Cartridge and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11733644-B2
Application number	US-202117531080-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2021
Priority date	Apr 26, 2019
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A cartridge includes a drum unit and a development unit. The drum unit includes a photosensitive drum, a frame, a transfer roller, and a cleaning member. The development unit includes a development roller, and a memory. The cleaning member is configured to come into contact with the photosensitive drum at a region between a development nip portion and a transfer nip portion in a circumferential direction of the photosensitive drum and at an end portion of the photosensitive drum in a direction of the rotational axis. The frame has an exposing hole through which the memory is exposed from the frame, and a recessed portion that is adjacent to the exposing hole in the direction of the rotational axis, and stores foreign matters removed from the photosensitive drum by the cleaning member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cartridge detachably mountable on an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus, the cartridge comprising:
a development unit including:
a developing frame including a toner storage portion configured to store a toner,
a development roller configured to rotate around a rotational axis extending in a first direction, and
a development memory including a first electrode contact surface provided on a first end side of the developing frame in the first direction; and

a drum unit on which the development unit is detachably mountable, the drum unit including:
a photosensitive drum,
a drum frame supporting the photosensitive drum,
a drum memory including a second electrode contact surface provided on a second end side, which is the same side as the first end side of the developing frame, of the drum frame in the first direction, and
a portion-to-be-guided configured to be guided by the apparatus body during mounting of the cartridge on the apparatus body, the portion-to-be-guided protruding from an end surface of the drum frame on the second end side in the first direction,

wherein in a mounted state where the development unit is mounted on the drum unit, the first electrode contact surface is provided between the development roller and the second electrode contact surface in a second direction, which intersects with the first direction, and
wherein in the mounted state, the portion-to-be-guided is provided between the development roller and the second electrode contact surface in the second direction.

2. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrode contact surface and the second electrode contact surface face a third direction, which intersects with both the first direction and the second direction.

3. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein in the mounted state, the first electrode contact surface is provided between the development roller and the second electrode contact surface in a third direction, which intersects with both the first direction and the second direction.

4. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the development unit includes a development coupling configured to receive, from the apparatus body, a driving force for rotating the development roller, the development coupling being provided on the first end side of the developing frame in the first direction.

5. The cartridge according to claim 4 , wherein in the mounted state, the first electrode contact surface is provided between the development coupling and the second electrode contact surface in a third direction, which intersects with both the first direction and the second direction.

6. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein:
the development unit includes the development roller on one end portion of the developing frame in the second direction, and a grip portion on the other end portion of the developing frame in the second direction, and
in the mounted state, the second electrode contact surface is provided closer to the grip portion than the development roller in the second direction.

7. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein, during the mounting of the cartridge on the apparatus body, the portion-to-be-guided is configured to be guided by the apparatus body by being moved in the second direction.

8. The cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein, during the mounting of the cartridge on the apparatus body, the portion-to-be-guided is configured to be guided by the apparatus body by being moved in the second direction.

9. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal direction of the portion-to-be-guided is the second direction.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a cartridge; and
an apparatus body on which the cartridge is detachably mounted, and including a guide portion,
wherein the cartridge includes:
a development unit including:
a developing frame including a toner storage portion configured to store a toner,
a development roller configured to rotate around a rotational axis extending in a first direction, and
a development memory including a first cartridge electrode contact surface provided on a first end side of the developing frame in the first direction; and

a drum unit on which the development unit is detachably mounted, the drum unit including:
a photosensitive drum,
a drum frame supporting the photosensitive drum,
a drum memory including a second cartridge electrode contact surface provided on a second end side, which is the same side as the first end side of the developing frame, of the drum frame in the first direction, and
a portion-to-be-guided configured to be guided by the apparatus body during mounting of the cartridge on the apparatus body, the portion-to-be-guided protruding from an end surface of the drum frame on the second end side in the first direction,

wherein the first cartridge electrode contact surface is provided between the development roller and the second cartridge electrode contact surface in a second direction intersected with the first direction, and
wherein the portion-to-be-guided is provided between the development roller and the second cartridge electrode contact surface in the second direction.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:
the apparatus body includes a first body electric contact including a first body electrode contact surface facing toward a third direction, which intersects with both the first direction and the second direction, and a second body electric contact including a second body electrode contact surface facing toward the third direction, and
the first cartridge electrode contact surface and the second cartridge electrode contact surface are configured to come into contact with the first body electrode contact surface and the second body electrode contact surface respectively.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the first cartridge electrode contact surface is provided between the development roller and the second cartridge electrode contact surface in a third direction, which intersects with both the first direction and the second direction.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:
the apparatus body includes a body side drive coupling, and
the development unit includes a development coupling configured to engage with the body side drive coupling and receive a driving force for rotating the development roller, the development coupling being provided on the first end side of the developing frame in the first direction.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the first cartridge electrode contact surface is provided between the development coupling and the second cartridge electrode contact surface in a third direction, which intersects with both the first direction and the second direction.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:
the development unit includes the development roller on one end portion of the developing frame in the second direction, and a grip portion on the other end portion of the developing frame in the second direction, and
the second cartridge electrode contact surface is provided closer to the grip portion than the development roller in the second direction.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein during the mounting of the cartridge on the apparatus body, the portion-to-be-guided is configured to be guided by the guide portion body by being moved in the second direction.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein during

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Komatsu Noriyuki
• Ojima Masaki
• Abe Daisuke
• Mori Tomonori
• Tsuda Tadayuki
• Numata Tetsuya
• Asanuma Naoya

Classifications

• G03G21/1814 Primary

  Details of parts of process cartridge, e.g. for charging, transfer, cleaning, developing (G03G21/1835 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G21/1671

  for the photosensitive element · CPC title

• G03G21/1821

  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

• G03G21/1853

  the process cartridge being mounted perpendicular to the axis of the photosensitive member · CPC title

• G03G21/1864

  associated with a positioning function · CPC title