CN220584559U

CN220584559U - Processing box

Info

Publication number: CN220584559U
Application number: CN202322210751.3U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 曾丽坤; 戴勤; 李颖豪; 武新宇
Original assignee: Zhuhai Nastar Information Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: Zhuhai Nastar Information Technology Co ltd
Priority date: 2022-08-17
Filing date: 2023-08-16
Publication date: 2024-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 2033-08-16
Also published as: CN117590722A

Abstract

The utility model discloses a process cartridge, comprising: a drum unit including a photosensitive frame rotatably supporting a photosensitive member; a developing unit including a developing frame rotatably supporting the developing member, the developing unit being pivotably connected to the drum unit so that the developing member and the photosensitive member can be brought into contact with or separated from each other; a movable member movably disposed at the developing unit for receiving a contact force or a spacing force movement of the image forming apparatus; an action assembly which is matched with the movable component and enables the developing unit to be kept at the contact position of the developing component and the photosensitive component after the contact force is removed; the movable member receives the spacing force to release the action assembly to maintain the developing member and the photosensitive member in contact; after the spacing force is removed, the developing unit is held at a position where the developing member is separated from the photosensitive member by the self-gravity. The process cartridge is held more stable than the prior art by the action assembly cooperating with the movable member to effect and maintain the drum roller in contact.

Description

Processing box

Technical Field

The utility model relates to the technical field of image formation, in particular to a processing box.

Background

In the field of image forming apparatuses, an electrophotographic photosensitive member (hereinafter referred to as a photosensitive drum) and a process device acting on the photosensitive drum are integrally formed as a cartridge (generally referred to as a process cartridge). Such a process cartridge is detachable from the main assembly of the image forming apparatus.

In the related art, a process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a developing roller, a movable member, and a holding member, the movable member being capable of receiving a contact force (the photosensitive drum being in contact with the developing roller) from an image forming apparatus and a drum-roller spacing force (the photosensitive drum being separated from the developing roller), the process cartridge being in an initial non-operating state, the holding member being mounted on a developing unit being abutted against the drum unit to hold the drum roller apart;

when the movable member receives the contact force, the movable member pushes the retaining member to move forwards and upwards, so that the developing unit is driven to move towards the drum unit to realize the contact of the drum roller, and the retaining member is engaged with one protrusion on the drum unit after the movement, so that the retaining member always keeps the contact of the drum roller under the condition that the contact force of the image forming device to the movable member is removed;

when the movable member receives the spacing force, the developing unit is pushed away from the drum unit, so that the retaining member is driven to reset, the drum roller separation is realized, and the retaining member always maintains the drum roller separation state under the condition that the spacing force of the image forming device to the movable member is removed.

In the prior art, in the case where the process cartridge does not receive an external force, the drum roller is held in contact by virtue of engagement of the holder with the protrusions in the drum unit, since the holder is supported by the protrusions by sliding from the side surfaces of the protrusions toward the upper surfaces of the protrusions, the supported area is very small, and the holder is easily dropped due to vibration during operation of the process cartridge, or the subsequent problem of failure to engage with the protrusions due to abrasion caused by interference of the holder with the drum unit, thereby causing the problem that the drum roller cannot be held in contact during operation of the process cartridge. The technical aim of the technology is to solve the technical problems.

Disclosure of Invention

According to an aspect of the present utility model, there is provided a process cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, comprising:

a drum unit including a photosensitive frame on which a photosensitive member is rotatably supported;

a developing unit including a developing frame on which a developing member is rotatably supported, the developing unit being pivotably connected to the drum unit so that the developing member and a photosensitive member can be brought into contact or separated;

a movable member movably disposed at the developing unit for receiving a contact force or a spacing force movement of the image forming apparatus;

an action assembly cooperating with the movable member to maintain the developing unit in a position where the developing member and the photosensitive member are in contact after the contact force is removed;

the movable member receiving a spacing force capable of releasing the action assembly from a state in which the developing member and the photosensitive member remain in contact;

after the spacing force is removed, the developing unit is held at a position where the developing member is separated from the photosensitive member by the gravity.

In some embodiments, the acting assembly includes a latch, a locked portion, and a first resilient member;

the locking part is arranged on the photosensitive frame, the locked part is arranged on the movable part, one end of the first elastic piece is connected with the photosensitive frame, the other end of the first elastic piece is connected with the locked part, and the first elastic piece further comprises an action part which acts on the developing frame.

In some embodiments, the movable component receives a contact force to drive the locked portion away from the locking portion to release; the movable part receives the interval force to drive the locked part to enter the locking part to realize locking.

