Process cartridge having force receiving portion and image forming apparatus including process cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9348308-B2
Application number	US-201313900980-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2013
Priority date	May 24, 2012
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A process cartridge detachable from an image forming apparatus main body which includes an image bearing member, a developer bearing member, a developing frame member to support the developer bearing member and is able to assume an abutting state and a separating state, a force receiving portion configured to allow the developing frame member to enter the separating state by being pressed by a pressing portion where the force receiving portion includes a first portion to abut on the pressing portion and to extend along the inserting direction of the process cartridge, and a second portion provided on each of an upstream and downstream side of the first portion in the inserting direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process cartridge detachably attachable to an image forming apparatus main body, the process cartridge comprising:
an image bearing member;
a developer bearing member configured to abut on the image bearing member to thereby develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member;
a developing frame member configured to support the developer bearing member and to be capable of assuming an abutting state in which the developer bearing member abuts on the image bearing member and a separating state in which the developer bearing member separates from the image bearing member; and
a force receiving portion provided on the developing frame member and configured to allow the developing frame member to enter the separating state by being pressed by a pressing portion provided in the image forming apparatus main body,
wherein the process cartridge is configured to be inserted in an inserting direction from an exterior of the image forming apparatus main body into a first attachment position in the image forming apparatus main body, and to be movable, in the image forming apparatus main body, in a direction crossing through the inserting direction from the first attachment position to a second attachment position,
wherein the force receiving portion includes a first portion extending along the inserting direction, and second portions provided on each of an upstream side and a downstream side of the first portion in the inserting direction, wherein the second portions protrude from the first portion in the direction crossing through the inserting direction,
wherein a portion of the first portion disposed between the second portions in the inserting direction remains abutting on the pressing portion while the process cartridge moves between the exterior of the image forming apparatus main body and the first attachment position and, due to the pressing portion remaining abutting on the portion of the first portion disposed between the second portions, the developing frame member remains in the separating state while the process cartridge moves between the exterior of the image forming apparatus main body and the first attachment position, and
wherein the second portions move to abut on the pressing portion when the process cartridge moves between the first attachment position and the second attachment position.

2. The process cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the developing frame member assumes the separating state by the pressing of the pressing portion with respect to the force receiving portion and assumes the abutting state by the pressing of the pressing portion with respect to the force receiving portion being released.

3. The process cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion extends along the axial direction of the image bearing member.

4. The process cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portions are located in a same plane.

5. The process cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein, due to movement of the process cartridge from the first attachment position to the second attachment position, the image bearing member is moved to a position where image formation is possible.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
the image forming apparatus further comprising a separation mechanism configured to move the pressing portion,
wherein the separation mechanism is movable to be positioned within a space provided between the two second portions.

7. The process cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein, to maintain a pressing force from the pressing portion against the force receiving portion as the force receiving portion moves from an attachment position to an image forming position, the first portion is formed flush with the second portions.

8. The process cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein, the second portions are separated by a width where no second portion is formed, wherein a separation mechanism of the image forming apparatus is movable to be positioned within the space provided between the two second portions.

9. An image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising:
a pressing portion configured to press a force receiving portion provided on a process cartridge; and
the process cartridge detachably attachable to an image forming apparatus main body, wherein the process cartridge includes:
an image bearing member,
a developer bearing member configured to abut on the image bearing member to thereby develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member,
a developing frame member configured to support the developer bearing member and to be capable of assuming an abutting state in which the developer bearing member abuts on the image bearing member and a separating state in which the developer bearing member separates from the image bearing member, and
the force receiving portion provided on the developing frame member and configured to allow the developing frame member to enter the separating state by being pressed by the pressing portion provided in the image forming apparatus main body,
wherein the process cartridge is configured to be inserted in an inserting direction from an exterior of the image forming apparatus main body into a first attachment position in the image forming apparatus main body, and to be movable, in the image forming apparatus main body, in a direction crossing through the inserting direction from the first attachment position to a second attachment position,
wherein the force receiving portion includes a first portion extending along the inserting direction, and second portions provided on each of an upstream side and a downstream side of the first portion in the inserting direction, wherein the second portions protrude from the first portion in the direction crossing through the inserting direction,
wherein a portion of the first portion disposed between the second portions in the inserting direction remains abutting on the pressing portion while the process cartridge moves between the exterior of the image forming apparatus main body and the first attachment position and, due to the pressing portion remaining abutting on the portion of the first portion disposed between the second portions, the developing frame member remains in the separating state while the process cartridge moves between the exterior of the image forming apparatus main body and the first attachment position, and
wherein the second portions move to abut on the pressing portion when the process cartridge moves between the first attachment position and the second attachment position.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the second portions includes an upstream second portion provided on the upstream side of the first portion and a downstream second portion provided on the downstream side of the first portion,
wherein, the force receiving portion includes a space formed between the upstream second portion and the downstream second portion,
wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises a separation mechanism configured to move the pressing portion, and
wherein the separation mechanism is movable to be positioned within the space provided between the two second portions.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first portion extends along the axial direction of the image bearing member.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first portion and the second portions are provided in a same plane flush with each other to maintain a pressing force from the pressing portion against the force rece

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Toriyama Yasunori
• Tanabe Masato
• Nomura Keisuke

Classifications

• G03G2215/0617

  contact development (i.e. the developer layer on the donor member contacts the latent image carrier) · CPC title

• G03G21/1853 Primary

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

• G03G21/185

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

• G03G21/1825 Primary

  Pivotable subunit connection · CPC title