Attachment, set of mountable and dismountable units, electrophotographic image forming apparatus and cartridge mounting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11586140-B2
Application number	US-202017012193-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2020
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

A mountable unit set usable with an electrophotographic-image-forming apparatus includes a cartridge and an attachment. A cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and a coupling member for receiving a driving force for rotating the photosensitive drum, from a driving shaft. An attachment includes a cylindrical portion for being mounted to a periphery of the driving shaft to suppress tilting of the driving shaft. Tilting of a driving-force transmitting member is suppressed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mountable unit set usable with an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the mountable unit set comprising:
(1) a cartridge that is detachably mountable to an apparatus main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the cartridge including (i) a photosensitive drum and (ii) a coupling member configured to receive a driving force for rotating the photosensitive drum from a driving shaft provided in the apparatus main assembly, the coupling member being movable relative to the photosensitive drum in an axial direction of the coupling member, and
(2) an attachment that is detachably mountable to the apparatus main assembly, the attachment including a cylindrical portion configured to be mounted around the driving shaft and configured to suppress tilting of the driving shaft,
wherein an inner diameter of the cylindrical portion of the attachment is greater than an outer diameter of the photosensitive drum.

2. A mountable unit set according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling member is movable forward and backward.

3. A mountable unit set according to claim 1 , wherein the attachment is provided with a grip portion extending from the cylindrical portion in a radial direction of the cylindrical portion.

4. A mountable unit set according to claim 3 , wherein the grip portion is provided with a projection projecting in an axial direction of the cylindrical portion.

5. A mountable unit set according to claim 3 , wherein the grip portion is provided with an opening.

6. A mountable unit set according to claim 3 , wherein an entirety of a connecting portion between the cylindrical portion and the grip portion is within a range of less than 90 degrees about an axis of cylindrical portion in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical portion.

7. A mountable unit set according to claim 3 , wherein the attachment includes a double-sided tape mounted to the grip portion.

8. A mountable unit set according to claim 1 , wherein the attachment includes a double-sided tape.

9. A mountable unit set according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical portion is provided with a retaining portion for preventing the attachment from disengaging from the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

10. A mountable unit set according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical portion has a snap fit.

11. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising:
an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main assembly including the driving shaft; and
the mountable unit set according to claim 1 detachably mounted to the apparatus main assembly.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Maeda Naoki

Classifications

• G03G21/186

  Axial couplings · CPC title

• G03G2221/1846

  using a handle for carrying or pulling out of the main machine · CPC title

• G03G21/1821 Primary

  means for connecting the different parts of the process cartridge, e.g. attachment, positioning of parts with each other, pressure/distance regulation (G03G21/1825 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G21/1842

  for guiding and mounting the process cartridge, positioning, alignment, locks (G03G21/1864 and G03G21/1871 take precedence) · CPC title

• G03G21/1846 Primary

  using a handle for carrying or pulling out of the main machine, legs of casings · CPC title