Patent Grant
10663911
The present invention relates to a cartridge for use with an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus including the cartridge, and an assembling method of a drive transmission unit for transmitting a rotational force to a rotatable member.
The cartridge includes at least one of a photosensitive drum and process means and is detachably mountable to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus (hereinafter referred to as an apparatus main assembly). As a representative example of the cartridge, a process cartridge can be cited. The process cartridge is prepared by integrally assembling the photosensitive drum and the process means, such as a developing means, actable on the photosensitive drum into a cartridge (unit), which is detachably mountable to the apparatus main assembly.
Further, the image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording material (medium) using an electrophotographic image forming process or the like. Examples of the image forming apparatus include a copying machine, a printer (LED printer, laser beam printer, or the like), a facsimile machine, a word processor, and so on.
Conventionally, in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, depending on an operator (user), a cartridge type in which the cartridge is mounted in and demounted from the apparatus main assembly is employed. According to this cartridge type, maintenance of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus can be performed by the user himself (herself) without relying on a service person, and therefore operativity can be remarkably improved. For this reason, the cartridge type has been widely used in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
As a constitution of the cartridge, a constitution in which the cartridge is mounted in and demounted from the apparatus main assembly in a predetermined direction substantially perpendicular to an axis of a rotatable member such as the photosensitive drum has been known. As a constitution of the apparatus main assembly, a constitution in which a main assembly-side engaging portion for transmitting the rotational force to the photosensitive drum is provided and a coupling member provided in the cartridge is engaged with the main assembly-side engaging portion, and thus the rotational force is transmitted from the main assembly-side engaging portion to the cartridge via the coupling member has been known.
In such a cartridge type, a constitution in which the coupling member and a rotational force receiving member (member to which the rotational force is to be transmitted) are provided in a photosensitive drum unit and a part of the coupling member is accommodated in the rotational force receiving member, and the coupling member is tiltable relative to an axis of the photosensitive drum unit is employed. In this constitution, with a mounting and demounting operation of the cartridge relative to the apparatus main assembly, an engaging operation and a demounting operation of the coupling member can be performed. In addition, such a constitution that the coupling member and the rotational force receiving member are connected with each other by a shaft portion and thus the rotational force transmitted from the main assembly-side engaging portion to the coupling member is transmitted from the member to the rotational force receiving member via the shaft portion has been known (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application (JP-A) 2014-112169).
However, in a conventional constitution disclosed in FIG. 20 of JP-A 2014-112169, in order to transmit the rotational force from the coupling member to the rotational force receiving member, the rotational force receiving member is provided with a groove portion for supporting the shaft portion. Then, the shaft portion contacts the groove portion of the rotational force receiving member, so that the rotational force is transmitted from the coupling member to the rotational force receiving member. In such a case, the rotational force is exerted on the groove portion of the rotational force receiving member, so that depending on a magnitude of the rotational force, not only the groove portion of the rotational force receiving member but also the rotational force receiving member itself largely deform in some instances. As a result, the rotational force receiving member rotates in a distorted state, so that there is a possibility that rotation of the rotational force receiving member and the photosensitive drum unit with high accuracy is impaired.
Further, in the rotational force receiving member, rotates where the groove portion is provided and the groove portion is not provided co-exist, so that a shape of the rotational force receiving member becomes complicated. In such a case, when the rotational force receiving member is molded, flowability of a resin material becomes non-uniform, so that it becomes difficult to mold the rotational force receiving member with high accuracy in some instances.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a degree of deformation of a rotational force receiving member when a rotational force is transmitted to the rotational force receiving member in a cartridge for use with an apparatus main assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to mold the rotational force receiving member with high accuracy (precision) by making flowability of a resin material when the rotational force receiving member is molded.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising: a rotatable member; a rotatable rotational force receiving member for transmitting a rotational force to be transmitted to the rotatable member; a preventing member connected with the rotational force receiving member and including an accommodating portion therein; a rotatable coupling member including a free end portion which includes a rotational force receiving portion for receiving the rotational force and including a connecting portion connected with the preventing portion to be partly accommodated in the accommodating portion so that a rotational axis of the coupling member permits tilting thereof relative to a rotational axis of the rotational force receiving member; and a shaft portion capable of receiving the rotational force from the coupling member, wherein the preventing member includes a supporting portion for supporting ends of the shaft portion so as to prevent the shaft portion from moving in a rotational direction of the rotatable member to transmit the rotational force received from the shaft portion via the supporting portion to the rotational force receiving member.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
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A cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, as the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a laser beam printer main assembly and a process cartridge detachably mountable to the laser beam printer main assembly will be described, for example.