In some embodiments, when the movable component receives the contact force, the locked portion moves to the release position away from the locking portion, and deforms the first elastic member, and in the deformation process of the first elastic member, the developing frame is forced by the acting portion, so that the developing unit is driven to move to a position where the developing component contacts the photosensitive component.

In some embodiments, the force for restoring the deformation of the first elastic member is smaller than the force required for enabling the locked portion to enter the locked position of the locked portion from the release position, the first elastic member is always in the deformed state, and the force for deforming the first elastic member keeps the developing unit in the position where the developing unit contacts the photosensitive member after the contact force is removed.

In some embodiments, when the movable component receives the spacing force, the locked part enters the locking part to be locked to drive the first elastic piece to move, the deformation of the first elastic piece is recovered, the force of the acting part on the developing frame disappears, and the developing unit moves to a position where the developing component is separated from the photosensitive component under the action of self gravity.

In some embodiments, the locking portion is a slot portion, the slot portion has a notch for the locked portion to pass through, the locked portion is a protrusion, the contact force or the spacing force can deform one or both of the locked portion and the notch when the locked portion contacts, and the locked portion exits or enters the slot portion through the notch.

In some embodiments, the force required for the deformation recovery of the first elastic member is smaller than the force required for the locked portion to pass through the notch, and the locked portion abuts at a position outside the notch after the contact force is removed.

In some embodiments, the first elastic member is a tension spring, the acting portion is a pull ring arranged between two ends of the tension spring, and the developing frame is provided with a convex column matched with the pull ring.

In some embodiments, the action assembly comprises a swinging member and a second elastic member, one end of the swinging member is rotatably connected to the movable member, and two ends of the second elastic member are respectively connected to the movable member and the swinging member;

when the movable part receives contact force or spacing force, the second elastic piece can deform, and when the second elastic piece deforms to the maximum extent, the swinging piece can be driven to swing.

In some embodiments, the movable part receives the contact force movement to drive the developing unit to move to a position where the developing part contacts the photosensitive part;

stretching the second elastic piece when the movable part moves, and driving the swinging piece to swing in a direction away from the photosensitive part by the second elastic piece;

the second elastic member maintains the developing unit at a position where the developing member contacts the photosensitive member after the contact force is removed by a force less than that generated by maximum stretching.

In some embodiments, when the movable part receives the interval force to move, the second elastic piece drives the swinging piece to swing towards the direction approaching to the photosensitive part, and the developing unit moves to a position where the developing part is separated from the photosensitive part under the action of self gravity.

In some embodiments, a limiting portion is provided on the developing frame, the swinging member swings to abut against the limiting portion, and movement of the swinging member in a direction approaching the photosensitive member is stopped.

In some embodiments, the photosensitive frame is provided with an abutting portion, the swinging member swings to abut against the abutting portion, and movement of the swinging member in a direction away from the photosensitive member is stopped.

In some embodiments, the swinging member is a swinging rod, the second elastic member is a tension spring, one end of the swinging rod is rotatably connected to the connecting shaft of the movable component and swings with the connecting shaft as an axis, the other end of the swinging rod is connected to one end of the tension spring, and the other end of the tension spring is connected to the movable component.

The utility model has the beneficial effects that: the processing box provided by the utility model is provided with the action component which is matched with the movable component, so that the developing unit is kept at the contact position of the developing component and the photosensitive component after the contact force is removed, the developing unit is kept stable and not easy to separate, and the problem of unstable contact of the drum roller in the prior art is solved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the memory element pressing unit and the cartridge pressing unit.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the development separation control unit.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the process cartridge of the first embodiment on the non-driving side.

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the process cartridge of the first embodiment on the non-driving side.

Fig. 7 is an exploded view of the process cartridge of the first embodiment in the other direction of the non-driving side.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the developing member and the photosensitive member in a contact state according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the developing member of the first embodiment in a contact state with the photosensitive member.

Fig. 10 is a side view of the developing member and the photosensitive member in the free state/separated state of the first embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the developing member and the photosensitive member of the first embodiment in a free state/separated state.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a process cartridge of the second embodiment on the non-driving side.

Fig. 13 is an exploded view of a process cartridge of the second embodiment on the non-driving side.

Fig. 14 is an exploded view of the process cartridge of the second embodiment in the other direction of the non-driving side.

Fig. 15 is a schematic structural view of a process cartridge of the second embodiment.

Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram of the movable member, the swinging member, and the second elastic member of the second embodiment after assembly.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the developing member and the photosensitive member of the second embodiment in a separated state.

Fig. 18 is a sectional view of the developing member and the photosensitive member of the second embodiment in a separated state.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a developing member and a photosensitive member of the second embodiment in a contact state.

Fig. 20 is a sectional view of a developing member and a photosensitive member in a contact state of the second embodiment.

