Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Akiyoshi Fujita

Kenji Matsuda

Takahito Ueno

Atsushi Numagami

Nobuharu Hoshi

Isao Koishi

Tadashi Horikawa

Hironobu Isobe

Shigeo Miyabe

Hisayoshi Kojima

Kouji Hashimoto

Yasuyuki Ishii

Norio Takami

A developer supply container supplies a developer to a process cartridge detachably mounted to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge contains an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a charging member for charging the drum. The developer supply container includes a developer accommodating portion, a developer supply opening for supplying the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion to the cartridge, a container closing member for opening and closing the developer supply opening, a first container guide guidable by an apparatus main assembly guide, a second container guide guidable by the main assembly guide, a container force receiving portion for receiving a force for opening the supply opening by movement of the closing member by engagement with a cartridge engaging portion provided in the cartridge, and a first container positioning portion engageable with a first main assembly positioning portion.

Developer supply container and electrophotographic image forming apparatus

An electrophotographic photosensitive drum supporting apparatus for rotatably supporting a photosensitive drum includes a first supporting member having a first hole for supporting one end of the drum, and first and second surfaces on one side and the other side of the first supporting member relative to an imaginary plane passing through the axis of the drum, respectively. The first and second surfaces are inclined with respect to the plane so as to contact with the drum and are provided on the inner surface of the first hole. The apparatus also includes a second supporting member having a second hole for supporting the other end of the drum, and a third and a fourth surfaces on one side and the other side of the second supporting member relative to the plane, respectively. The third and fourth surfaces are inclined with respect to the plane so as to contact with the drum and are provided on the inner surface of the second hole. The apparatus also includes a plurality of process members provided in contact with the drum. The direction of the resultant force of a force acting on the drum by the plurality of process members is a direction in which the drum is urged against the first and second inclined surfaces and against the third and fourth inclined surfaces.

Electrophotographic photosensitive drum supporting apparatus, process cartridge and electrophotographic image forming apparatus

A process cartridge detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body, including: an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a cleaning member for removing developer adhering to the photosensitive drum; a removed developer containing portion for containing the developer removed by the cleaning member; a filter member mounted to the removed developer containing portion for allowing ventilation between the interior and exterior of the removed developer containing portion; a recess provided on the removed developer containing portion and covered with the filter member; and a communicating portion provided on the removed developer containing portion for communicating between the interior of the removed developer containing portion and the recess to ventilate therebetween.

Process cartridge and electrophotographic image forming apparatus

There is provided an image forming apparatus including the first developing agent storing section which stores toner, a toner replenishing member for supplying the toner in the first developing agent storing section to the second developing agent storing section, and a controller which controls operation of the toner replenishing member on the basis of information about the amount of toner used in the first developing agent storing section and information about the fluidity of the toner. By more accurately controlling a toner discharge amount of a toner replenishing container and detecting the remaining toner, the toner density in a developing unit can always be kept constant to meet the demand for higher-quality images. There can be provided an inexpensive compact image forming apparatus in which the replacement timing of a developing agent replenishing container is delayed to obtain a longer service life.

Image forming apparatus with a toner replenishing control feature based on stored toner density and fluidity information, related method, and developing agent replenishing container for same

A recycling method is for a developer supply unit for supplying a developer to developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member. The developer supply unit is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and includes a developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer, a developer supply port for supplying the developer to the developing means and a feeding member for feeding the developer to the developer supply port from the developer accommodating portion. The method includes an injection step of injecting the developer through the developer supply port; and driving step of driving the feeding member in a direction for feeding the developer from the developer supply port to the developer accommodating portion, by which the developer is fed from the developer supply port to fill the developer accommodating portion with the developer.

Recycling method for developer supplying unit including the step of driving a feeding member in a direction to feed developer from a developer supply port to a developer accommodating portion

A method of refurbishing a process cartridge includes removing first and second side plates, a charging unit removing step, a drum removing step, a drum attaching step, a charging unit attaching step, and a positioning step of attaching the first and second side plates to the development unit, to which the drum and the charging unit are attached, positioning the development and charging units by the first side plate as well as movably supporting the drum in a direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction, and positioning the development and charging units and the drum by the second side plate. Another reproducing method includes opening an open/close shutter of a developing agent replenishing port, evacuating the developing agent in the development unit from the development agent replenishing port, filling a new developing agent from the developing agent replenishing port, and closing the open/close shutter.

Method of reproducing process cartridge

A cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a developer accommodating portion, a developer supply port supplying the developer to a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a removable sealing tape sealing the developer supply port, and a covering member taking an opening position for opening the port and a closing position for closing the port and to which one longitudinal end of the tape is fixed, the covering member being effective to cover the tape sealing the port when it is at the closing position, and cartridge locking portion for locking the covering member at the closing position. When the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus, locking between the cartridge locking portion and the covering member is released by engagement between the covering member and the main assembly, and the covering member moves from the closing to the opening position, and the tape is removed from the port to open the port.

Process cartridge whose sealing tape is removed when mounted to image forming apparatus and image forming apparatus to which the cartridge is mounted

A remanufacturing method for a developer supply container detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, the developer supply container including a frame, a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be used by a developing device of the image forming apparatus, a developer filling opening for filling the developer into the developer accommodating portion, a capping member for closing the developer filling opening, and a cap covering member covering the capping member, the cap covering member being fixed by welding to the frame, the remanufacturing method including a cap covering member dismounting step of dismounting the cap covering member from the frame by separating cap covering member from the frame at a welded portion; a capping member dismounting step of dismounting the capping member to open the developer filling opening; a developer filling step of filling the developer with the developer filling opening; a capping member mounting step of closing the developer filling opening by a capping member; a cap covering member mounting step of mounting the cap covering member to the frame.

Remanufacturing method for toner supply container

The present invention relates to an electric contact member applying a voltage from a voltage applying device to a charger reciprocally moving in a longitudinal direction of an image carrier. The member includes a securing portion electrically connected to a side of the voltage applying device, a moving portion reciprocally movable and connected electrically to a side of the charger, and a buffer portion formed between the securing portion and the moving portion.

Electric contact member applying voltage to charger, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus

A timing, at which fitting of a first support begins, a timing, at which fitting of a second support begins, and a timing, at which coupling of a high voltage contact and a contact pin provided on a side of a main body begins, respectively are staggered when a cartridge is mounted in the main body, whereby reduction of a burden on a user is achieved when the cartridge is mounted in the main body.

In conventional image forming apparatus, there is a type of a printer in which a developing device and a developer supplying container are separately provided and the developer supplying container is replaced individually to supply a developer that is an expendable agent. The printer of this type has an advantage that it is unecessary to replace frequently the component having a relatively long durable life, while the printer has the disadvantage that leakage of the developer easily occurs when the developer supplying container is removed from the printer main body. Therefore, an image forming apparatus capable of controlling leakage of developer is provided.

Part of an image forming apparatus and a unit having a groove covered with a brush member

A drive transmission mechanism transmits a drive force to a processing unit that is in contact with an image bearing member to work on the image bearing member. The mechanism includes a supporting member that supports the processing unit. The supporting member is pivotally movable. The mechanism further includes a driving force receiving portion provided on the supporting member for receiving a driving force for reciprocating the processing unit in a longitudinal direction of the image bearing member, from a driving force imparting member, and a regulating member that regulates the pivotal movement of the supporting member.

Growing community of inventors

Shizuoka, Japan

Akiyoshi Fujita