Image forming apparatus and developing cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12443126-B2
Application number	US-202418781110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2024
Priority date	Jul 17, 2019
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: a main body; a developing cartridge having a housing, a memory medium, a memory medium unit, a developer carrier, and a protrusion portion in the longitudinal direction of the developer carrier; and a tray having a frame, an image bearing member, a guide member provided at one end in the longitudinal direction, an electric contact portion with the memory medium, and a memory unit support portion. The guide member includes a portion which functions as a memory unit support portion, and a downstream portion located downstream of the memory unit support portion in the mounting direction of the developing cartridge. The memory unit support portion guides the protrusion portion to the downstream portion when the developing cartridge is mounted on the frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A developing cartridge unit comprising:
a developing cartridge attachable to and detachable from an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus; and
a cover member detachably attached to the developing cartridge,
wherein the developing cartridge includes:
a housing configured to accommodate developer;
a developing roller including a shaft portion and a developer bearing portion which is provided on an outside of the shaft portion in a radial direction of the shaft portion and which is configured to bear the developer accommodated in the housing, the developing roller being configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in a first direction, the developer bearing portion including an exposed portion exposed to an outside of the developing cartridge;
a memory which is provided at a first end portion of the developing cartridge opposite to a second end portion of the developing cartridge in the first direction and which has an electrical contact portion exposed to the outside of the developing cartridge; and
a coupling configured to receive a driving force from the apparatus main body for rotating the developing roller, the coupling being provided at the first end portion of the developing cartridge and being provided between the developing roller and the electrical contact portion in a second direction in which the developing roller and the electrical contact portion are aligned when viewed in the first direction,

wherein the cover member includes:
a first cover portion extending in the first direction so as to cover the exposed portion of the developer bearing portion of the developing roller from a side of the first end portion to a side of the second end portion of the developing cartridge; and
a second cover portion connected to the first cover portion on the side of the first end portion of the developing cartridge and extending, on the side of the first end portion of the developing cartridge, in the second direction so as to cover both the coupling and the electrical contact portion.

2. The developing cartridge unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the developing cartridge includes an engaged portion at the second end portion of the developing cartridge, and
the cover member includes a movable portion which is provided with:
an engaging portion provided on the side of the second end portion of the developing cartridge in the first direction, the engaging portion being at a position away from the first cover portion in a direction from the developing roller toward the electrical contact portion in the second direction when viewed in the first direction; and
a connecting portion connecting the engaging portion and the first cover portion, wherein

the movable portion is configured to move relative to the first cover portion between an engaging position where the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion of the developing cartridge and a disengaging position where the engaging portion disengages from the engaged portion of the developing cartridge.

3. The developing cartridge unit according to claim 2 , wherein
when viewed in a third direction which intersects the first direction and the second direction, in case where the movable portion of the cover member is moved from the engaging position to the disengaging position, the movable portion is configured to rotate about a part of the connecting portion relative to the first cover portion in a direction in which the engaging portion is moved away from the engaged position of the developing cartridge.

4. The developing cartridge unit according to claim 3 , wherein
the movable portion of the cover member is configured to rotate about the part of the connecting portion with respect to the first cover portion by the part of the connecting portion being elastically deformed.

5. The developing cartridge unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the movable portion of the cover member is configured to move relative to the first cover portion by a part of the connecting portion being elastically deformed.

6. The developing cartridge unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the memory is provided so that a contact surface of the electrical contact portion faces a third direction which intersects both the first direction and the second direction.

7. The developing cartridge unit according to claim 6 , wherein
the developing cartridge includes:
a memory holding portion that holds the memory, and
a support portion that supports the memory holding portion so that the memory holding portion is movable in the third direction.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Fukasawa Yu
• Kubo Yukio
• Abe Daisuke
• Sato Mitsuhiro
• Suetsugu Masahiro
• Sakai Kengo

Classifications

• G03G21/1676

  for the developer unit · CPC title

• G03G15/0863 Primary

  provided with identifying means or means for storing process- or use parameters, e.g. an electronic memory · CPC title