In the following description, a longitudinal direction of the process cartridge is a direction substantially parallel to a rotational axis L1 of a photosensitive drum as a rotatable member for carrying a developer and a rotational axis L5 of a developing roller. Further, the longitudinal direction of the process cartridge is a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction in which the process cartridge is mounted in and demounted from an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main assembly and is a direction crossing a feeding direction of a recording material. Further, with respect to the longitudinal direction of the process cartridge, a side where the photosensitive drum receives the rotational force from the apparatus main assembly is a driving side, and a side opposite from the driving side is a non-driving side. Further, a widthwise (short) direction is a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis L1 of the photosensitive drum and the rotational axis L5 of the developing roller.
Reference numerals or symbols in the description are used for making reference to the drawings, but do not limit constitutions. Further, functions, dimensions, materials and relative arrangements of constituent elements or portions described in the following embodiments are not intended that the scope of the present invention is limited only thereto.
(1) General Structure of Image Forming Apparatus
A general structure of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described using
The image forming apparatus shown in
On the basis of a print start signal, a photosensitive drum 62 as a rotatable member is rotationally driven in an arrow R direction at a predetermined peripheral speed (process speed). The photosensitive drum 62 is electrically charged uniformly at a surface thereof by a charging roller 66 under application of a voltage from the apparatus main assembly A. Further, the charged photosensitive drum 62 is irradiated with laser light L, depending on image information, from an optical means 3, so that an electrostatic latent image depending on the image information is formed on the photosensitive drum 62. This electrostatic latent image is developed with a developer by a developing means described later.
In the apparatus main assembly A, along a feeding direction D of the recording material P, a pick-up roller 5a, a feeding roller pair 5b, a conveying roller pair 5c, a registration roller pair 5d, a transfer guide 6, a transfer roller 7, a feeding guide 8, a fixing device 9, a discharging roller pair 10, a discharge tray 11, and so on are successively provided. The fixing device 9 includes a heating roller 9a incorporating therein a heater 9c and includes a pressing roller 9b.
On the other hand, the recording material P accommodated in a feeding tray 4 is separated and fed one by one by the pick-up roller 5a and a separation pad 5e press-contacted to the pick-up roller 5a in synchronism with formation of the developer image. Then, the recording material P is fed by the feeding roller pair 5b, the conveying roller pair 5c and the registration roller pair 5d, and then supplied to between the photosensitive drum 62 and the transfer roller 7 via the transfer guide 6. The transfer roller is urged so as to contact the surface of the photosensitive drum 62.
Then, the recording material P passes through a transfer nip 7a formed by the photosensitive drum 62 and the transfer roller 7. At this time, by applying a voltage of an opposite polarity to the polarity of the developer image to the transfer roller 7, the developer image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 62 is transferred onto the recording material P.
The recording material P on which the developer image is transferred is separated from the photosensitive drum 62 and then is fed to the fixing device 9 along the feeding guide 8. To the recording material P, heat and pressure are applied when the recording material P passes through the nip 9d between the heating roller 9a and the pressing roller 9b, so that the developer image transferred on the recording material P is fixed on the recording material P. As a result, the image is formed on the recording material P. Thereafter, the recording material P is fed to the discharging roller pair 10, and then is discharged to the discharge tray 11.
