Image forming apparatus, cartridge and image forming apparatus system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9720373-B2
Application number	US-201314036068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2013
Priority date	Sep 25, 2012
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A cartridge for an image forming apparatus including a movable member is provided with a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion movable between a first position and a second position. The cartridge includes a first engaged portion engageable with the first engaging portion, and a second engaged portion engageable with the second engaging portion. By the first engaged portion being engaged with the first engaging portion in the process of mounting, the movable member is moved from the first position to the second position to permit the second engaged to pass the second engaging portion in a mounting direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, wherein a cartridge, having a first contact portion and a second contact portion, is detachably mountable to said image forming apparatus in a mounting direction, said image forming apparatus comprising:
a main assembly, wherein the second contact portion is located at a position downstream of the first contact portion with respect to the mounting direction;
a movable member movable between a projected position in which said movable member is in an insertion path of the second contact portion when the cartridge is mounted to said main assembly, and a retracted position in which said movable member is retracted from the insertion path;
a first portion-to-be-contacted, provided on said movable member, for placing said movable member in the retracted position by being contacted by the second contact portion;
a second portion-to-be-contacted, provided on said movable member at a position downstream of said first portion-to-be-contacted with respect to the mounting direction, for placing said movable member in the retracted position by being contacted by the second contact portion; and
a recess provided in said movable member between said first portion-to-be-contacted and said second portion-to-be-contacted with respect to the mounting direction, said recess being recessed beyond said first portion-to-be-contacted and said second portion-to-be-contacted in a moving direction of said movable member, and said recess crossing the insertion path when said movable member is in the projected position,
wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion are capable of passing said movable member in the mounting direction without the second contact portion entering said recess in the process of mounting said cartridge to said main assembly.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when an attempt is made to mount an improper cartridge to said main assembly, a wall of said recess is abutted by a contact portion of the improper cartridge in the mounting direction to prevent movement of the improper cartridge toward a downstream direction with respect to the mounting direction.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an inclined surface, provided at a position upstream of said first portion-to-be-contacted with respect to the mounting direction and inclined relative to the mounting direction, for guiding the second contact portion to said first portion-to-be-contacted.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an inclined surface, provided at a position downstream of said second portion-to-be-contacted with respect to the mounting direction and inclined relative to the mounting direction, for guiding the second contact portion to said second portion-to-be-contacted when the cartridge is dismounted from said main assembly.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said movable member is urged to the projected position by urging means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said movable member includes a first guiding portion and a second guiding portion which is provided with said first portion-to-be-contacted, said second portion-to-be-contacted, and said recess, and wherein the insertion path is formed by said first guiding portion and said second guiding portion.

7. A cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, said cartridge having a first contact portion and a second contact portion located at a position downstream of said first contact portion with respect to a mounting direction of mounting said cartridge, the image forming apparatus including a movable member movable between a projected position in which the movable member is in an insertion path of said second contact portion when said cartridge is mounted to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus and a retracted position retracted from the insertion path, a first portion-to-be-contacted provided on the movable member, a second portion-to-be-contacted provided on the movable member at a position downstream of the first portion-to-be-contacted with respect to the mounting direction, a recess provided in the movable member between the first portion-to-be-contacted and the second portion-to-be-contacted with respect to the mounting direction, the recess being recessed beyond the first portion-to-be-contacted and the second portion-to-be-contacted in a moving direction of the movable member, and the recess crossing the insertion path when the movable member is in the projected position, said cartridge comprising:
said first contact portion for placing the movable member in the retracted position in the process of mounting said cartridge to the main assembly; and
said second contact portion, provided at a position downstream of said first contact portion with respect to the mounting direction, for placing the movable member in the retracted position by contacting the first portion-to-be-contacted and the second portion-to-be-contacted in the process of mounting said cartridge to the main assembly,
wherein said first contact portion and said second contact portion are capable of passing the movable member in the mounting direction without said second contact portion entering the recess in the process of mounting said cartridge to the main assembly.

8. A cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein said first contact portion moves the movable member from the projected position to the retracted position by contacting an inclined surface which is provided upstream of the first portion-to-be-contacted with respect to the mounting direction and which is inclined relative to the mounting direction.

9. A cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein said second contact portion moves the movable member from the projected position to the retracted position by contacting an inclined surface which is provided upstream of the first portion-to-be-contacted with respect to the mounting direction and which is inclined relative to the mounting direction.

10. A cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein said first contact portion moves the movable member from the projected position to the retracted position by contacting an inclined surface which is provided downstream of the second portion-to-be-contacted with respect to the mounting direction and which is inclined relative to the mounting direction, when said cartridge is dismounted from the main assembly.

11. A cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein said second contact portion moves the movable member from the projected position to the retracted position by contacting an inclined surface which is provided downstream of the second portion-to-be-contacted with respect to the mounting direction and which is inclined relative to the mounting direction, when said cartridge is dismounted from the main assembly.

12. A cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein said first contact portion and said second contact portion are guided by a first guiding portion and a second guiding portion when said cartridge is mounted and demounted relative to the apparatus main assembly, wherein the first guiding portion and the second guiding portion are provided on the movable member, and the second guiding portion is provided with the first portion-to-be-contacted, the second portion-to-be-contacted and the recess provided in the movable member.

13. An image forming apparatus system for forming an image on a recording material, said image forming apparatus system comprising:
(i) a first cartridge having a first contact portion and a second contact portion located at a position downstream of said first

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Tanabe Masato
• Chadani Kazuo
• Toriyama Yasunori
• Tani Sadaaki
• Nakamura Yuuki

Classifications

• H04N23/62 Primary

  Control of parameters via user interfaces · CPC title

• H04N23/6812

  based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors · CPC title

• H04N23/687

  by shifting the lens or sensor position · CPC title

• G03G21/185 Primary

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

• G03G21/18 Primary

  using a processing cartridge {, whereby the process cartridge comprises at least two image processing means in a single unit} · CPC title