Fig. 21 is another sectional view of the developing member and the photosensitive member of the second embodiment in a contact state.

Detailed Description

The present utility model will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the embodiments described are some, but not all embodiments of the utility model. All other embodiments, which can be made by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the utility model without making any inventive effort, are intended to be within the scope of the utility model.

It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and the like are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or implying a number of technical features being indicated. Thus, a feature defining "a first" or "a second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of the present utility model, the meaning of "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless specifically defined otherwise.

In the present utility model, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "secured," and the like are to be construed broadly and include, for example, either fixedly attached, detachably attached, or integrally formed; may be mechanically connected, may be electrically connected or may be in communication with each other; either directly or indirectly, through intermediaries, or both, may be in communication with each other or in interaction with each other, unless expressly defined otherwise. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art according to the specific circumstances.

In the present utility model, unless expressly stated or limited otherwise, a first feature "up" or "down" a second feature may be the first and second features in direct contact, or the first and second features in indirect contact via an intervening medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above," "over" and "on" a second feature may be a first feature being directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicating that the first feature is level higher than the second feature. The first feature being "under", "below" and "beneath" the second feature may be the first feature being directly under or obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicating that the first feature is less level than the second feature.

In the above description, descriptions of the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples," etc., mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the utility model. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms are not necessarily directed to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples may be combined and combined by those skilled in the art without contradiction.

Example 1

As shown in fig. 1 to 4, the image forming apparatus main assembly 170 is provided with four process cartridges 100 (100Y, 100M, 100C, 100K), namely, a first process cartridge 100Y, a second process cartridge 100M, a third process cartridge 100C, and a fourth process cartridge 100K. It is arranged substantially horizontally. The rotational driving forces are respectively supplied from the driving output portions of the image forming apparatus main assembly 170, and the image forming apparatus main assembly 170 supplies bias voltages (charging bias, developing bias, etc.) to the first to fourth process cartridges 100 (100Y, 100M, 100C, 100K), respectively. The process cartridge is mounted into the image forming apparatus main assembly by a tray 171. Specifically, the tray 171 is configured to be movable in a substantially horizontal direction (such as X1 and X2 directions of fig. 1) in a state in which the image forming apparatus main assembly 170 is mounted on a horizontal surface, and 4 process cartridges are respectively mounted to each positioning portion of the tray. When the tray 171 is moved into the image forming apparatus main assembly 170, the plurality of process cartridges 100 are moved together with the tray 171 into the image forming apparatus main assembly. When the process cartridges need to be replaced, a plurality of process cartridges may be moved together with the tray 171 to the outside of the image forming main assembly 170.

The image forming apparatus main assembly 170 is provided with a cartridge pressing mechanism, as shown in detail in fig. 2, including a storage element pressing unit 190 and a cartridge pressing unit 191, the storage element pressing unit 190 acting on the non-driving side of the process cartridge 100, and the cartridge pressing unit 191 acting on the driving side of the process cartridge 100. And an intermediate transfer unit 12.

As shown in fig. 3, on the non-driving side, by closing the front door 11 of the printer, the storage element pressing unit 190 and the cartridge pressing unit 191 of the process cartridge descend in the direction of arrow Z2. The memory element pressing unit 190 mainly includes main assembly side electrical contacts (not shown) capable of making contact with electrical contacts of a memory element (not shown) provided in the process cartridge 100. The front door is interlocked by a link mechanism (not shown) so that the electrical contacts of the storage element and the main assembly side can be brought into and separated from each other.

As can be seen from fig. 4, on the driving side, the front door 11 is closed, and the main assembly side drum driving coupling 180 and the main assembly side developing driving coupling 185 for transmitting driving force to the process cartridge are projected in the arrow Y1 direction by a link mechanism (not shown). Further, by opening the front door 11, the drum driving coupling 180 and the developing driving coupling 185 are retracted in the direction of arrow Y2. In so doing, it may be an aspect that the main assembly side drum driving coupling 180 and the main assembly side developing driving coupling 185 are better coupled with the photosensitive member coupling member and the developing coupling member of the process cartridge, respectively, to receive driving force. On the other hand, insertion/removal of the tray 171 is prevented from being obstructed.

The development separation control unit 195 (shown in fig. 2, 3) controls the spacing and contact operation of the developing unit with respect to the photosensitive member by engaging with a portion of the process cartridge 100. The development separation control unit 195 is disposed below the image forming apparatus main assembly 170. Specifically, the development separation control unit 195 is arranged in the vertical direction below the development coupling portion and the drum coupling member (below in the arrow Z2 direction), and the development separation control unit 195 includes a development separation control unit 195R on the driving side and a development separation control unit 195L on the non-driving side. The development separation control unit 195 includes a separation control member 196, that is, a development separation control member 196R on the driving side and a development separation control member 196L on the non-driving side, the separation control members 196R and 196L being configured to be movable in the W41 and W42 directions by a control mechanism (not shown). The directions W41 and W42 are substantially parallel to the arrangement direction of the process cartridges provided in the image forming apparatus main assembly 170.