(2) General Structure of Cartridge B
Using
As shown in
The developer t accommodated in the developer accommodating container 21 is sent into a developing chamber 23a of the developing container 23 through an opening 21a of the developer accommodating container 21. The developing container 23 is provided with the developing roller 32 incorporating a magnet roller 34 therein. The developing roller 32 attracts the developer t in the developing chamber 23a to the surface of the developing roller 32 by a magnetic force of the magnet roller 34. The developing blade 42 is constituted by a supporting member 42a formed with a metal plate and an elastic member 42b formed with an elastic member such as an urethane rubber, and is provided so that the elastic member 42b elastically contacts the developing roller 32 with a certain contact pressure. Further, the developing roller 32 rotates in a rotational direction X5, so that an amount of the developer t deposited on the surface of the developing roller 32 is defined and triboelectric charges are imparted to the developer t. As a result, a developer layer is formed on the surface of the developing roller 32. By rotating the developing roller 32, to which a voltage is applied from the apparatus main assembly A, in the rotational direction X5, the developer t is supplied to a developing region of the photosensitive drum 62.
On an outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 62, the charging roller 66 is provided in contact with the photosensitive drum 2 in a state in which the charging roller 66 is rotatably supported and urged by the cleaning frame 71. The charging roller 66 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 62 by application of a voltage from the apparatus main assembly A. Then, by the laser light L from the optical means 3, the electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 62. Then, in the developing region, the developer t is transferred depending on the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 62 to visualize the electrostatic latent image, so that the developer image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1.
The cleaning blade 77 is provided elastically in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 62 and scrapes off the developer t remaining on the photosensitive drum 2 after the developer image is transferred onto the recording material P. The scraped developer t is applied in a removed developer accommodating portion 71a of the cleaning frame 71 to which the cleaning blade 77 is fixed.
As shown in
At this time, urging members 46L, 46R secured to base portions of the arm portions 23aL, 23aR abut against the cleaning frame 71, and urge the developing unit 20 toward the cleaning unit 60 with the connecting members 75 (75a, 75b) as a rotation center. As a result, the developing roller 32 is pressed in the direction of the photosensitive drum 62 with reliability.
The developing roller 32 is positioned with a predetermined gap (spacing) from the photosensitive drum 62 by spacing-holding members 17L, 17R secured to end portions of the developing roller 32.
(3) Mounting and Demounting Constitution of Cartridge B Relative to Apparatus Main Assembly A
Using
As shown in
On the other hand, as shown in (a) of
Here, the mounting and demounting path X1 of the cartridge B is provided along a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis L10 of the main assembly-side engaging portion 14.
As shown in (a) of
Using
As shown in (a) and (d) of
When the cartridge B is further inserted in the mounting direction X1a, as shown in (b) and (e) of
When the cartridge B is inserted into a mounting completion position, as shown in (c) and (f) of
In this way, by engagement of the coupling member 86 with the main assembly-side engaging portion 14, the rotational force can be transmitted from the apparatus main assembly A to the cartridge B.
Incidentally, “substantially coaxial (in alignment) with” includes, in addition to the case where a rotational axis (e.g., L2) is completely coaxial (in alignment) with another rotational axis (e.g., L1, L10), also the case where the rotational axis is somewhat deviated from the coaxial (alignment) state with another rotational axis due to a variation in part (component) dimension. This is true for also the following description.
Further, in this embodiment, the constitution in which the free end portion 86a of the coupling member 86 is directed by the urging member 91 (b) of
Further, in place of the urging member 91 ((b) of
By the operation described above, the cartridge B is positioned in the apparatus main assembly A, so that the mounting operation of the cartridge B into the apparatus main assembly A is completed. On the other hand, when the cartridge B is demounted from the apparatus main assembly A, the demounting operation is performed by the user in a reverse process to the mounting process of the cartridge B while the user grips the gripping portion T, and therefore will be omitted from description. The coupling member 86 is changed in state from (c) and (f) of
In this embodiment, the mounting and demounting path X1 was described as a path provided linearly with respect to a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis L10 of the main assembly-side engaging portion 14, but is not limited thereto. The mounting and demounting path X1 may also be a combination of rectilinear lines or a curved path.
