Image forming apparatus including toner cartridge and drum carir 11 ge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11333998-B2
Application number	US-202016993590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2020
Priority date	Jul 30, 2018
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A drum cartridge is configured to be detachably mounted on an apparatus main body in a state where a toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge. A first shutter and a second shutter are configured such that: when the drum cartridge is mounted onto the apparatus main body in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the first shutter moves from a first closed position to a first open position and the second shutter moves from a second closed position to a second open position, and when the drum cartridge is detached from the apparatus main body in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the first shutter moves from the first open position to the first closed position and the second shutter moves from the second open position to the second closed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drum cartridge detachably mountable on an image forming apparatus in a state where a toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the drum cartridge comprising:
a photosensitive drum;
a development roller;
a drum housing having a reception port through which toner discharged from a discharge port of a toner cartridge is received; and
a drum shutter configured to move between a closed position at which the reception port is closed and an open position at which the reception port is opened,
wherein the drum shutter is configured such that:
when the drum cartridge is mounted onto an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the drum shutter moves from the closed position to the open position and a toner shutter of the toner cartridge moves from a first position at which the discharge port of the toner cartridge is closed to a second position at which the discharge port of the toner cartridge is opened, and
when the drum cartridge is detached from the apparatus main body in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the drum shutter moves from the open position to the closed position and the toner shutter moves from the second position to the first position, and

wherein the drum shutter includes a lever configured to:
when the drum cartridge is mounted onto the apparatus main body in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, contact a part of the apparatus main body to move the drum shutter from the closed position to the open position; and
in a state where the drum cartridge is mounted on the apparatus main body, contact the part of the apparatus main body to keep the drum shutter at the open position.

2. The drum cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the photosensitive drum is configured to rotate about a first axis extending in an axial direction;
wherein the drum housing includes a first side plate and a second side plate spaced away from the first side plate in the axial direction; and
wherein, in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, at least part of the lever is located at an opposite side from the first side plate with respect to the second side plate in the axial direction.

3. The drum cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein a mount direction in which the drum cartridge is mounted onto the apparatus main body is perpendicular to the axial direction.

4. The drum cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the toner shutter includes a first engaging portion;
wherein the drum shutter includes a second engaging portion, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion being configured to engage each other;
wherein, in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion engage each other, and the toner shutter and the drum shutter are configured to move together.

5. The drum cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein, in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the reception port faces the discharge port in a first direction;
wherein, in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge and the drum cartridge is detached from the apparatus main body, the toner shutter is located at the first position and the drum shutter is located at the closed position; and
wherein, in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge and the drum cartridge is mounted on the apparatus main body, the toner shutter is located at the second position and the drum shutter is located at the open position.

6. A drum cartridge detachably mountable on an image forming apparatus in a state where a toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the drum cartridge comprising:
a photosensitive drum;
a development roller;
a drum housing having a reception port through which toner discharged from a discharge port of a toner cartridge is received; and
a drum shutter configured to move between a closed position at which the reception port is closed and an open position at which the reception port is opened,
wherein the drum shutter is configured such that:
when the drum cartridge is mounted onto an apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the drum shutter moves from the closed position to the open position and a toner shutter of the toner cartridge moves from a first position at which the discharge port of the toner cartridge is closed to a second position at which the discharge port of the toner cartridge is opened, and
when the drum cartridge is detached from the apparatus main body in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the drum shutter moves from the open position to the closed position and the toner shutter moves from the second position to the first position, and
wherein the drum cartridge includes a spring configured to cause the drum shutter to be located at the closed position in a state where the drum cartridge is detached from the apparatus main body.

7. The drum cartridge according to claim 6 , wherein the reception port faces the discharge port of the toner cartridge in a first direction in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge;
wherein the drum shutter is configured to rotatably move between the closed position and the open position about a third axis extending in the first direction.

8. A drum cartridge detachably mountable on an image forming apparatus in a state where a toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the drum cartridge comprising:
a photosensitive drum;
a development roller;
a drum housing having a reception port through which toner discharged from a discharge port of a toner cartridge is received; and
a drum shutter configured to move between a closed position at which the reception port is closed and an open position at which the reception port is opened,
wherein the drum shutter is configured such that:
when the drum cartridge is mounted onto an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the drum shutter moves from the closed position to the open position and a toner shutter of the toner cartridge moves from a first position at which the discharge port of the toner cartridge is closed to a second position at which the discharge port of the toner cartridge is opened, and
when the drum cartridge is detached from the apparatus main body in a state where the toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the drum shutter moves from the open position to the closed position and the toner shutter moves from the second position to the first position, and

wherein the drum cartridge includes a frame configured to support the drum housing such that the drum housing is configured to move relative to the photosensitive drum, the toner cartridge being detachably mounted on the frame.

9. A drum cartridge detachably mountable on an image forming apparatus in a state where a toner cartridge is mounted on the drum cartridge, the drum cartridge comprising:
a photosensitive drum;
a development roller;
a drum housing having a reception port through which toner discharged from a discharge port of a toner cartridge is received; and
a drum shutter configured to move between a closed position at which the reception port is closed and an open position at which the reception port is opened,
wherein the drum shutter is configured such that:
when the drum cartridge is mounted onto an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus in a state where the toner

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Fujii Yasumasa
• Arakawa Takashi
• Sato Shougo

Classifications

• G03G15/0872 Primary

  the developer cartridges being generally horizontally mounted parallel to its longitudinal rotational axis · CPC title

• G03G15/0886 Primary

  by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug · CPC title