The process cartridge 100 includes a developing unit 109 (second unit), a drum unit 108 (first unit), a driving assembly, a movable member, and an acting assembly. The developing unit 109 includes a developing frame 120, a developing member 106, a toner feeding roller, and a toner discharging blade. The drum unit 108 includes a photosensitive frame 110, a photosensitive member 104, and a charging roller. The driving assembly includes a photosensitive member coupling member, a developing coupling member, and a transfer gear set.

The developing frame 120 encloses a toner hopper for storing toner, the developing frame 120 is approximately in the shape of a long box, the developing frame 120 is respectively provided with a driving side bearing and a non-driving side bearing 127 at two ends in the length direction (along the Y1 and Y2 directions), the toner feeding roller and the developing part 106 are rotatably supported on the driving side bearing and the non-driving side bearing 127 at two ends in the length direction of the developing frame 120, the toner feeding roller and the developing part 106 can rotate under the action of a driving assembly, and the axial directions of the toner feeding roller and the developing part 106 are along the length direction of the developing frame 120. The toner feeding roller feeds the toner to the developing member 106 and is attracted by the charged developing member 106.

The photosensitive frame 110 also has a longitudinal direction, which coincides with the longitudinal direction of the developing frame 12011, and the photosensitive frame 110 includes a driving-side cap member and a non-driving-side cap member 117 provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction thereof, respectively, and the photosensitive member 104 is rotatably supported on the driving-side cap member and the non-driving-side cap member 117. Specifically, the photosensitive member 104 is disposed at the lower end side of the photosensitive frame 110 in the height direction. The developing unit 109 and the drum unit 108 are pivotably connected by a driving side cap member and a non-driving side cap member 117, enabling the developing member 106 and the photosensitive member 104 to be contacted or separated. The driving side cap member is located outside the driving side bearing, the non-driving side cap member 117 is located outside the non-driving side bearing 127, and the cap member and the bearing have an overlapping portion in the longitudinal direction. When the developing member 106 is in contact with the photosensitive member 104, the toner adsorbed by the developing member 106 transfers the toner to the photosensitive member 104 by a potential difference with the photosensitive member 104, and the toner on the photosensitive member 104 is transferred by a transfer belt of an image forming apparatus to form an image on a recording material (e.g., paper). The charging roller is used to uniformly charge the surface of the photosensitive member 104, thereby enabling the photosensitive member 104 to adsorb toner.

The driving assembly includes a photosensitive member coupling member, a developing coupling member, and a transfer gear set. The driving assembly may be disposed at one or both ends of the process cartridge 100 in the length direction, and in this embodiment, the driving assembly is disposed at the driving end of the process cartridge 100 in the length direction. The photosensitive member coupling member is fixedly provided at one end of the photosensitive member 104 in the longitudinal direction, and the photosensitive member coupling member and the photosensitive member 104 may be integrally formed or may be of a split structure, and is adapted to engage with the drum drive coupling 180 of the image forming apparatus so as to receive the rotational driving force of the image forming apparatus and drive the photosensitive member 104 to rotate. A developing coupling member for engaging with a developing drive coupling 185 of the image forming apparatus and receiving a driving force and a transmitting gear set are provided outside the drive side bearing; the transmission gear set is directly or indirectly meshed with the developing coupling component to transmit the driving force received by the developing coupling component, so as to drive the developing component 106 and the powder feeding roller to rotate.

The structure and the operating state of the process cartridge 100 on the non-driving side will be described with emphasis.

As shown in fig. 5, in order for the developing separation control unit 195 to engage and control the separation/contact operation of the developing unit 109 of the process cartridge with the drum unit 108, a portion of the developing separation control unit 195 and a portion of the developing unit 109 of the process cartridge must overlap in the vertical direction (Z1, Z2 direction). Therefore, after the process cartridge 100 is inserted in the X1 direction, a portion (which is the movable member 152L) of the developing unit (second unit) of the process cartridge 100 needs to protrude in the vertical direction (Z1, Z2 direction).