In this embodiment, the constitution in which the cartridge B moves in the direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis L10 of the main assembly-side engaging portion along the mounting and demounting path X1 was described, but is not limited thereto. Only in the neighborhood of the mounting completion position, the cartridge B moves in the direction substantially perpendicular to L10 of the main assembly-side engaging portion 14, and at places other than the neighborhood of the mounting completion position, the cartridge B may move in any direction. That is, at the time when the coupling member 86 is engaged with or disengaged from the main assembly-side engaging portion 14, the coupling member 86 may only be required to move in a predetermined direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis L10 of the main assembly-side engaging portion 14.
(4) Photosensitive Drum Unit U1
Using
As shown in
The photosensitive drum 62 is an electroconductive member, such as aluminum, having a surface coated with a photosensitive layer. The inside of the photosensitive drum 62 may be hollow or solid.
The driving-side flange unit U2 is disposed at a driving-side end portion of the photosensitive drum 62. Specifically, as shown in (c) of
Similarly, the non-driving-side flange 64 is disposed substantially coaxially with the photosensitive drum 62 at a non-driving-side end portion of the photosensitive drum 62. As shown in (c) of
As shown in (a) of
In this embodiment, a constitution in which the supporting member 76 is fixed to the cleaning frame 71 by the screws 90 is employed, but a fixing constitution by bonding or a bonding constitution using a method resin material may also be employed. Further, the cleaning frame 71 and the supporting member 76 may also be integrated with each other.
The supporting member 76 is provided with the urging member 91 for inclining the coupling member 86. Specifically, as shown in (b) of
(5) Driving-Side Flange Unit U2
Using
Using (a) of
The coupling member 86 principally includes 3 (first to third) portions. The first portion is the free end portion 86a for receiving the rotational force from the main assembly-side engaging portion 14 in engagement with the main assembly-side engaging portion 14. The second portion is the connecting portion 86c which is substantially spherical in shape and which is connected (coupled) with the preventing member 89. The third portion is the connecting portion 86g connecting the free end portion 86a and the connecting portion 86c.
In this embodiment, a diameter φZ2 of the connecting portion 86g is smaller than a diameter φZ1 of the free end portion 86a and is smaller than a diameter φZ3 of the connecting portion 86c. The diameter φZ1 is smaller than the diameter φZ3. The connecting portion 86g has a circular column shape (cylindrical shape) substantially along with the rotational axis L2.
The free end portion 86a is, as shown in
Further, on a free end side of the free end portion 86a and on the circumference of a circle with the rotational axis L2 as a center, two projections 86d1, 86d2 are provided. The projections 86d1, 86d2 are disposed at point-symmetrical positions with respect to the rotational axis L2 so as to project toward the rotational axis L2. Further, between the projections 86d1, 86d2, stand-by portions 86k1, 86k2 are provided. Here, with respect to a radial direction of the coupling member 86, the receiving surface 86f is constituted so as to be positioned inside the two projections 86d1, 86d2. During stand-by for transmission of the rotational force from the main assembly-side engaging portion 14 to the coupling member 86, the rotational force applying portions 14a, 14b are positioned at the stand-by portions 86k1, 86k2, Further, the projections 86d1, 86d2 are provided with rotational force receiving portions 86e1, 86e2, respectively, crossing an R direction, which is a cartridge rotational direction, on an upstream side with respect to the R direction.
In a state in which the coupling member 86 and the main assembly-side engaging portion 14 engage with each other and the main assembly-side engaging portion 14 rotates, the rotational force applying portions 14a, 14b contact the rotational force receiving portions 86e1, 86e2. As a result, the rotational force is transmitted from the main assembly-side engaging portion 14 to the coupling member 86.
