Cartridge and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12487556-B2
Application number	US-202418785667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2024
Priority date	Apr 26, 2019
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

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 comprising:
a drum unit including a photosensitive drum and a drum frame configured to support the photosensitive drum rotatably about a rotation axis extending in a first direction; and a developing unit detachably attached to an attachment position in the drum unit, the developing unit including a developing roller and a developing frame having a toner accommodating portion configured to accommodate toner to be borne on the developing roller, wherein the drum unit includes an operation lever configured to pivot so as to move the developing unit in a direction in which the developing unit is detached from the attachment position in the drum unit, wherein in a case where one end portion and the other end portion of the drum frame in a second direction intersecting the first direction are a first end portion and a second end portion, respectively, the photosensitive drum is supported by the first end portion of the drum frame, and a side end portion of the second end portion of the drum frame in the first direction includes a projecting portion (i) that projects further in a direction away from the photosensitive drum with respect to the second direction than a center portion of the second end portion in the first direction and (ii) that supports the operation lever pivotably, wherein in a case where an end face of the center portion of the second end portion of the drum frame in the direction away from the photosensitive drum with respect to the second direction is a first end face and where an end face of the projecting portion in a direction approaching the center portion with respect to the first direction is a second end face, the toner accommodating portion includes an overlapping portion that overlaps the first end face of the drum frame when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the first end face of the drum frame and that overlaps the second end face of the drum frame when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the second end face of the drum frame.

2 . The cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein the projecting portion of the drum frame includes a shaft portion extending in the first direction, and wherein the operation lever is supported pivotably by the shaft portion of the drum frame.

3 . The cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein the developing frame includes a grip portion to be gripped by a user, and wherein the grip portion is positioned downstream of the first end face of the drum frame in the direction away from the photosensitive drum with respect to the second direction.

4 . The cartridge according to claim 3 ,
wherein the drum unit includes a charging member which is configured to charge the photosensitive drum and which is arranged to be aligned with the photosensitive drum in a third direction that intersects both the first direction and the second direction, and wherein the grip portion of the developing frame is provided in a portion of the developing frame that is exposed from the drum frame when viewed in a direction from the photosensitive drum toward the charging member with respect to the third direction.

5 . The cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein the drum frame is provided with an opening portion of which a longitudinal direction is the first direction, wherein in the second direction, the opening portion is provided between the first end portion and the center portion of the second end portion of the drum frame, and wherein a part of the toner accommodating portion is configured to be exposed through the opening portion when viewed in a third direction that intersects both the first direction and the second direction.

6 . The cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein the developing unit includes a memory, and a coupling configured to receive driving force to rotate the developing roller from an outside of the cartridge, and wherein the memory and the coupling are provided on a first side of the cartridge in the first direction opposite to a second side of the cartridge on which the operation lever is provided.

7 . The cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein the drum unit includes a pressing member provided in the side end portion of the drum frame and configured to press the developing unit in a direction in which the developing roller approaches the photosensitive drum.

8 . The cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein the drum unit includes a projection provided in the side end portion of the drum frame and configured to support the toner accommodating portion of the developing unit.

9 . The cartridge according to claim 1 ,
wherein the overlapping portion of the toner accommodating portion extends from one end portion to the other end portion of the toner accommodating portion in the first direction.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G03G21/1853

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

• G03G21/1671

  for the photosensitive element · CPC title

• G03G21/1864

  associated with a positioning function · CPC title

• G03G21/1878

  Electronically readable memory · 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