However, if a part (movable member 152L) of the process cartridge developing unit 109 (second unit) is always projected (the projection is always projected), there is a case where the projection of a part (movable member 152L) of the process cartridge developing unit (second unit) is always projected interferes with the development separation control unit 195 when the tray 171 is pushed (inserted) into the image forming apparatus main assembly 170 after the process cartridge is put into the tray 171, thereby causing the tray 171 to be blocked at the time of insertion or removal. So there is a known structure in which, when the protruding portion of the existing (movable member 152L) is normally mounted in the tray, it is retracted in the developing unit 109 (second unit), and by closing the printer front door 11, the cartridge pressing unit 190 presses the movable member 152L, the protruding portion protrudes the second unit (developing unit) in the vertical direction (Z1, Z2 direction) and cooperates with the developing separation control unit 195 movable in the W41 and W42 directions, thereby effecting relative contact (contact position) or spacing (spacing position) of the photosensitive member 104 of the drum unit 108 (first unit) and the developing member 106 of the developing unit 109 (second unit).

Further, the movable member 152L may be provided on the driving side and/or the non-driving side of the developing unit 109, and the movable member 152L is a rod-shaped member movably mounted on the driving-side bearing and/or the non-driving-side bearing 127. The lower end (Z2 direction end) of the movable member 152L is a protruding portion including a first protruding portion 152La and a second protruding portion 152Lb, which protrudes in the Z2 direction when the printer front door 11 is closed, in the space of the separation control member 196L. The first protruding portion 152La is for receiving a contact force of the developing separation control unit 195, and the second protruding portion 152Lb is for receiving a separation force (spacing force) of the developing separation control unit 195.

As shown in fig. 5 to 7, the process cartridge 100 further includes an action assembly capable of cooperating with the movable member 152L to hold the developing unit 109 in a position where the developing member 106 and the photosensitive member 104 are brought into contact after the contact force is removed. In the present embodiment, the acting means includes the locking portion 117a, the locked portion 152Ls, and the first elastic member 153. The locking portion 117a is disposed on the photosensitive frame 110, specifically, is fixedly disposed on the non-driving side cover member 117, and the locking portion 117a is a groove portion disposed on the non-driving side cover member 117, and the groove portion has a notch for the locked portion 152Ls to pass through, and the notch faces to one side in the W42 direction. The locked portion 152Ls is a protrusion fixedly provided on the movable member 152L, and the movable member 152L receives a contact force or a spacing force to drive the locked portion 152Ls to leave or enter the groove portion from the notch, that is, to drive the locked portion 152Ls to move between the release position and the locking position. The locked portion 152Ls and the notch of the locking portion 117a are in interference contact, that is, a certain external force is required to deform one or both of the locked portion 152Ls and the notch when the locked portion 152Ls contacts the notch, so that the locked portion 152Ls can leave or enter the groove portion through the notch. The contact force and the spacing force are of such a magnitude that the locked portion 152Ls is allowed to leave or enter the groove portion through the notch.

As shown in fig. 5 to 7, in the present embodiment, the first elastic member 153 is a tension spring, one end 153b of the first elastic member 153 is fixedly connected to the photosensitive frame 110, specifically, to the fixing protrusion 117s of the non-driving side cap member 117, the other end 153a is fixedly connected to the locked portion 152Ls, and the first elastic member 153 further includes an acting portion 153s, the acting portion 153s acting on the developing frame 120, specifically, on the non-driving side bearing 127. The acting portion 153s is a pull ring disposed between two ends of the first elastic member 153, the non-driving side bearing 127 is provided with a protruding column 127s for matching with the pull ring, and after the two ends of the first elastic member 153 are fixedly mounted, the protruding column 127s penetrates into the pull ring to be movably connected with the pull ring.

When the process cartridge 100 is mounted in the image forming apparatus main assembly 170 and the printer front door 11 is closed, the movable member 152L is pressed by the cartridge pressing unit 191 to move downward in the Z2 direction, the protruding portion protrudes in the Z2 direction, and the first protruding portion 152La and the second protruding portion 152Lb are located in the space of the separation control member 196L, and may not abut against the separation control member 196L or may abut against the separation control member 196L. The locked portion 152Ls is located in the lock portion 117a in a locked state. The first elastic member 153 is in a free state, and the boss 127s on the non-driving side bearing 127 may be in contact with the acting portion 153s (tab) on the first elastic member 153 but not subjected to force, or may not be completely separated from contact therewith, so that the whole developing unit 109 is ensured to be free from the influence of external force. At this time, the developing unit 109 is also in a free state under its own weight, in which the developing member 106 on the developing unit 109 may slightly contact (development does not occur) or separate from the photosensitive member 104, and preferably the developing member 106 is separated from the photosensitive member 104.

