Device including roller, and image forming apparatus and process cartridge incorporating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9958823-B2
Application number	US-201615285919-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2016
Priority date	Oct 7, 2015
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A device disposed opposing an image bearer includes a roller to rotate while contacting a surface of the image bearer, a rolling bearing fitted around a shaft located at an end of the roller in an axial direction of the roller, a frame to house the roller, and a bearing support removably attached to the frame. The rolling bearing includes an outer ring, an inner ring, and a rolling element disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring. The bearing support holds, from an outer-ring side, the rolling bearing interposed between the bearing support and the frame. The bearing support includes a receiving portion to contact the outer ring of the rolling bearing and bias the rolling bearing toward the frame in a direction in which the rolling bearing is interposed between the bearing support and the frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device disposed opposing an image bearer to bear a toner image, the device comprising;
a roller to rotate while contacting a surface of the image bearer;
a rolling bearing fitted around a shaft located at an end of the roller in an axial direction of the roller, the rolling bearing including:
an outer ring;
an inner ring; and
a rolling element disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring;

a frame to house the roller; and
a bearing support removably attached to the frame, the bearing support to hold, from an outer-ring side, the rolling bearing interposed between the bearing support and the frame, the bearing support including a receiving portion to contact the outer ring of the rolling bearing and bias the rolling bearing toward the frame in a direction in which the rolling bearing is interposed between the bearing support and the frame,
wherein the bearing support includes a plain bearing to fit around the shaft of the roller and fit in the frame, and
the receiving portion of the bearing support is to elastically deform starting from a boundary of the plain bearing.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving portion of the bearing support includes two arc-shaped portions spaced in an arc direction following the outer ring, the two arc-shaped portions shaped to fit the outer ring, the two arc-shaped portions extending from the boundary of the plain bearing.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving portion of the bearing support is thinner than the plain bearing.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein an inner side of the plain bearing is tapered to progressively decrease an inner diameter of the plain bearing in an insertion direction of the shaft, and
wherein the shaft is press-fitted in the plain bearing.

5. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a screw to screw the bearing support to the frame.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the rolling bearing and the bearing support are disposed at each end of the roller in the axial direction of the roller, and
wherein the bearing support disposed on a driving side, to which a driving force to rotate the roller is input, is screwed to the frame.

7. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the bearing support has a through hole into which the shaft of the roller is inserted with a clearance secured.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving portion of the bearing support includes a hemispherical projection to contact the outer ring of the rolling bearing.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the rolling bearing is disposed at each end of the roller in the axial direction of the roller,
wherein the bearing support is disposed on a driven side of the roller opposite a driving side to which a driving force to rotate the roller is input, and
wherein the frame further includes a hearing support portion formed as a single part with the frame, where the bearing support portion is substantially identical in structure to the bearing support.

10. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a seal disposed between the bearing support and the image bearer,
wherein the frame includes an arc portion shaped to conform to the outer ring, the arc portion disposed in contact with the outer ring of the rolling bearing.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the rolling bearing is a ball bearing.

12. The device according to claim 11 , further including a biasing member to bias the inner ring, together with the roller, to one side in the axial direction of the roller,
wherein the outer ring contacts the frame to determine a position of the outer ring relative to the frame in the axial direction of the roller, and
wherein the inner ring of the ball bearing fits around the shaft of the roller to determine a position of the inner ring relative to the roller in the axial direction.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the biasing member includes one of a sliding member and an elastic body, and
wherein the biasing member is disposed between the bearing support and an end face of the shaft of the roller.

14. The device according to claim 12 , further comprising a driven coupling disposed on the shaft of the roller, the driven coupling to engage a driving coupling of an apparatus in which the device is mounted,
wherein the biasing member includes a spring to bias the driving coupling, to one side in the axial direction of the roller.

15. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a solid lubricant on which the roller slides; and
a lubricant biasing member to bias the solid lubricant to the roller,
wherein the device is a lubricant supply device to supply lubricant to the surface of the image bearer, and
wherein the roller is a lubricant supply roller to rotate and slidingly contact the image bearer and the solid lubricant.

16. A process cartridge to be removably mounted in an image forming apparatus, the process cartridge comprising:
the image bearer; and
the device according, to claim I disposed opposing, the image bearer.

17. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the image bearer; and
the device according, to claim I disposed opposing, the image bearer.

18. A device disposed opposing an image bearer to bear a toner image, the device comprising;
a roller to rotate while contacting a surface of the image bearer:
a rolling bearing fitted around a shaft located at an end of the roller in an axial direction of the roller, the rolling bearing including:
an outer ring;
an inner ring; and
a rolling element disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring;

a frame to house the roller;
a bearing support removably attached to the frame, the bearing support to hold, from an outer-ring side, the rolling bearing interposed between the bearing support and the frame, the bearing support including a receiving portion to contact the outer ring of the rolling bearing and bias the rolling bearing toward the frame in a direction which the rolling bearing is interposed between the bearing support and the frame; and
an elastic body disposed between the outer ring of the rolling bearing and the frame.

19. A device disposed opposing an image bearer to bear a toner image, the device comprising;
a roller to rotate while contacting a surface of the image bearer;
a fame to house the roller;
a ball bearing including:
an outer ring disposed in contact with the frame to determine a position of the outer ring relative to the frame in an axial direction of the roller;
an inner ring to fit around a shaft of the roller to determine a position of the inner ring relative to the roller in the axial direction; and
a ball disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring; and

a biasing member to bias the inner ring, together with the roller, to one side in the axial direction of the roller.

20. The device according to claim 19 , further comprising:
a solid lubricant on which the roller slides; and
a lubricant biasing member to bias the solid lubricant to the roller,
wherein the device is a lubricant supply device to supply lubricant to the surface of the image bearer, and
wherein the roller is a lubricant supply roller to rotate and slidingly contact the image bearer and the solid lubricant.

Assignees

• Tomita Daisuke
• Shintani Takeshi
• Maehata Yasuhiro
• Kuboshima Yasuhito
• Ishizuka Yusuke
• Kuwabara Nobuo
• Kudoh Norio
• AOKI Kento
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tomita Daisuke
• Shintani Takeshi
• Maehata Yasuhiro
• Kuboshima Yasuhito
• Ishizuka Yusuke
• Kuwabara Nobuo
• Kudoh Norio
• AOKI Kento

Classifications

• G03G21/0094 Primary

  fatigue treatment of the photoconductor · CPC title

• G03G15/75

  Details relating to xerographic drum, band or plate, e.g. replacing, testing (electrographic recording members per se G03G5/00) · CPC title

• G03G21/1671

  for the photosensitive element · CPC title

• G03G21/1647

  Mechanical connection means · CPC title