End member, photoreceptor drum unit, and process cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10459403-B2
Application number	US-201815977362-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2018
Priority date	Nov 12, 2015
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

An end member disposed in an end portion of a columnar rotating body, comprising: a shaft member; and a bearing member to which the shaft member is attached, wherein the bearing member includes a rotating force transmission pin, a tubular body, and a pin holding portion, the shaft member includes a rotating shaft, a rotating force receiving portion, and a base end portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An end member which is disposed in an end portion of a columnar rotating body, the end member comprising:
a shaft member; and
a bearing member to which the shaft member is attached, wherein:
the shaft member includes
a rotating shaft,
a rotating force receiving portion which is provided on one end side of the rotating shaft, is engageable with a rotating force applying portion of an image forming apparatus main body, and receives a rotating force from a driving shaft in an engaged posture,
a base end portion which is disposed on the other end side of the rotating shaft, and
a rotating force transmission pin for transmitting the rotating force to a bearing member:

a hole through which the rotating force transmission pin passes is provided in the base end portion, and the shaft member is capable of swinging as the hole is greater in size with respect to the rotating force transmission pin; and
the bearing member includes
a tubular body,
a holding portion which is disposed on an inside of the tubular body, and is a recess portion that holds the rotating force transmission pin,
a projection-like regulating member which extends in the circumferential direction for regulating attachment and detachment of the rotating force transmission pin, and
a groove which extends in a circumferential direction in order to enable the projection-like regulating member to flex in a radial direction when a biasing force is applied to the projection-like regulating member via the rotating force transmission pin.

2. The end member according to claim 1 , wherein the projection-like regulating member is an elastic member.

3. The end member according to claim 1 , wherein the projection-like regulating members are provided to oppose each other across a shaft line of the tubular body, and an interval of opposing regulating members becomes narrower along the circumferential direction of the tubular body.

4. The end member according to claim 1 , wherein a tip end of the rotating force transmission pin is configured to be capable of moving a part at which the projection-like regulating member is disposed, in a state where the shaft member is disposed to match a rotating shaft line on the inside of the tubular body.

5. A photoreceptor drum unit, comprising:
the end member according to claim 1 , and
a photoreceptor drum which is the columnar rotating body.

6. A process cartridge, comprising:
a housing; and
the photoreceptor drum unit according to claim 5 which is held by the housing.

7. The end member according to claim 1 , wherein the hole is greater in diameter in the shaft line direction than a diameter of the rotating force transmission pin, such that the shaft member is capable of the swinging and is capable of moving in the shaft line direction.

8. The end member according to claim 1 , wherein the holding portion comprise an engaging portion that engages end portions of the rotating force transmission pin enabling the rotating force transmission pin to be fixed into the end portion following engagement of the shaft member into the bearing member.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Chem Corp

Inventors

• Matsuoka Yohei
• Ikeda Shuichi
• Kawai Yasunori
• Ishio Kozo

Classifications

• F16D3/16

  Universal joints in which flexibility is produced by means of pivots or sliding or rolling connecting parts · CPC title

• G03G21/186 Primary

  Axial couplings · CPC title

• G03G21/16

  Mechanical means for facilitating the maintenance of the apparatus, e.g. modular arrangements · CPC title

• G03G21/1671

  for the photosensitive element · CPC title

• F16D3/20

  one coupling part entering a sleeve of the other coupling part and connected thereto by sliding or rolling members (F16D3/18, F16D3/24 take precedence) · CPC title