Bearing member, end member, photoreceptor drum unit, developing roller unit, process cartridge, and manufacturing method of bearing member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10007223-B2
Application number	US-201615369931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2016
Priority date	Jun 6, 2014
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

An end member ( 40 ) is disposed in an end portion of a columnar rotating body ( 20, 306 ), comprises: a bearing member ( 41 ); and a shaft member ( 70 ), in which the bearing member includes a main body ( 45 ) having a tubular body ( 46 ) and a holding portion ( 50 ) disposed on an inner side of the tubular body, and an intermediate member ( 60 ) held by the holding portion of the main body, in which one end side of the shaft member is held by the intermediate member, the intermediate member is snap-fit jointed to the holding portion of the main body to be rotatable around one axis, and the shaft member is snap-fit jointed to the intermediate member to be rotatable around an axis which is different from the axis of rotation of the intermediate member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An end member which is disposed in an end portion of a columnar rotating body, comprising:
a bearing member; and
a shaft member,
wherein the bearing member includes a main body having a tubular body and a holding portion disposed on an inner side of the tubular body, and an intermediate member held by the holding portion of the main body,
wherein one end side of the shaft member is held by the intermediate member,
wherein the intermediate member is snap-fit jointed to the holding portion of the main body to be rotatable around one axis,
wherein the shaft member is snap-fit jointed to the intermediate member to be rotatable around an axis which is different from the axis of rotation of the intermediate member,
wherein the shaft member includes a rotating shaft, a rotating force receiving portion which is disposed at one end of the rotating shaft and receives a rotating force, a base end portion which is disposed at the other end of the rotating shaft, and a rotating force transmission projection which protrudes from the base end portion,
wherein the intermediate member has an annular shape, in which the base end portion is disposed on an inner side of the annular shape, and the intermediate member includes a shaft member linking groove into which the rotating force transmission projection is inserted, and
wherein the rotating force transmission projection and the shaft member linking groove are snap-fit jointed to each other.

2. The end member according to claim 1 , wherein the base end portion of the shaft member includes a part of a spherical surface, and the base end portion is provided with a gap such that the base end portion does not come into contact with the intermediate member.

3. The end member according to claim 1 ,
wherein the intermediate member includes a main body linking projection which is a projection that is inserted into the holding portion,
wherein the holding portion includes a holding groove which is a groove into which the main body linking projection is inserted, and
wherein the main body linking projection and the holding groove are snap-fit jointed to each other.

4. The end member according to claim 1 ,
wherein the axis of rotation of the intermediate member and the axis of rotation of the shaft member are disposed on the same plane.

5. A bearing member which is included in an end member disposed in an end portion of a columnar rotating body, comprising:
a main body which has a tubular body and a holding portion disposed on an inner side of the tubular body; and
an intermediate member which is held by the holding portion of the main body,
wherein the intermediate member is snap-fit jointed to the holding portion of the main body to be rotatable around one axis, and
wherein the intermediate member includes a shaft member linking groove for inserting a rotating force transmission projection of a shaft member of the end member.

6. A photoreceptor drum unit comprising:
a photoreceptor drum which is the columnar rotating body; and
the end member according to claim 1 which is attached to at least one end portion in an axial direction of the photoreceptor drum.

7. A developing roller unit comprising:
a developing roller which is the columnar rotating body; and
the end member according to claim 1 which is attached to at least one end portion in an axial direction of the developing roller.

8. A process cartridge comprising:
a housing; and
the photoreceptor drum unit according to claim 6 which is held by the housing.

9. A process cartridge comprising:
a housing; and
the developing roller unit according to claim 7 which is held by the housing.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Chem Corp

Inventors

• Ikeda Shuichi
• Matsuoka Yohei

Classifications

• F16D3/38

  with a single intermediate member with trunnions or bearings arranged on two axes perpendicular to one another (F16D3/36 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16D1/112

  the interengaging parts comprising torque-transmitting surfaces, e.g. bayonet joints · CPC title

• G03G21/1864

  associated with a positioning function · CPC title

• G03G15/757 Primary

  Drive mechanisms for photosensitive medium, e.g. gears · CPC title

• G03G21/1647

  Mechanical connection means · CPC title