The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 13, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 10, 1999
Ichiro Terada, Abiko, JP;
Shinichi Sasaki, Shizuoka-ken, JP;
Isao Ikemoto, Kashiwa, JP;
Yoshiya Nomura, Tokyo, JP;
Shinya Noda, Toride, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus onto which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, for forming an image on a recording medium, has (a) a mounting member for detachably mounting a process cartridge having an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a charging member for charging the electrophotographic photosensitive member, a cartridge charge bias contact for receiving a charging bias to be impressed on the charging member from the main body of the apparatus when the process cartridge is mounted on the main body of the apparatus, and a cartridge-earth contact for connecting the electrophotographic photosensitive member to ground with the main body of the apparatus when the process cartridge is mounted on the main body of the apparatus, (b) a main-body-charge bias contact to be electrically connected to the cartridge-charge-bias contact when the process cartridge is mounted on the mounting member, (c) a main-body earth contact to be electrically connected to the cartridge-earth contact when the process cartridge is mounted on the mounting member, (d) a detecting member for detecting that the process cartridge is not mounted in a cartridge-mounting position by detecting that at least one of the cartridge-charge-bias contact and the cartridge-earth contact is not electrically connected to a corresponding one of the main-body-charge bias contact and the main-body earth contact and (e) a conveying member for conveying the recording medium.