The connecting portion 86c is, as shown in (b) of
The connecting portion 86c is provided with a hole 86b which is a through hole penetrating in a perpendicular direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis L2. This hole 86b is constituted by rotational force transmitting portions 86b1, 86b2 parallel to the rotational axis L2, a first inclination-regulated portion 86p1 and a second inclination-regulated portion 86p2. Using (c) of
A material for the coupling member 86 in this embodiment is a resin material such as polyacetal, polycarbonate, PPS, a liquid crystal polymer or the like. However, in order to enhance rigidity of the coupling member 86, depending on a load torque, glass fibers, carbon fibers or the like may also be added in the above resin material. In the case where the fibers are added in the resin material, it is possible to enhance the rigidity of the coupling member 86. Further, by insertion of metal into the resin material, the rigidity may also be further enhanced, and the coupling member 86 may also be prepared by metal or the like as a whole.
Further, the free end portion 86a, the connecting portion 86c and the connecting portion 86g may be integrally molded or may also integrally connected after being formed as separate members.
The pin 88 is, as shown in (a) of
The preventing member 89 is provided with a base portion 89a which is a disk in shape and a projected portion 89b which projects from the base portion 89a substantially parallel to and along the rotational axis L3 of the preventing member 89 and which is a cylinder in shape. The base portion 89a is provided with a connecting portion 89a1 for connecting with the driving-side flange 87. Inside the projected portion 89b, a first supporting portion 89b1 extending along the rotational axis L3 and a conical-shaped second supporting portion 89b2 provided closer to the base portion 89a than the first supporting portion 89b1 is with respect to the rotational axis L1. The preventing member 89 is provided with an accommodating portion surrounded by the first supporting portion 89b1 and the second supporting portion 89b2. Further, the preventing member 89 is provided with a pair of groove portions 89c substantially parallel to the rotational axis L3 of the projected portion 89b. The pair of groove portions 89c is disposed so as to be shifted in phase by about 180 deg. around the rotational axis L3 of the projected portion 89b. Further, as shown in (b) of
The driving-side flange 87 is, as shown in (a) of
Further, the driving-side flange 87 has a hollow shape and includes an accommodating portion 87i therein. Here, the accommodating portion 87i is a portion for accommodating therein the connecting portion 86c of the coupling member 86, the pin 88 and the projected portion 89b of the preventing member 89. Further, the accommodating portion 87i prevents, on the driving side thereof, the coupling member 86 and the pin 88 from dropping (falling) out toward the driving side.
In this embodiment, the driving-side flange 87 is molded with a resin material by injection molding, and a material for the driving-side flange 87 is polyacetal, polycarbonate or the like. However, depending on a load torque for rotating the photosensitive drum 62, the driving-side flange 87 may also be formed of metal.
Using (a) and (b) of
First, the pin 88 is inserted into the hole 86b of the coupling member 86. Then, a phase of the pin 88 is aligned with a phase of the pair of groove portions 89c of the preventing member 89 so that the pin 88 is engaged in the pair of groove portions 89c. Then, the coupling member 86 and the pin 88 are inserted together into the accommodating portion 89b3 along the rotational axis L1. At this time, the connecting portion 86c of the coupling member 86 is supported by the first supporting portion 89b1 of the preventing member 89, so that the coupling member 86 is prevented from moving in a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis L1. Further, the rotational force transmitting portions 88a1, 88a2 of the pin 88 are sandwiched between the rotational force receiving portion 89c1 and the rotation preventing portion 89c2 which from the groove portion 89c of the preventing member 89, so that the pin 88 is prevented from moving in the rotational direction R of the photosensitive drum 62.
Next, the coupling member 86, the pin 88 and the preventing member 89 are inserted together into the accommodating portion 87i of the driving-side flange 87 from the non-driving side along the rotational axis L1. On the other hand, on the driving side of the driving-side flange 87, an opening 87m is provided. A diameter φZ10 of the opening 87m is provided so as to be larger than the diameter φZ1 of the free end portion 86a and the diameter φZ2 of the connecting portion 86g. As a result, the free end portion 86a and a part of the connecting portion 86g of the coupling member 86 pass through the opening 87m and can be disposed outside the accommodating portion 87i on the driving side. In this state, the connecting portion 89a1 of the preventing member 89 and the connecting portion 87a of the driving-side flange 87 can be fixed to each other by welding or bonding. At this time, the connecting portion 89a1 of the preventing member 89 and the connecting portion 87a of the driving-side flange 87 are connected with each other in a broad range around the rotational axis L1. As a result, the coupling member 86 and the pin 88 are connected with the driving-side flange 87 via the preventing member 89.
