Cartridge including a developer storage unit for storing developer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12405565-B2
Application number	US-202318359266-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2023
Priority date	Apr 26, 2019
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

A cartridge is mountable in and dismountable from a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, in which the main assembly includes an opening and an openable member including a discriminating portion. The cartridge includes a process unit including a rotatable photosensitive member and a developing roller configured to supply toner to the photosensitive member, and a developer storage unit configured to store a developer. The developer storage unit is provided with a discharge opening for permitting discharge of the stored developer to the process unit and is mountable to and dismountable from the process unit. The developer storage unit is provided with a portion-to-be-discriminated provided so as to be engaged with the discriminating portion of the openable member when the cartridge is mounted in the main assembly and the openable member is in a closed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cartridge attachable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus in an attaching direction and detachable from the main assembly in a detaching direction, the main assembly including a discriminating portion, the cartridge comprising:
a photosensitive drum;
a frame configured to support the photosensitive drum so that the photosensitive drum is rotatable about a rotational axis extending in a direction intersecting with the attaching direction;
a developing unit that is attached to the frame and that includes a developing roller configured to supply a developer to the photosensitive drum and a developer accommodating portion configured to accommodate the developer to be borne on the developing roller; and
a developer storage unit including a developer storage portion configured to store the developer,
wherein the developer storage portion is provided with a discharge opening configured to allow discharge of the developer stored in the developer storage portion to the developer accommodating portion and is detachably attached to the developing unit, and
wherein the developer storage unit is provided with a portion-to-be-discriminated which is configured to engage with the discriminating portion of the main assembly when the cartridge is attached to the main assembly and which is provided farther from the photosensitive drum in the detaching direction than an end of the frame located farthest downstream in the detaching direction.

2. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the main assembly includes an opening portion, through which the cartridge passes while being mounted to and dismounted from the main assembly, and an openable member, which is movable between an open position where the openable member is opened to expose the opening portion and a closed position where the openable member is closed to cover the opening portion, the openable member including the discriminating portion, and
wherein the portion-to-be-discriminated is engaged with the discriminating portion of the openable member when the cartridge is attached to the main assembly and the openable member is in the closed position.

3. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the developer storage unit includes a stirring member which is configured to stir the developer in the developer storage portion and which is provided in the developer storage portion, and wherein the portion-to-be-discriminated is provided on a side of the developer storage portion opposite from the discharge opening with respect to the stirring member in the attaching direction.

4. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the portion-to-be-discriminated is provided on an outer surface of the developer storage portion on a side opposite from an outer surface of the developer storage portion opposing the photosensitive drum in the attaching direction.

5. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the developer storage unit includes a grip portion on an outer surface of the developer storage portion, and
wherein the portion-to-be-discriminated is provided on the outer surface of the developer storage portion and is aligned with the grip portion in a direction of the rotational axis.

6. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the portion-to-be-discriminated includes a plurality of protrusions that protrude from the outer surface of the developer accommodating portion and that are aligned in the direction of the rotational axis at intervals from one another.

7. The cartridge according to claim 6 , wherein inside each of the plurality of protrusions, there is a space configured to store the developer.

8. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the developer storage unit includes a shutter configured to move between a first position where the shutter closes the discharge opening and a second position where the shutter opens the discharge opening,
wherein the developer storage unit has a first posture and a second posture with respect to the developing unit while the developer storage unit is being attached to the developing unit, the first posture being a posture to which the developer storage unit is transitioned by being moved in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis, the second posture being a posture to which the developer storage unit is transitioned from the first posture by being rotated about a second rotational axis extending in the direction of the rotational axis of the stirring member, and wherein the shutter is moved from the first position to the second position by a transition of the developer storage unit from the first posture to the second posture, and
wherein the portion-to-be-discriminated of the developer storage unit having the second posture is configured to engage with the discriminating portion of the main assembly when the cartridge is attached to the main assembly.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kawakami Takuya
• Asanuma Naoya
• Numata Tetsuya
• Komatsu Noriyuki

Classifications

• G03G2221/1869

  Cartridge holders, e.g. intermediate frames for placing cartridge parts therein · 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

• G03G21/1633

  using doors or covers (G03G21/1638 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G21/1676

  for the developer unit · CPC title

• G03G15/0865

  Arrangements for supplying new developer · CPC title