus lessening the stress. A greater area also improves the frictional engagement that develops from the shear stresses. Experience with the invention has established a preferable range for diameter D: approximately 0.25 to 0.57 of the length of side T of the inscribed triangle of recess  105  shown in  FIG. 2 . A larger range, on the order of 0.16 to 0.75, can be used. As D increases the involute curve becomes flatter, so that a more powerful torque can be transmitted. At the same time, however, the tolerance for reinstalling the replaceable developer cylinder decreases. Similarly, as D decreases the tolerance for reinstallation increases, but the radius of curvature of the involute curve of the teeth decreases, decreasing the amount of torque that can be transmitted through the coupling and increasing the shear stress in the coupling. Nevertheless, testing of the invention has demonstrated that it is a significant improvement over the prior art. Even when the helical involute teeth are used with a typical prior art triangular recess  105 ′ as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the performance of the torque driving mechanism is significantly improved. In a triangular prior art recess the radius of curvature of each side T of the recess  105 ′ is infinity, because each side of the recess  105 ′ is flat. Nevertheless, the flatness of the involute curve on the side of the teeth  116   a,    116   b,    116   c  (i.e., a greater radius of curvature of the side of the tooth) enables greater stability, because there is a greater surface area of engagement between each tooth surface and the surface of the recess  105 ′. As a result, the coupling can substantially increase the torque transmission from the driving to the driven mechanism. Alternatively, if greater torque is not necessary, the torque of the driving mechanism can be reduced, which results in less stress, longer part life, continued precise coaxial alignment, and printing accuracy. 
         [0026]    As those of skill in the art will understand, the configuration of a helical involute tooth depends on several parameters, including the helix angle of the tooth and the radius of the base cylinder to which the tooth is attached. The preferable range for the helix angle of the tooth is approximately  15  to  30  degrees. The helix angle is measured between a helix tooth and the axial line on the base cylinder of the tooth. It should be emphasized that the radius of base circle BC is ordinarily not the same as the radius of the base cylinder  120  of the helical involute tooth. For example, in  FIG. 3  diameter D of the base circle BC is less than the diameter of the base cylinder  120  to which teeth  116   a,    116   b,    116   c  are attached. In  FIG. 3 , the base cylinder  120  has center C 1  and the edge of the base cylinder  120  is a circle defined by points  116   m,    116   n,    116   o.    
         [0027]    The preceding description represents a preferred embodiment of the invention. Nevertheless, all modifications and variations to the invention claimed below, whether specified or not, should be considered within the scope of the claims. For example, the coupling should not be limited in use to electrophotographic, xerographic, or other copying, printing, and document production devices. It could, for example, find use in the automobile industry, in which splined shaft and sleeve couplings have been used in transmissions. The petaline projection may be part of a conical or cylindrical structure. Depending on how the coupling is used, the drive mechanism and driven mechanism could switch functions. In other words, drive coupling  100  and driven coupling  110  would retain the same or similar structure, but drive coupling  100  would be the driven coupling and driven coupling  110  would become the drive coupling Likewise, diameter D should not be limited to the preferred range. Depending upon its application, the invention may require, say, larger forces for which smaller tolerances are a necessary consequence. 
         [0028]    Although the preceding description is the preferred embodiment, it is possible to implement the invention by using only the unconnected helical involute teeth. As noted above, these teeth can be used to engage a triangular or twisted triangular recess. That way the helical involute teeth can function with prior art recesses in the driving mechanism of existing printing devices that are still in use. As the preferred petaline recess becomes commercially implemented with the helical involute teeth, the mechanical life of the both the driving and driven portions of the coupling will continue to improve. For example,  FIGS. 4-6  depict an alternate embodiment, with the numerals generally corresponding to the numerals in  FIGS. 1-3 . When engaged, as depicted in  FIG. 6 , driving member  200  in  FIG. 4  couples with and rotates driven member  210 , which is attached to developer cylinder  218 . The rotation in the direction of arrow A′ causes the helical involute profiles of teeth  216   a,    216   b,    216   c  of the driven member  210  to engage with the sides  205   a,    205   b,    205   c  defining recess  205 . As depicted in  FIGS. 4-6 , teeth  216   a,    216   b,    216   c  are separate structures, whereas in  FIGS. 1-3  teeth  116   a,    116   b,    116   c  are part of a unitary helical involute projection  115  that has a cylindrical center. In  FIGS. 5-6 , a cylinder of material has been removed from the projection. It should be noted that it is unnecessary for sides  216   x,    216   y,    216   z  to be circular arcs. The sides could be flat. In an embodiment such as the one in  FIGS. 4-6 , circle BC′ with diameter D′ can be an imaginary construct that facilitates designing the relationship between teeth  216   a,b,c  and recess  205 . Similarly, the petaline recess  205  could be designed to that tips  206   a,    206   b,    206   c,  which define triangle T′, exist inside the empty space of recess  205  or within the material of gear shaft  203 . 
         [0029]    Those of skill in the art will also understand that there can be variations in the terminology used to describe the invention. For example, in  FIG. 2  the three petals are depicted as part of the projection  115 . In  FIG. 3  the three petals are depicted as separate teeth  116   a,    116   b,    116   c.  Some in the art would refer to projection as a single helical involute gear or a portion of such gear. Other uses and variations of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments or uses described here, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.