As shown in (b) of
As shown in (c) of
The hole 86b and the pin 88 are set so as to permit tilting of the coupling member 86, so that the coupling member 86 is capable of inclining (tilting, swinging) in any direction relative to the driving-side flange 87.
(6) Transmission Constitution of Rotational Force from Main Assembly-Side Engaging Portion 14 to Photosensitive Drum 62
Using
As shown in
Due to a variation in part (component) dimension or the like, in some cases, the rotational axis L10 of the main assembly-side engaging portion 14 and the rotational axis L1 of the driving-side flange 87 are disposed so s to be somewhat shifted (deviated) from a coaxial state in which these axes completely coincide with each other. However, the connecting portion 86c of the coupling member 86 is supported by the first supporting portion 89b1 of the preventing member 89 so that the rotational axis L2 can incline in all directions relative to the rotational axis L1. Therefore, even in such a case, the coupling member 86 rotates while the rotational axis L2 inclines relative to the rotational axis L1, so that the rotational force is transmitted from the main assembly-side engaging portion 14 to the coupling member 86.
As described above, in this embodiment, by the preventing portion 89c3 constituting the groove portion 89c of the preventing member 89 and the second retaining portion 87f of the driving-side flange 87, the movement of the pin 88 in the longitudinal direction was prevented. Further, by the rotational force receiving portion 89c1 and the rotation preventing portion 89c2 which constitute the groove portion 89c of the preventing member 89, the movement of the pin 88 in the rotational direction R was prevented. Further, by the first supporting portion 89b1 constituting the accommodating portion 89b3 of the preventing member 89, the movement of the coupling member 86 in the direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the driving-side flange 87 was prevented. In addition, by the second supporting portion 89b2 constituting the accommodating portion 89b3 of the preventing member 89, the movement of the coupling member 86 from the driving side to the non-driving side. Further, by the first retaining portion 87e of the driving-side flange 87, the movement of the coupling member 86 from the non-driving side to the driving side was prevented. As a result, without proving the driving-side flange 87 with a groove-shaped portion, the coupling member 86 and the pin 88 were connected with the driving-side flange 87 via the preventing member 89.
In a conventional constitution, the rotational force transmitted from the coupling member to the pin is received by the groove-shaped portion of the driving-side flange, but depending on a magnitude of the rotational force, there is a possibility that not only the groove-shaped portion of the driving-side flange but also the driving-side flange itself are largely deformed. As a result, with respect to the driving-side flange, there is a possibility that the portion-to-be-supported where the driving-side flange is rotatably supported and the gear portion or the like for transmitting the rotational force to the developing roller are deformed. As a result, the driving-side flange rotates in a distorted state and engagement of the gear portion during rotation becomes unstable, so that there is a possibility that accurate rotation is impaired. However, according to the constitution of this embodiment, the rotational force transmitted from the coupling member 86 to the pin 88 is received by the groove portion 89c of the preventing member 89. Further, the connecting portion 89a1 of the preventing member 89 and the connecting portion 87a of the driving-side flange 87 are connected with each other in a broad range around the rotational axis L1, so that the rotational force received by the groove portion 89c is transmitted from the connecting portion 89a1 of the preventing member 89 to the connecting portion 87a of the driving-side flange 87. Assuming that the groove portion 89c of the preventing member 89 is deformed by the rotational force, the preventing member 89 is connected with the driving-side flange 87 at the connecting portion 89a1 different from the deformed groove portion 89c, so that the deformation of the groove portion 89c does not readily affect the driving-side flange 87. Further, localization of transmission of the rotational force from the preventing member 89 to the driving-side flange 87 around the rotational axis L1 is eliminated. Therefore, deformation of the driving-side flange 87 can be suppressed. Accordingly, compared with the conventional constitution, the driving-side flange rotates with high accuracy and the engagement of the gear portion 87c is stable, so that it is possible to smoothly transmit the rotational force from the driving-side flange to the photosensitive drum 62 and the developing roller 32.
