Process cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11740585-B2
Application number	US-202217883727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2022
Priority date	Dec 26, 2019
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

A developing unit, which is attachable to and detachable from a photosensitive member unit, includes: a developing roller; a housing in which a holding space that holds toner is formed; and a pressing receiving portion that receives pressing force from a pressing member. The housing includes a first bottom portion that projects toward an outer side of the holding space, and a second bottom portion that projects toward the outer side of the holding space, in a state in use. When viewed in a direction of a rotation axis of the developing roller, at least part of the pressing receiving portion is located in a space surrounded by the first bottom portion, the second bottom portion, and a tangent line tangent to both an outer wall of the first bottom portion and an outer wall of the second bottom portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process cartridge comprising:
a photosensitive member unit including a photosensitive drum on which an electrostatic latent image is formed and a frame that supports the photosensitive drum; and
a developing unit that is attachable to and detachable from the photosensitive member unit,
wherein the developing unit includes:
a developing roller that supplies toner to the photosensitive drum and collects the toner remaining on a surface of the photosensitive drum;
a housing in which an accommodating space that accommodates the toner is formed, the housing including a first bottom portion that has an arc shape and that projects toward an outer side of the accommodating space and a second bottom portion that has an arc shape and that projects toward the outer side of the accommodating space, in a state in use;
a first conveyance member that conveys the toner toward the developing roller and that is disposed above the first bottom portion in a state in use; and
a second conveyance member that conveys the toner toward the first conveyance member,
wherein the first conveyance member includes a rotation shaft, a first stirring blade, and a second stirring blade, the first stirring blade and the second stirring blade being respectively inclined at different angles relative to an axis line of the rotation shaft such that the toner is conveyed toward a center portion of the accommodating space in the axis line direction of the rotation shaft.

2. The process cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second conveyance member is disposed above the second bottom portion in a state in use, and the second conveyance member includes a rotation shaft and a stirring sheet that is provided with a slit.

3. The process cartridge according to claim 2 ,
wherein when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the axis line direction of the rotation shaft of the first conveyance member, at least part of the slit is located between the first stirring blade and the second stirring blade in the axis line direction.

4. The process cartridge according to claim 3 ,
wherein the slit includes:
a first end located on a free end side of the stirring sheet; and
a second end located on an opposite side to the first end, and
the slit is arranged to be inclined relative to the axis line of the rotation shaft so as to be extended from the second end toward the first end from the center of the rotation shaft toward an outer side in the axis line direction.

5. The process cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the axis line direction of the rotation shaft, the first stirring blade and the second stirring blade are provided with bilateral symmetry.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Komatsu Noriyuki
• Mori Tomonori
• Sasaki Teruhiko
• Hayashida Makoto
• Maeda Naoki
• Harada Satoru

Classifications

• G03G21/1814 Primary

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

• G03G15/0891

  for conveying or circulating developer, e.g. augers · CPC title

• G03G21/1842

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