Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Ryota Yasui

Takahiro Kobayashi

Naruhiko Ito

Hiroshi Koyama

Hiromasa Katayama

Toshiro Tomono

Hiroki Takayama

Ken Swysen

Shimpei Hanayama

A metal frame of an image forming apparatus includes a first support which includes a first metal plate and a second metal plate; a second support configured to support the image forming unit together with the first support; and a third support configured to connect the first support and the second support. The first metal plate includes a corner portion provided between a first portion and a second portion. The second metal plate includes a third portion, a fourth portion, and a fifth portion, wherein the fifth portion includes another corner portion located between a first stretched portion and a second stretched portion facing the corner portion of the first metal plate, and wherein a tip of the second stretched portion faces the fourth portion.

Metal frame of image forming apparatus and image forming apparatus

A metal frame of an image forming apparatus includes a first support which includes a first metal plate and a second metal plate; a second support configured to support the image forming unit together with the first support; and a third support configured to connect the first support and the second support. The first metal plate includes a corner portion provided between a first portion and a second portion. The second metal plate includes a third portion, a fourth portion, and a fifth portion, wherein the fifth portion includes another corner portion located between a first stretched portion and a second stretched portion facing the corner portion of the first metal plate. A tip of the second stretched portion faces the fourth portion.

A metal frame of an image forming apparatus includes a first support which includes a first metal plate and a second metal plate; a second support configured to support the image forming unit together with the first support; and a third support configured to connect the first support and the second support, wherein the first metal plate includes a corner portion provided between a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second metal plate includes a third portion, a fourth portion, and a fifth portion, wherein the fifth portion includes another corner portion located between a first stretched portion and a second stretched portion facing the corner portion of the first metal plate, and wherein a tip of the second stretched portion faces the fourth portion.

A metal frame of an image forming apparatus including

A metal frame of an image forming apparatus includes first and second sheet metal in which the first sheet metal includes a first engaging portion which is provided between first and second plate portions of the first sheet metal and is bent away from the first plate portion in the plate thickness direction of the first plate portion, wherein the first plate portion, the second plate portion, and the first engaging portion are formed integrally with each other. The second sheet metal includes a third plate portion with which the first engaging portion engages and a second engaging portion which is bent away from the third plate portion in a plate thickness direction of the third plate portion and engages with the first plate portion, wherein the second engaging portion is adjacent to the third plate portion. The second sheet metal further includes a third engaging portion which is bent away from the third plate portion and engages with the second plate portion, the third engaging portion being adjacent to the third plate portion. The third plate portion, the second engaging portion, and the third engaging portion are formed integrally with each other.

An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly, a cartridge, a rotationally movable member, an engaging portion, and a flexible member integrally including a first supported portion, a second supported portion, and a regulating portion. A position of the regulating portion of the flexible member relative to the engaging portion is changeable by a change in a flexed state of a portion of the flexible member between the first supported portion and the second supported portion, in interrelation with a change in relative position between the first supported portion and the second supported portion with rotational movement of the rotationally movable member When the rotationally movable member is in the first position, the regulating portion is in a regulating position to limit the elastic deformation of the engaging portion.

Image forming apparatus having an engagement mechanism for a cartridge

A cartridge unit includes a first drum cartridge, a first cover member, a stopper, and a first cover erroneous insertion blocking portion. The first cover member is removably attached with the first drum cartridge and configured to be compatible in shape with a first holding portion of a first apparatus body so that the first cover member is guided and held by the first holding portion. The first cover erroneous insertion blocking portion is configured to permit the first cover member to be guided by the first holding portion by a first distance from a first insertion slot portion and to block a second cover member, which is removably attached with a second drum cartridge functionally different from the first drum cartridge, to be guided by the first holding portion in a range exceeding a second distance shorter than the first distance from the first insertion slot portion.

Cartridge unit

An image forming apparatus includes a first apparatus body, a first drum cartridge, a first guide portion, a lock unit, and a first erroneous insertion blocking portion. The lock unit is configured to lock a first cover member with the first apparatus body if the first drum cartridge with the first cover member is inserted by a first distance from a first insertion slot portion by being guided by the first guide portion. The first erroneous insertion blocking portion is configured to permit the first drum cartridge to be inserted into the first apparatus body and to block a second drum cartridge, functionally different from the first drum cartridge, to be inserted into the first apparatus body in a range exceeding a third distance shorter than a first distance from the first insertion slot portion.

Cartridge unit and image forming apparatus having features to prevent erroneous cartridge unit locking

A frame of an image forming apparatus includes a bottom plate provided at a bottom of the frame, a plurality of recessed portions each provided on the bottom plate so as to extend toward an inside of the bottom plate, the recessed portions crossing each other, and a reinforcing member fastened to the bottom plate so as to cover at least a portion where the recessed portions cross each other, an area of the reinforcing member being smaller than an area of the bottom plate.

Structure of image forming apparatus

A developing device includes a developing container for accommodating a developer, a rotatable developer carrying member for carrying and feeding the developer, and a layer thickness regulating member for regulating a layer thickness of the developer carried on the developer carrying member. The developer circulates between first and second chambers, which are partitioned by a partition wall. A rotatable feeding member feeds the developer in the first chamber, and a light-transmitting portion permits light transmission into a developing container. The light-transmitting portion is disposed at a developer carrying member side of the partition wall so that a light beam entering inside of the developing container is regularly reflected by a surface of a rotation shaft of the feeding member, and the regularly reflected light is emitted outside of the developing container through a gap between the developer carrying member and the layer thickness regulating member.

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Tokyo, Japan

Ryota Yasui