Claims
- 1. A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:
- a photosensitive member;
- first developing means for developing a latent image formed on said photosensitive member;
- second developing means for developing, in a color different from that developed by said first developing means, a latent image formed on said photosensitive member;
- a common electric contact for establishing an electric connection with an electric contact of the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly;
- a first electric contact, connected to said first developing means, for supplying a voltage to said first developing means;
- a second electric contact, connected to said second developing means, for supplying a voltage to said second developing means; and
- selecting means, mounted coaxially with said photosensitive member, for selectively establishing by rotational contact an electric connection between said common electric contact and one of said first electric contact and said second electric contact.
- 2. A process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein each of said first developing means and said second developing means is capable of being supplied with a bias voltage through said common electric contact.
- 3. A process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said selecting means comprises a switching member driven by the image forming apparatus to electrically connect a selected one of said first electric contact and said second electric contact.
- 4. A process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said first developing means and said second developing means contain different color developers, respectively.
- 5. A process cartridge according to claim 4, wherein said color developers include yellow, magenta, and cyan developers.
- 6. A process cartridge according to claim 4, wherein said selecting means is operable in accordance with a color of the developer to be supplied to said photosensitive member.
- 7. A process cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising charging means for uniformly charging said photosensitive member and cleaning means for removing residual matter from said photosensitive member.
- 8. An image forming apparatus having a main assembly to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said image forming apparatus comprising:
- a mounting portion for mounting to said image forming apparatus a process cartridge that includes a photosensitive member; first developing means for developing a latent image formed on the photosensitive member; second developing means for developing, in a color different from that developed by the first developing means, a latent image formed on the photosensitive member; a common electric contact for establishing an electric connection with an electric contact of the main assembly when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly; a first electric contact, connected to the first developing means, for supplying a voltage to the first developing means; a second electric contact, connected to the second developing means, for supplying a voltage to the second developing means; and selecting means, mounted coaxially with the photosensitive member, for selectively establishing by rotational contact an electric connection between the common electric contact and one of the first electric contact and the second electric contact;
- a main assembly contact for establishing an electric connection with the common electric contact of the process cartridge when the process cartridge is mounted to said mounting portion; and
- a voltage source connected to said main assembly contact.
- 9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said voltage source applies a bias voltage to the first developing means and the second developing means.
- 10. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the selecting means includes a switching member for establishing an electric connection between the common electric contact and a selected one of the first electric contact and the second electric contact.
- 11. An image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising driving means for engaging with and driving the switching member when the process cartridge is mounted to said image forming apparatus.
- 12. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first developing means and the second developing means contain different color developers.
- 13. An image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the color developers include yellow, magenta, and cyan developers.
- 14. An image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said image forming apparatus is capable of forming a full-color image.
- 15. An image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the selecting means is operable in accordance with a color of the developer to be supplied to the photosensitive member.
- 16. A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:
- a photosensitive member;
- a first developer including a first developing roller disposed adjacent to said photosensitive member to develop in a first color a latent image formed on said photosensitive member;
- a second developer including a second developing roller disposed adjacent to said photosensitive member to develop, in a second color different from said first color, a latent image formed on said photosensitive member;
- a third developer including a third developing roller disposed adjacent to said photosensitive member to develop, in a third color different from said first and second colors, a latent image formed on said photosensitive member;
- a first electric contact, connected to said first developer, for supplying a voltage to said first developer;
- a second electric contact, connected to said second developer, for supplying a voltage to said second developer;
- a third electric contact, connected to said third developer, for supplying a voltage to said third developer;
- a movable common electric contact for establishing an electric connection between one of said first, second, and third electric contacts and an electric contact of the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly; and
- a selector, mounted coaxially with said photosensitive member, for selecting one of said first, second, and third electric contacts to establish by rotational contact an electric connection between said common electric contact and said selected electric contact.
- 17. A process cartridge according to claim 16, wherein each of said first developer, said second developer, and said third developer is capable of being supplied with a bias voltage through said common electric contact.
- 18. A process cartridge according to claim 16, wherein said selector comprises a switching member driven by the image forming apparatus to electrically connect a selected one of said first electric contact, said second electric contact, and said third electric contact.
- 19. A process cartridge according to claim 16, wherein said first developer, said second developer, and said third developer contain different color developer materials, respectively.
- 20. A process cartridge according to claim 19, wherein said color developer materials include yellow, magenta, and cyan developer materials.
- 21. A process cartridge according to claim 19, wherein said selector is operable in accordance with a color of the developer material to be supplied to said photosensitive member.
- 22. A process cartridge according to claim 16, further comprising a charger that uniformly charges said photosensitive member and a cleaner that removes residual matter from said photosensitive member.
- 23. A process cartridge according to claim 16, wherein said process cartridge is usable with a fourth developer that is detachably mountable to the main assembly independently of the mounting of said process cartridge, wherein the fourth developer develops the latent image formed on said photosensitive member with a black developer material.
- 24. An image forming apparatus having a main assembly to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said image forming apparatus comprising:
- a mounting portion for mounting to said image forming apparatus a process cartridge that includes a photosensitive member; a first developer including a first developing roller disposed adjacent to the photosensitive member to develop a latent image formed on the photosensitive member; a second developer including a second developing roller disposed adjacent to the photosensitive member to develop, in a second color different from the first color, a latent image formed on the photosensitive member; a third developer including a third developing roller disposed adjacent to the photosensitive member to develop, in a third color different from the first and second colors, a latent image formed on the photosensitive member; a first electric contact, connected to the first developer, for supplying a voltage to the first developer; a second electric contact, connected to the second developer, for supplying a voltage to the second developer; a third electric contact, connected to the third developer, for supplying a voltage to the third developer; a movable common electric contact for establishing an electric connection between one of the first, second, and third electric contacts and an electric contact of said main assembly when the process cartridge is mounted to said main assembly; and a selector, mounted coaxially with said photosensitive member, for selecting one of the first, second, and third electric contacts to establish by rotational contact an electric connection between the common electric contact and the selected electric contact;
- a main assembly contact for establishing an electric connection with the common electric contact of the process cartridge when the process cartridge is mounted to said mounting portion; and
- a voltage source connected to said main assembly contact.
- 25. An image forming apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said voltage source applies a bias voltage to the first developer, the second developer, and the third developer.
- 26. An image forming apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the selector includes a switching member that establishes an electric connection between the common electric contact and a selected one of the first electric contact, the second electric contact, and the third electric contact.
- 27. An image forming apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising a driver that engages with and drives the switching member when the process cartridge is mounted to said image forming apparatus.
- 28. An image forming apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the first developer, the second developer, and the third developer contain different color developer materials, respectively.
- 29. An image forming apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the color developer materials include yellow, magenta, and cyan developer materials.
- 30. An image forming apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said image forming apparatus is capable of forming a full-color image.
- 31. An image forming apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the selector is operable in accordance with a color of the developer material to be supplied to the photosensitive member.
- 32. An image forming apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the process cartridge is usable with a fourth developer that is detachably mountable to said main assembly independently of the mounting of the process cartridge, wherein the fourth developer develops the latent image formed on the photosensitive member with a black developer material.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
3-137098 |
May 1991 |
JPX |
|
3-137099 |
May 1991 |
JPX |
|
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/882,568 filed May 13, 1992, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2-144569 |
Jun 1990 |
JPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Bogart, Jr, Electronic Devices and Circuits, 1986, pp. 121-122 and 308-309. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
882568 |
May 1992 |
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