Further, in the conventional constitution, the phase where the driving-side flange is provided with the groove-shaped portion around the rotational axis L1 and the phase where there is no groove-shaped portion exist in mixture, and therefore the shape of the driving-side flange was complicated. However, according to the constitution in this embodiment, the driving-side flange 87 has no groove shape, and therefore the shape of the driving-side flange 87 can be made the same around the rotational axis L1. Accordingly, the resin material becomes easily flow uniformly when the driving-side flange 87 is molded by injection molding, and therefore a molding property of the driving-side flange 87 is improved, so that part (component) accuracy of the driving-side flange 87 is improved.
Further, in some cases, a method of fixing the driving-side flange 87 to the photosensitive drum 62 by caulking is used, but when the caulking is made, a strong force is exerted on the driving-side flange 87 from a direction substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the driving-side flange 87. In the conventional constitution, the groove-shaped portion of the driving-side flange acts as a trigger, so that there is a possibility that the driving-side flange is largely deformed. Alternatively, there is a need to provide a reinforcing shape for suppressing the deformation of the driving-side flange, so that there is a possibility that the shape of the driving-side flange becomes complicated. However, according to the constitution in this embodiment, the driving-side flange 87 has no groove shape, and therefore, the driving-side flange 87 can be reinforced by a simple-shaped portion.
In this embodiment, the constitution in which the driving-side flange 87 is provided with the first retaining portion 87e for preventing the coupling member 86 from moving substantially in parallel to the axis L1 and the second retaining portion 87f for preventing the pin 88 from moving substantially in parallel to the axis L1 was employed. However, the pin 88 is inserted into the hole 86b of the coupling member 86, and therefore the first retaining portion 87e may also be removed (eliminated) and by the pin 88, the movement of the coupling member 86 in the direction of the axis L1 may also be prevented.
In this embodiment, the coupling member 86 and the pin 88 were described as separate members, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in (a) of
Embodiment 2 to which the present invention is applied will be described using
In this embodiment, compared with Embodiment 1, a shape of the preventing member 289 at a portion supporting the pin 88 is different. This will be specifically described.
As shown in (a) of
An assembling method of the driving-side flange unit U21 will be described. First, as shown in (a) of
The holes 289c and the pin 88 are provided in a press-fitting manner, so that it is possible to prevent separation among the coupling member 86, the pin 88 and the preventing member 289. Therefore, the assembling property when the coupling member 86, the pin 88 and the preventing member 289 are assembled with the driving-side flange 87 can be further improved.
Embodiment 3 to which the present invention is applied will be described using
In this embodiment, compared with Embodiments 1 and 2, a shape of the preventing member 389 at a portion supporting the pin 88 is different. This will be specifically described.
As shown in (a) of
The projected portions 389d, 389e may only be required to be provided at least at either one of the portions 389c1, 389c2, and in the case where either one of the projected portions 389d, 389e is provided, also the cut-away portion 389f may only be required to be provided at one position. At this time, in the case where the rotation preventing portion 389c2 is provided with the cut-away portion 389f and the rotational force receiving portion 389c1 is not provided with the cut-away portion 389f, when the pin 88 contacts the rotational force receiving portion 389c1, it is possible to suppress deformation of the rotational force receiving portion 389c1 in a direction in which the rotational force receiving portion 389c1 spaces from the rotation preventing portion 389c2.
An assembling method of the driving-side flange unit U31 will be described. The coupling member 86 and the pin 88 are paired with each other and are assembled with the preventing member 389 along the rotational axis L33. At this time, a gap H31 between the projected portions 389d, 389e is smaller than an outer diameter φZ31 of the pin 88, and therefore the pin and the projected portions 389d, 389e contact each other. Here, a contact portion 389d1 of the projected portion 389d provided on the rotational force receiving portion 389c1 is provided so as to incline in a direction in which the contact portion 389d1 spaces from the rotational force receiving portion 389c1 with a decreasing distance from the preventing portion 389c3 along the rotational axis L33 ((b) of
Embodiment 4 to which the present invention is applied will be described using
In this embodiment, compared with Embodiments 1 to 3, a deformation direction of a shape of the preventing member 489 at a portion supporting the pin 88 is different. This will be specifically described.