As shown in fig. 8 and 9, when the image forming apparatus receives an operation instruction, the separation control member 196L moves in the W42 direction, and at this time, the separation control member 196L abuts against the first protrusion 152La, and applies a contact force to the first protrusion 152La, pushing the movable member 152L to move in the W42 direction, driving the locked portion 152Ls to leave the lock portion 117a through the notch, and reaching a release position (where the locked portion 152Ls abuts against an outer side of the notch), that is, the locked portion 152Ls moves in the W42 direction, the first elastic member 153 is compressed, and the acting portion 153s comes into close contact with the boss 127s on the non-driven side bearing 127, so that the first elastic member 153 has a force in the W42 direction to the boss 127s on the non-driven side bearing 127, and the force acts on the entire developing unit 109 through the non-driven side bearing 127s, so that the developing unit 109 moves toward the drum unit 108 side, and the developing member 106 presses the photosensitive member 104, thereby realizing a developing operation. When the contact force of the separation control member 196L is removed, the force with which the first elastic member 153 is restored by compression deformation is smaller than the force required to bring the locked portion 152Ls from the released position to the locked position of the locked portion 117a, that is, the position of the movable member 152L is kept still even when the locked portion 152Ls is always abutted at the outside position of the notch, and the first elastic member 153 is always in the compression deformed state, so that the force of the first elastic member 153 and the force with which the locked portion 117a prevents the locked portion 152Ls from entering keep the developing unit 109 at the position where the developing member 106 is in close contact with the photosensitive member 104 after the contact force is removed, and the process cartridge 100 can continuously complete the developing operation. The process cartridge of the present embodiment achieves and maintains the drum roller contact by the engagement of the locking portion 117a, the locked portion 152Ls, the first elastic member 153 with the movable member 152L, which is maintained more stably than the prior art.

When the image forming apparatus has completed the development work, the separation control member 196L is moved in the W41 direction, as shown in fig. 10 and 11, at this time, the separation control member 196L abuts against the second protruding portion 152Lb, a spacing force is applied to the second protruding portion 152Lb, the movable member 152L is pushed to move in the W41 direction, the locked portion 152L of the movable member 152L is moved to the locked portion 117a of the non-driving side cap member 117 by the pushing action of the spacing force, that is, the locked portion 152Ls of the movable member 152L reaches the locked portion 117a through the notch in the locked portion 117a and is locked thereto, at this time, the first elastic member 153 is reversely elongated, the first elastic member 153 is restored to the free state, the acting portion 153s is disengaged from the boss 127s on the non-driving side bearing 127, the developing member 106 and the photosensitive member 104 are released from pressing/contacting, so that the whole developing unit 109 is free from any external force, the developing member 106 is separated from or slightly contacted with the photosensitive member 104 (does not occur) under the own weight, and the next development work is waited for or is removed from the image forming apparatus.

Alternatively, the action assembly and the movable member may be disposed on the driving side, and the action assembly and the movable member may be disposed on the driving side and the non-driving side at the same time, and the working state of the process cartridge on the driving side is the same as that on the non-driving side, which is not described herein.

Further, the process cartridge may further include an elastic restoring member, which may be a compression spring or a tension spring, and may be connected between the movable member 152L and the non-driving side cap member 117, the elastic restoring member being compressed/stretched when the movable member 152L is pressed by the cartridge pressing unit 191 to move downward in the Z2 direction, and the pressing force of the cartridge pressing unit 191 being removed when the process cartridge is removed from the image forming apparatus (after the front door 11 is opened), the elastic restoring member elastically deforming to bring the movable member 152L to move upward in the Z1 direction, the protruding portion being retracted into the developing unit 109 to avoid interference with the developing separation control unit 195, and the tray 171 being smoothly removed.

Example two

As shown in fig. 12 to 21, the present embodiment provides another process cartridge 100, which is different from the first embodiment in the structure of the action assembly.

In this embodiment, as shown in fig. 12 to 21, the acting component of the process cartridge 100 includes a swinging member 160 and a second elastic member 150, the swinging member 160 may be a swinging rod, the shape of the swinging rod may be arbitrarily set, in this embodiment, the swinging member 160 exists in an elliptical shape, one end of the swinging member 160 is rotatably connected to the movable member 152L, specifically, a circular hole 160b is provided at one end of the swinging member 160, and the circular hole 160b is engaged with a connecting shaft 152Lc on the movable member 152L and swings around the connecting shaft 152Lc as an axis; the other end of the swing member 160 is provided with a first protrusion 160a. The second elastic member 150 is a tension spring, and one end of the second elastic member 150 is hooked and connected to the first protrusion 160a of the swing member 160, and the other end is hooked and connected to the second protrusion 152Ld of the movable member 152L. The movable member 152L can deform the second elastic member 150 when receiving the contact force or the spacing force, and can drive the swinging member 160 to swing when the second elastic member deforms to the maximum extent. Specifically, the movable member 152L receives the contact force movement of the separation control member 196L, driving the developing unit 109 to a position where the developing member 106 contacts the photosensitive member 104; the movable member 152L stretches the second elastic member 150 when receiving the contact force movement of the separation control member 196L, and the second elastic member 150 drives the swinging member 160 to swing in a direction away from the photosensitive member 104 (BA direction swing); when the movable member 152L receives the movement of the separation control member 196L by the separation force, the second elastic member 150 is stretched, and the second elastic member 150 drives the swinging member 160 to swing in a direction approaching the photosensitive drum 104 (swing in the BB direction).

