Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Yohei Kusano

Takuya Kawakami

Takatoshi Hamada

Naoya Asanuma

Toru Oguma

Tetsuya Numata

Takayuki Yada

Hiroaki Nosho

Daisuke Hiramatsu

Go Torii

Hiroki Shimizu

Hideki Kakuta

Noriyuki Komatsu

Osamu Anan

Toshiaki Takeuchi

Yoji Misao

Shinkichi Yamamoto

Shota Nakamura

Koichi Ooishi

Process cartridge for image forming apparatus

Provided is an image forming unit including a photosensitive unit including an image bearing member, a developing unit including a developer bearing member and a container capable of containing a developer, a rotation shaft, the developing unit being rotated around the rotation shaft and positioned at one of a development position where the developer bearing member supplies the developer to the image bearing member and a separation position where the developer bearing member separates from the image bearing member, and a sensing portion sensing a variation or an amount corresponding to an amount of the developer contained in the developing unit. The rotation shaft is located below a developing portion, which is formed of the image bearing member and the developer bearing member, in a gravity direction.

Image forming unit and image forming apparatus

Provided is an image forming unit including a photosensitive unit including an image bearing member, a developing unit including a developer bearing member and a container capable of containing a developer, a rotation shaft, the developing unit being rotated around the rotation shaft and positioned at one of a development position where the developer bearing member supplies the developer to the image bearing member and a separation position where the developer bearing member separates from the image bearing member, and a sensing portion sensing a variation or an amount corresponding to an amount of the developer contained in the developing unit. When the developing unit is at the separation position, the sensing portion restricts the rotation of the developing unit thereby receiving a force from the developing unit.

A developer accommodating container includes a developer accommodating portion, a stirring member, and a drive transmitting member. The developer accommodating container further includes an elastic member fixed to the stirring member at one end portion thereof and capable of expanding and contracting in a direction along a longitudinal direction of the developer accommodating portion. With respect to the longitudinal direction, the stirring member is disposed so as to form (1) a first gap between one end portion thereof and an inner surface of the developer accommodating portion on one side and (2) a second gap between the other end portion thereof and another inner surface of the developer accommodating portion on the other side. The stirring member is supported by the developer accommodating portion so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction relative to the developer accommodating portion.

Developer accommodating container, developing device and process cartridge

A developer container includes a developer accommodating portion, a rotatable member, and a flexible sheet member. The developer container further includes an elastically deformable elastic member. With respect to a longitudinal direction of the developer accommodating portion, between an end portion of the rotatable member and an inside surface of the developer accommodating portion, a gap is formed to permit movement of the rotatable member relative to the developer accommodating portion. In an unused state, the sheet member is elastically deformable together with the elastic member by the movement of the rotatable member relative to the developer accommodating portion in the longitudinal direction.

Developer container, developing device and process cartridge

Flange coupling for process cartridge for image forming apparatus

Coupling for process cartridge for image forming apparatus

Photosensitive drum for process cartridge for image forming apparatus

Side cover for process cartridge for image forming apparatus

A cartridge that can be mounted in and detached from main body of an apparatus of an image forming apparatus includes: a rotating member that rotates upon reception of driving force from main body of the apparatus; a coupling member that includes a force receiving portion for receiving the driving force from main body of the apparatus via a drive shaft, transmits the driving force to the rotating member by rotating, and is capable of moving relative to the rotating member; and a wire-shaped biasing member for biasing the coupling member, wherein the coupling member includes a groove that is contacted by the biasing member, and an opening width of the groove is wider than a wire diameter of the biasing member.

Cartridge where biasing member is reliably held on coupling member

A cartridge includes a cover member including a substantially disc-shaped planar portion extending in a direction orthogonal to an axis of rotation of a photosensitive drum, a first projection portion projecting from the planar portion toward an outside in the direction of the axis of rotation, the first projection portion configured to abut on the positioning portion so that the first frame is positioned within an apparatus main body, a concave portion recessed from the planar portion toward an inner side in the direction of the axis of rotation, and a second projection portion provided in the concave portion, the second projection portion projecting from the concave portion toward an outside in the direction of the axis of rotation, the second projection portion configured to engage with one end of an urging member.

Cartridge and cover member

A cartridge includes a cover member that includes a flat portion, a substantially circular hole portion formed in the flat portion, an arc portion inserted through the hole portion, a first cutaway portion having a shape formed by cutting in the hole portion radially outward, the first cutaway portion arranged in a position opposed to the protrusion portion when viewed in a direction of a rotational axis, and a second cutaway portion having a shape formed by cutting the flat portion toward a photosensitive drum in the direction of the rotational axis to expose a coupling member when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the rotational axis.

Growing community of inventors

Numazu, Japan

Yohei Kusano