Process cartridge and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9880517-B2
Application number	US-201514736723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2015
Priority date	Dec 14, 2012
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

A process cartridge includes: a photosensitive drum; a rotatable developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum; a rotatable roller having a rotation shaft in a position deviated from an axis of the developing roller, for transmitting a driving force to the developing roller; a coupling member disposed at an end portion of the shaft of the developing roller; a driving force receiving portion, provided on the coupling member and movable in a direction crossing the shaft of the rotatable roller, for receiving a driving force to be transmitted to the developing roller; an urging member for urging the drive receiving portion in the direction crossing the shaft of the rotatable roller; a supporting portion for rotatably supporting the drive receiving portion so as to be movable together with the drive receiving portion toward the rotatable roller in the direction crossing the shaft of the rotatable roller; and an abutting portion for receiving the supporting portion urged by the urging member, wherein the abutting portion is positioned outside an outer periphery of the photosensitive drum on a plane perpendicular to the shaft of the rotatable roller.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process cartridge comprising:
a photosensitive drum;
a rotatable developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said photosensitive drum;
a rotatable developer supplying roller for supplying developer to said developing roller,
a developing roller gear, provided at an end of said developing roller, for receiving a driving force to rotate said developing roller;
a developer supplying roller gear, provided at an end of said developer supplying roller, for transmitting a driving force to said developer supplying roller and said developing roller gear;
an idler gear for transmitting a driving force to said developer supplying roller gear;
a coupling member having a driving force receiving portion for receiving a driving force from outside said process cartridge, and a driving force transmitting portion for transmitting a driving force from said driving force receiving portion to said idler gear;
an urging member for urging said driving force receiving portion in a direction crossing a rotational axis of said driving force transmitting portion,
a supporting portion for rotatably supporting said driving force receiving portion so as to be movable together with said driving force receiving portion relative to said driving force transmitting portion in the direction crossing the rotational axis of said driving force transmitting portion; and
an abutting portion for receiving said supporting portion urged by said urging member,
wherein said abutting portion is positioned outside an outer periphery of said photosensitive drum on a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of said driving force transmitting portion.

2. A process cartridge comprising:
a photosensitive drum;
a rotatable developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said photosensitive drum;
a rotatable developer supplying roller for supplying developer to said developing roller;
a developing roller gear, provided at an end of said developing roller, for receiving a driving force to rotate said developing roller;
a developer supplying roller gear, provided at an end of said developer supplying roller, for transmitting a driving force to said developer supplying roller and said developing roller gear;
an idler gear for transmitting a driving force to said developer supplying roller gear;
a coupling member having a driving force receiving portion for receiving a driving force from outside said process cartridge, and a driving force transmitting portion for transmitting a driving force from said driving force receiving portion to said idler gear;
an urging member for urging said driving force receiving portion in a direction crossing a rotational axis of said driving force transmitting portion;
a supporting portion for rotatably supporting said driving force receiving portion so as to be movable together with said driving force receiving portion relative to said driving force transmitting portion in the direction crossing the rotational axis of said driving force transmitting portion; and
an abutting portion for receiving said supporting portion urged by said urging member,
wherein said abutting portion is provided so that a point of contact between said abutting portion and said supporting portion is positioned outside an outer peripheral surface of said photosensitive drum on a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of said driving force transmitting portion.

3. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming apparatus main assembly including a driving member for providing a driving force; and
a process cartridge detachably mountable to said image forming apparatus main assembly,
wherein said process cartridge includes:
a photosensitive drum;
a rotatable developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said photosensitive drum;
a rotatable developer supplying roller for supplying developer to said developing roller;
a developing roller gear, provided at an end of said developing roller, for receiving a driving force to rotate said developing roller;
a developer supplying roller gear, provided at an end of said developer supplying roller, for transmitting a driving force to said developer supplying roller and said developing roller gear;
an idler gear for transmitting a driving force to said developer supplying roller gear;
a coupling member having a driving force receiving portion for receiving a driving force from outside said process cartridge, and a driving force transmitting portion for transmitting a driving force from said driving force receiving portion to said idler gear;
an urging member for urging said driving force receiving portion in a direction crossing a rotational axis of said driving force transmitting portion;
a supporting portion for rotatably supporting said driving force receiving portion so as to be movable together with said driving force receiving portion relative to said driving force transmitting portion in the direction crossing the rotational axis of said driving force transmitting portion; and
an abutting portion for receiving said supporting portion urged by said urging member,
wherein said abutting portion is positioned outside an outer periphery of said photosensitive drum on a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of said driving force transmitting portion.

4. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming apparatus main assembly including a driving member for providing a driving force; and
a process cartridge detachably mountable to said image forming apparatus main assembly,
wherein said process cartridge includes:
a photosensitive drum;
a rotatable developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said photosensitive drum;
a rotatable developer supplying roller for supplying developer to said developing roller,
a developing roller gear, provided at an end of said developing roller, for receiving a driving force to rotate said developing roller;
a developer supplying roller gear, provided at an end of said developer supplying roller, for transmitting a driving force to said developer supplying roller and said developing roller gear;
an idler gear for transmitting a driving force to said developer supplying roller gear;
a coupling member having a driving force receiving portion for receiving a driving force from outside said process cartridge, and a driving force transmitting portion for transmitting a driving force from said driving force receiving portion to said idler gear;
an urging member for urging said driving force receiving portion in a direction crossing a rotational axis of said driving force transmitting portion;
a supporting portion for rotatably supporting said driving force receiving portion so as to be movable together with said driving force receiving portion relative to said driving force transmitting portion in the direction crossing the rotational axis of said driving force transmitting portion; and
an abutting portion for receiving said supporting portion urged by said urging member;
wherein said abutting portion is provided so that a point of contact between said abutting portion and said supporting portion is positioned outside an outer peripheral surface of said photosensitive drum on a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of said driving force transmitting portion.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Maeshima Hideki
• Tanabe Masato
• Nomura Keisuke
• Shimizu Hiroki

Classifications

• G03G21/1825

  Pivotable subunit connection · CPC title

• G03G21/1842 Primary

  for guiding and mounting the process cartridge, positioning, alignment, locks (G03G21/1864 and G03G21/1871 take precedence) · CPC title

• G03G21/186

  Axial couplings · CPC title

• G03G21/1864

  associated with a positioning function · 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