As shown in (a) of
An assembling method of the driving-side flange unit U41 will be described. The coupling member 86 and the pin 88 are paired with each other and are assembled with the preventing member 489 along the rotational axis L43. At this time, a gap H41 between the pair of projected portions 489b is smaller than a full length T41 of the pin 88, and therefore the pin 88 and a contact portion 489b1 of the projected portion 489e contact each other. Here, the contact portion 489d1 of is provided so as to incline in a direction in which the contact portion 489d1 approaches the rotational axis L43 along the rotational axis L43. For that reason, when the pin 88 is moved along the rotational axis L43, the pin 88 passes through the contact portion 489b1 while the project portions 489b are elastically deformed in a direction of being spaced from the rotational axis L43. Then, as shown in (c) of
The form of the cartridge B in the above-described embodiments was described using the process cartridge including the photosensitive drum and the process means as an example, but is not limited thereto. As the form of the cartridge B, for example, the present invention is suitably applied to also a photosensitive drum cartridge which is not provided with the process means but is provided with the photosensitive drum 1. Further, the present invention is also suitably applied to a developing cartridge which is not provided with the photosensitive drum but is provided with the developing roller 32 and in which the rotational force is transmitted from the main assembly-side engaging portion to the developing roller 32 for carrying the toner while being rotated. In this case, the coupling member transmits the rotational force to the driving roller as a rotatable member in place of the photosensitive drum.
In the embodiments described above, the driving-side flange as the rotational force receiving member has the constitution in which the driving-side flange is fixed to the longitudinal end portion of the photosensitive drum which is the recording material, but may also have a constitution in which the rotational force receiving member and the rotatable member are not fixed to each other but may also be independently provided from each other. For example, a constitution in which the rotational force receiving member is a gear member and is connected with the rotatable member such as the photosensitive drum or the developing roller by engagement of gears.
In the above-described embodiments, the cartridge B is used for forming a monochromatic (single-color), but is not limited thereto. The present invention is suitably applicable to a cartridge in which a plurality of developing means are provided and a plurality of color images (for example, two color images, three color images or a full-color image) are formed.
In the above-described embodiments, the constitution in which the spacing holding members 17L, 17R are contacted to the outer peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drum 62 and thus the developing roller 32 is urged toward the photosensitive drum 62 is employed, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the present invention is suitably applicable to also a constitution in which an outer peripheral surface of the developing roller 32 is directly contacted to the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 62 to be urged toward the photosensitive drum 62.
In the above-described embodiments, the printer is described as the image forming apparatus, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the image forming apparatus may also be other image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a multi-function machine having a combination of functions of these machines, and so on. Or, the image forming apparatus may also be an image forming apparatus in which a recording material carrying member is used and color toner images are successively transferred superposedly onto a recording material carried on the recording material carrying member. The image forming apparatus may also be an image forming apparatus in which an intermediary transfer member is used and in which color toner images are successively transferred superposedly onto the intermediary transfer member and then are collectively transferred from the intermediary transfer member. By applying the present invention to the cartridges for use with these image forming apparatuses, a similar effect can be obtained.
When the present invention is carried out, the constitutions and the arrangements of the above-described embodiments may also be appropriately selected and combined.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
As described above, according to the present invention, in a cartridge for use with an image forming apparatus, a degree of deformation of a rotational force receiving member is reduced when a rotational force is transmitted to the rotational force receiving member. Further, according to the present invention, when the rotational force receiving member is molded, a flowability of a resin material is made uniform, so that the rotational force receiving member is molded with high accuracy.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Child | 16530162 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2016/058418 | Mar 2016 | US |
| Child | 15635458 | US |
