Process cartridge and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11314201-B2
Application number	US-202017034272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2020
Priority date	Dec 14, 2012
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

A process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum; a developing roller; a developer supplying roller, provided in contact with the developing roller; a driving force receiving portion provided at a shaft end of the supplying roller; a first driving force transmitting portion; a second driving force transmitting portion; flexible sheets provided adjacent to an engaging portion between the first portion and the second portion to intermittently contact the second portion with rotation of the second portion, wherein a rotational direction of the roller is opposite to that of the roller, and a peripheral speed of the roller is larger than that of the roller.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process cartridge comprising:
a drum unit including:
a photosensitive drum, and
a drum frame supporting the photosensitive drum and having a rotation supporting portion; and

a developing unit including:
a developing roller configured to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum by supplying developer to the photosensitive drum,
a developing frame supporting the developing roller so that the developing roller is rotatable about a first rotational axis, the developing frame having a rotation supported portion supported by the rotation supporting portion of the drum frame so that the developing frame is rotatable, relative to the drum frame, about a second rotational axis,
an urging member for urging the developing frame toward the drum frame so that the developing roller is in contact with the photosensitive drum,
a developer supplying roller configured to supply the developer to the developing roller,
a developer feeding member configured to feed the developer toward the developer supplying roller,
a driving force receiving member configured to receive a driving force from outside of the process cartridge, wherein the driving force receiving member is provided on a first end portion of the developing unit in a direction of the first rotational axis,
a first driving force transmitting member configured to transmit the driving force transmitted from the driving force receiving member, wherein the first driving force transmitting member is provided at an end portion of the developer supplying roller on a side of a second end portion of the developing unit opposite to the first end portion of the developing unit in the direction of the first rotational axis, and the first driving force transmitting member is rotatable with the developer supplying roller,
a second driving force transmitting member configured to transmit the driving force to the developer feeding member, wherein the second driving force transmitting member is provided at an end portion of the developer feeding member on the side of the second end portion of the developing unit, and the second driving force transmitting member is rotatable with the developer feeding member, and
a third driving force transmitting member configured to transmit the driving force transmitted from the first driving force receiving member to the second driving force transmitting member, wherein the third driving force transmitting member is rotatable about a third rotational axis extending in the direction of the first rotational axis and is engaged with the second driving force transmitting member,

wherein, when viewed in the direction of the first rotational axis, the third rotational axis of the third driving force transmitting member is positioned between the first rotational axis of the developing roller and the second rotational axis of the developing frame in a direction from the first rotational axis to the second rotational axis.

2. The process cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the first driving force transmitting member, the second driving transmitting member, and the third transmitting member are a first gear, a second gear, and an idle gear, respectively.

3. The process cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein a rotational direction of the developer supplying roller is the same as a rotational direction of the developer feeding member.

4. The process cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the driving force receiving member is a coupling.

5. The process cartridge according to claim 4 , wherein the drum unit includes a drum coupling configured to receive a driving force for rotating the photosensitive drum, and
wherein the drum coupling is provided on an end portion of the drum unit on the side of the first end portion of the developing unit in the direction of the first rotational axis.

6. The process cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein, when viewed in the direction of the first rotational axis, the third rotational axis of the third driving force transmitting member is positioned in one of two regions divided by a virtual line passing through the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis, and the photosensitive drum is positioned in the other of the two regions.

7. The process cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the urging member is a spring.

8. A process cartridge comprising:
a drum unit including:
a photosensitive drum, and
a drum frame supporting the photosensitive drum and having a rotation supporting portion; and

a developing unit including:
a developing roller configured to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum by supplying developer to the photosensitive drum,
a developing frame supporting the developing roller so that the developing roller is rotatable about a first rotational axis, the developing frame having a rotation supported portion supported by the rotation supporting portion of the drum frame so that the developing frame is rotatable, relative to the drum frame, about a second rotational axis,
an urging member urging the developing frame toward the drum frame so that the developing roller is in contact with the photosensitive drum,
a developer supplying roller configured to supply the developer to the developing roller,
a developer feeding member configured to feed the developer toward the developer supplying roller,
a driving force receiving member configured to receive a driving force from outside of the process cartridge, wherein the driving force receiving member is provided on a first end portion of the developing unit in a direction of the first rotational axis,
a first driving force transmitting member configured to transmit the driving force transmitted from the driving force receiving member, wherein the first driving force transmitting member is provided at an end portion of the developer supplying roller on a side of a second end portion of the developing unit opposite to the first end portion of the developing unit in the direction of the first rotational axis, and the first driving force transmitting member is rotatable with the developer supplying roller,
a second driving force transmitting member configured to transmit the driving force to the developer feeding member, wherein the second driving force transmitting member is provided at an end portion of the developer feeding member on the side of the second end portion of the developing unit, and the second driving force transmitting member is rotatable with the developer feeding member, and
a third driving force transmitting member configured to transmit the driving force transmitted from the first driving force receiving member to the second driving force transmitting member, wherein the third driving force transmitting member is rotatable about a third rotational axis extending in the direction of the first rotational axis and is engaged with the second driving force transmitting member,

wherein, when viewed in the direction of the first rotational axis, the third rotational axis of the third driving force transmitting member is positioned in one of two regions divided by a virtual line passing through the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis, and the photosensitive drum is positioned in the other of the two regions.

9. The process cartridge according to claim 8 , wherein the first driving force transmitting member, the second driving transmitting member, and the third transmitting member are a first gear, a second gear, and an idle gear, respectively.

10. The process cartridge according to claim 8 , wherein a rotational direction of the developer supplying roller is the same as a rotational direction of the develope

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Maeshima Hideki
• Hirukawa Kuniaki
• Gofuku Shuichi
• Mitsui Yoshihiro

Classifications

• G03G15/0808

  characterised by the developer supplying means, e.g. structure of developer supply roller · CPC title

• G03G21/186

  Axial couplings · CPC title

• G03G2221/1657

  transmitting mechanical drive power · CPC title

• G03G15/0806

  on a donor element, e.g. belt, roller (complete developer unit G03G15/0896) · CPC title

• G03G21/1803

  Arrangements or disposition of the complete process cartridge or parts thereof · CPC title