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:
Dec. 10, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 26, 2000
Akira Higeta, Funabashi, JP;
Yoshiyuki Kakumi, Tuchiura, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a drum gear provided at one longitudinal end of the drum; a developing roller for developing with toner an electrostatic latent image formed on the drum; a developing roller gear, provided at one longitudinal end of the developing roller, for meshing engagement with the drum gear to transmit a driving force for rotating the developing roller from the drum gear; a cleaner container supporting the drum; a toner developing container supporting the developing roller; a coupling member for rotatably connecting the cleaner container and the toner developing container with each other; an urging member for urging the cleaner container and the toner developing container coupled by the coupling member in the direction of engagement of the drum gear and the developing roller gear with each other; and a tape stuck continuously on the cleaner container and the toner developing container to maintain, against an urging force provided by the urging member, a state in which the drum gear and the developing roller gear are disengaged from each other or in which a back clearance between the drum gear and the developing roller gear is larger than that during an image forming operation.