As shown in fig. 12, 14, 17, 19 and 20, the non-driving side cover member 117 is further provided with an abutting portion 117b, the abutting portion 117b is located on the W41 direction side of the swinging member 160, the abutting portion 117b is a part of the side wall of the non-driving side cover member 117 in the W41 direction, the abutting portion 117b is provided with an abutting surface (the abutting surface is the inner side surface of the non-driving side cover member 117) which can abut against the end surface of the other end of the swinging member 160, and when the swinging member 160 abuts against the abutting portion 117b, the swinging movement of the swinging member 160 in the BA direction (the BA direction is counterclockwise as viewed in the directions of fig. 17 and 19) is stopped, and the position where the swinging member 160 abuts against the abutting portion 117b is the second position.

As shown in fig. 14 and 17, the non-driving side bearing 127 is further provided with a stopper 127a, the stopper 127a is located on the W42 direction side of the swinging member 160, the stopper 127a is a protrusion protruding from the surface of the non-driving side bearing 127, when the other end of the swinging member 160 abuts against the stopper 127a, the swinging movement of the swinging member 160 in the BB direction (the BB direction is clockwise as viewed in the directions of fig. 17 and 19) is stopped, the abutting position of the swinging member 160 against the stopper 127a is the first position, and the first position is also the initial position of the swinging member 160 under no other external force.

When the process cartridge 100 is mounted into the image forming apparatus main assembly 170 and the printer front door 11 is closed, the movable member 152L moves downward in the Z2 direction, the protruding portion protrudes in the Z2 direction, and the first protruding portion 152La and the second protruding portion 152Lb are located in the space of the separation control member 196L. At this time, the other end of the swinging member 160 connected to the movable member 152L abuts against the stopper 127a of the non-driving side bearing 127, and even if the second elastic member 150 connecting between the first projection 160a on the swinging member 160 and the second projection 152Ld of the movable member 152L is elongated, rotation of the swinging member 160 in the BB direction is prevented so that the swinging member 160 abuts against the stopper 127a stably, the swinging member 160 at this time is in the first position, and the developing unit 109 allows the developing member 106 to slightly contact (development does not occur) or separate from the photosensitive member 104 under its own weight, preferably, the developing member 106 separates from the photosensitive member 104.

As shown in fig. 19, 20 and 21, when the image forming apparatus receives an operation instruction, the separation control member 196L moves in the W42 direction, at which time the separation control member 196L abuts against the first protruding portion 152La, a contact force is applied to the first protruding portion 152La to push the movable member 152L to move in the W42 direction, the contact force of the movable member 152L in the W42 direction acts on the entire developing unit 109 through the non-driving side bearing 127, the developing unit 109 moves toward the drum unit 108 side, during which time the second elastic member 150 is elongated (deformed) to the maximum extent, and the swinging member 160 swings in the BA direction (direction away from the photosensitive member 104) about the connecting shaft 152Lc by the maximum elastic tensile force until the abutting portion 117b on the non-driving side cap member 117 abuts, at which time the swinging member 160 is in the second position. In the second position, the second elastic member 150 is still in a stretched state, but the elastic tension (the force generated by stretching the second elastic member 150) at this time is smaller than the maximum elastic tension, the elastic tension has a component force in the W42 direction (the direction toward the photosensitive member 104), the component force in the W42 direction also acts on the entire developing unit 109, the developing unit 109 moves toward the drum unit 108 side due to the contact force and the elastic tension, and the developing member 106 and the photosensitive member 104 are brought into close contact (pressed against each other) to realize the developing operation. When the contact force of the separation control member 196L is removed, the state of the second elastic member 150 remains unchanged, remains in the stretched state, and the elastic tension is still smaller than the maximum elastic tension, so that the position of the movable member 152L remains unchanged as the swinging member 160 is not subjected to the maximum elastic tension, and the elastic tension of the second elastic member 150 also remains with a component force in the W42 direction, so that the developing unit 109 remains in a position where the developing member 106 is in close contact with the photosensitive member 104 after the contact force is removed, and the process cartridge 100 can continuously perform the developing operation. The process cartridge of the present embodiment is realized by the swinging member 160, the second elastic member 150, and the movable member 152L in cooperation and maintains the drum roller contact, which is maintained more stably than the prior art.

