Drum cartridge and developing cartridge capable of suppressing variation in position of electrical contact surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10126704-B2
Application number	US-201715472014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2017
Priority date	Oct 14, 2016
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A drum cartridge includes: a drum frame to which a developing cartridge including a storage medium having an electrical contact surface is detachably attachable; a photosensitive drum; a transfer roller; and a conveying roller. The drum is rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction and positioned at one end portion of the frame in a second direction. The transfer roller is rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction and in contact with the drum. The conveying roller is rotatable about a third axis extending in the first direction and separated from the transfer roller in the second direction. A first opening of the frame is positioned between the transfer roller and the conveying roller in the second direction. The electrical contact surface is exposed to an outside through the first opening in a case where the developing cartridge is attached to the frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drum cartridge comprising:
a drum frame to which a developing cartridge is detachably attachable, the developing cartridge including a storage medium having an electrical contact surface, the drum frame having a first opening;
a photosensitive drum rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction, the photosensitive drum being positioned at a first end portion of the drum frame in a second direction;
a transfer roller rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction, the transfer roller being in contact with a surface of the photosensitive drum; and
a conveying roller rotatable about a third axis extending in the first direction, the conveying roller being separated from the transfer roller in the second direction, the first opening being positioned between the transfer roller and the conveying roller in the second direction, the electrical contact surface facing in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction, the electrical contact surface being exposed to an outside of the drum frame through the first opening in a case where the developing cartridge is attached to the drum frame.

2. The drum cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the first opening is positioned at one end portion of the drum frame in the first direction, and
wherein the drum frame further has a second opening positioned between the transfer roller and the conveying roller in the second direction.

3. The drum cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein the second opening is configured to allow a sheet conveyed by the conveying roller to pass therethrough and to direct the sheet to a contact area between the photosensitive drum and the transfer roller.

4. The drum cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein the drum frame includes a guide frame capable of guiding a sheet conveyed by the conveying roller, the guide frame being positioned between the first opening and the second opening in the first direction.

5. The drum cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein the drum frame includes a reinforcing frame positioned between the first opening and the second opening in the first direction.

6. The drum cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein the first opening exposes the electrical contact surface to the outside of the drum frame and receives a protrusion of the developing cartridge for fixing the developing cartridge in position relative to the drum frame in the case where the developing cartridge is attached to the drum frame.

7. The drum cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein the first opening includes the second opening.

8. The drum cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the first opening exposes the electrical contact surface to the outside of the drum frame in the case where the developing cartridge is attached to the drum frame as a result of pivotal movement of the developing cartridge relative to the drum frame about a developing-roller shaft of the developing cartridge, the developing cartridge including:
a casing capable of accommodating toner therein;
a developing roller rotatable about a developing-roller axis extending in the first direction and including the developing-roller shaft, the developing-roller shaft extending in the first direction; and
an agitator capable of agitating the toner, the agitator being rotatable about an agitator axis extending in the first direction, the electrical contact surface being disposed at an outer surface of the casing and positioned between the developing-roller axis and the agitator axis in the second direction.

9. The drum cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the drum frame further has a second end portion in the second direction, and
wherein the first end portion is closer to the photosensitive drum than the second end portion is to the photosensitive drum in the second direction.

10. A developing cartridge comprising:
a casing configured to accommodate toner therein, the casing having a first end portion and a second end portion in a first direction, the casing further having a third end portion and a fourth end portion in a second direction;
a developing roller rotatable about a developing-roller axis extending in the first direction, the developing roller being positioned at the third end portion of the casing;
an agitator rotatable about an agitator axis extending in the first direction, the agitator being separated from the developing roller in the second direction;
a developing electrode for supplying electric power to the developing roller, the developing electrode being positioned at the second end portion of the casing, the developing electrode being positioned between the developing roller and the agitator in the second direction, the developing electrode having a developing contact surface facing in the first direction; and
a storage medium having an electrical contact surface, the electrical contact surface being positioned at the first end portion of the casing, the electrical contact surface being positioned between the developing roller and the agitator in the second direction, the electrical contact surface facing in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction.

11. The developing cartridge according to claim 10 , wherein the developing electrode is positioned at an outer surface of the second end portion of the casing.

12. The developing cartridge according to claim 10 , wherein the electrical contact surface is positioned at an outer surface of the first end portion of the casing.

13. The developing cartridge according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a supply roller rotatable about a supply-roller axis extending in the first direction, the supply roller being positioned between the developing roller and the agitator in the second direction, the supply roller being in contact with a surface of the developing roller; and
a supply electrode for supplying electric power to the supply roller, the supply electrode being positioned at the second end portion of the casing, the supply electrode being positioned between the developing electrode and the agitator in the second direction,
wherein the electrical contact surface is disposed at a position corresponding to both the developing electrode and the supply electrode in the third direction.

14. The developing cartridge according to claim 13 , wherein the supply electrode is positioned at an outer surface of the second end portion of the casing.

15. The developing cartridge according to claim 13 , wherein the developing roller includes a developing-roller shaft extending in the first direction,
wherein the developing contact surface is separated from the developing-roller shaft in the second direction,
wherein the supply roller includes a supply-roller shaft extending in the first direction,
wherein the supply electrode has a supply contact surface separated from the supply roller shaft in the second direction, and
wherein the electrical contact surface is disposed at a position corresponding to both the developing contact surface and the supply contact surface in the third direction.

16. The developing cartridge according to claim 13 , wherein the developing electrode protrudes in the first direction, and
wherein the supply electrode protrudes in the first direction.

17. The developing cartridge according to claim 16 , wherein the developing roller includes a developing-roller shaft extending in the first direction,
wherein the developing contact surface is separated from a first end of the developing-roller shaft in the first direction,
wherein the supply roller inc

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Shimizu Takashi
• Abe Koji

Classifications

• G03G21/1825

  Pivotable subunit connection · CPC title

• G03G15/06 Primary

  for developing · CPC title

• G03G21/1676

  for the developer unit · CPC title

• G03G15/0865

  Arrangements for supplying new developer · CPC title

• G03G2215/0697

  being an electronically readable memory · CPC title