As shown in fig. 17 and 18, when the image forming apparatus has completed the development operation, the separation control member 196L moves in the W41 direction, at which time the separation control member 196L abuts against the second protrusion 152Lb, applies a spacing force to the second protrusion 152Lb, pushes the movable member 152L to move in the W41 direction, and the second elastic member 150 is further elongated to the maximum extent by the pushing action of the spacing force, and the swinging member 160 is separated from abutment with the abutment portion 117b on the non-driving side cap member 117 by the maximum elastic tension force, swings in the BB direction around the connecting shaft 152Lc, and abuts again with the stopper portion 127a on the non-driving side bearing 127, at which time the developing member 106 separates from the photosensitive member 104 under its own weight, waiting for the next development operation to start or be removed (taken out) from the image forming apparatus.

The action assembly and the movable member 152L of the present embodiment may also be provided on the driving side or on both the driving side and the non-driving side.

Other structures of the process cartridge are the same as those of the first embodiment, and will not be described here again.

What has been described above is merely some embodiments of the present utility model. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit of the utility model.

Claims

1. A process cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, comprising:

2. A process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said action assembly includes a lock portion, a locked portion, and a first elastic member;

3. A process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein said movable member receives a contact force to bring said locked portion away from said locking portion to effect release; the movable part receives the interval force to drive the locked part to enter the locking part to realize locking.

4. A process cartridge according to claim 3, wherein when said movable member receives the contact force, said locked portion moves away from the lock portion to the release position, and deforms said first elastic member, and during deformation of said first elastic member, said developing frame is biased by said acting portion, driving said developing unit to a position where the developing member contacts the photosensitive member.

5. A process cartridge according to claim 4, wherein said first elastic member is deformed to restore a force smaller than a force required to bring said locked portion from the release position to the locked position, said first elastic member is always in a deformed state, and said force of deformation of said first elastic member keeps the developing unit in a position where the developing member is in contact with the photosensitive member after the contact force is removed.

6. A process cartridge according to claim 5, wherein said locked portion is locked into the locking portion to move said first elastic member when said movable member receives the spacing force, deformation of the first elastic member is restored, the force of said acting portion to said developing frame is eliminated, and said developing unit moves to a position where the developing member is separated from the photosensitive member under the action of self-weight force.

7. A process cartridge according to claim 6, wherein said locking portion is a groove portion having a notch through which said locked portion passes, said locked portion is a projection, and said contact force or spacing force deforms one or both of said locked portion and said notch when in contact, said locked portion being moved out of or into said groove portion through said notch.

8. A process cartridge according to claim 7, wherein a force for recovering deformation of said first elastic member is smaller than a force required for passing said locked portion through said notch, and said locked portion abuts at a position outside said notch after said contact force is removed.

9. A process cartridge according to any one of claims 2-8, wherein said first elastic member is a tension spring, said acting portion is a pull ring provided between both ends of said tension spring, and said developing frame is provided with a projection fitted with said pull ring.

10. A process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said action assembly includes a swing member and a second elastic member, one end of said swing member being rotatably connected to said movable member, and both ends of said second elastic member being connected to said movable member and said swing member, respectively;

11. A process cartridge according to claim 10, wherein said movable member receives a contact force movement to bring said developing unit to a position where the developing member contacts the photosensitive member;

the second elastic member maintains the developing unit at a position where the developing member contacts the photosensitive member after the contact force is removed by a force generated under less than maximum tension.

12. A process cartridge according to claim 11, wherein said movable member is moved by receiving the spacing force, said swinging member is swung by the second elastic member in a direction approaching said photosensitive member, and said developing unit is moved to a position where the developing member is separated from the photosensitive member under the action of self-gravity.

13. A process cartridge according to claim 12, wherein said developing frame is provided with a stopper portion, said swinging member swings to abut against said stopper portion, and movement of said swinging member in a direction approaching said photosensitive member is stopped.

14. A process cartridge according to claim 13, wherein said photosensitive frame is provided with an abutting portion, said swinging member swings to abut against said abutting portion, and movement of said swinging member in a direction away from said photosensitive member is stopped.

15. The process cartridge according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the swinging member is a swinging rod, the second elastic member is a tension spring, one end of the swinging rod is rotatably connected to a connecting shaft of the movable member and swings with the connecting shaft as an axis, the other end of the swinging rod is connected to one end of the tension spring, and the other end of the tension spring is connected to the movable member.