CN221261519U

CN221261519U - Process cartridge

Info

Publication number: CN221261519U
Application number: CN202223427849.6U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 刘录军; 万成昌
Original assignee: Zhuhai Sanrun Precision Manufacturing Co ltd
Current assignee: Zhuhai Sanrun Precision Manufacturing Co ltd
Priority date: 2022-12-20
Filing date: 2022-12-20
Publication date: 2024-07-02
Anticipated expiration: 2032-12-20

Abstract

The present utility model relates to a process cartridge including a second unit casing and a photosensitive member rotatably provided in the second unit casing and extending in a first direction; the second unit comprises a second unit shell, a second unit driving end cover and a second unit non-driving end cover, wherein the second unit driving end cover and the second unit non-driving end cover are fixedly connected with the second unit shell; the second unit driving end cover and the second unit non-driving end cover are respectively provided with a first supporting part and a second supporting part which can enter two ends of the photosensitive assembly; the processing box further comprises a conductive piece electrically connected with the photosensitive assembly, wherein the conductive piece penetrates through the first supporting part or the second supporting part, and the conductive piece is formed with the first supporting part and the second supporting part; the support and the conduction of the photosensitive member are respectively borne by two independent components, and even if the photosensitive member is disassembled and assembled for many times, the support part for supporting the photosensitive member is not deformed or damaged, so that the photosensitive member can be stably supported.

Description

Process cartridge

Technical Field

The present utility model relates to the field of electrophotographic image forming, and more particularly, to a process cartridge detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

Background

The process cartridge is generally provided therein with a photosensitive member on the surface of which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and a developing member disposed opposite to the photosensitive member for carrying a developer, and when the process cartridge is developed, the developer reaches the surface of the photosensitive member from the surface of the developing member under the action of an electric field force between the developing member and the photosensitive member, whereby the electrostatic latent image is developed.

The present invention relates to a process cartridge, and more particularly, to a process cartridge which is provided with a conductive pin electrically connected to a photosensitive member, and a process cartridge which is mounted to an image forming apparatus, wherein the conductive pin is electrically connected to the image forming apparatus so that the photosensitive member can be grounded.

The conductive pin plays a role in supporting the photosensitive element and also plays a role in being electrically connected with the photosensitive element, in the actual production and use process, the photosensitive element may need to be disassembled and assembled for a plurality of times for the purpose of maintaining the processing box, after the disassembly and assembly for a plurality of times, the hole which is originally combined with the conductive pin on the processing box shell may deform, so that the photosensitive element cannot be stably supported by the conductive pin, and the development quality of the processing box is reduced.

Disclosure of utility model

The utility model provides a processing box adopting the following technical scheme, which ensures that a photosensitive member can be stably supported after being disassembled and assembled for a plurality of times, and comprises the following specific scheme:

A process cartridge including a second unit housing and a photosensitive assembly rotatably disposed in the second unit housing and extending in a first direction; the second unit comprises a second unit shell, a second unit driving end cover and a second unit non-driving end cover, wherein the second unit driving end cover and the second unit non-driving end cover are fixedly connected with the second unit shell; the second unit driving end cover and the second unit non-driving end cover are respectively provided with a first supporting part and a second supporting part which can enter two ends of the photosensitive assembly; the processing box further comprises a conductive piece electrically connected with the photosensitive assembly, wherein the conductive piece penetrates through the first supporting part or the second supporting part, and the conductive piece is formed with the first supporting part and the second supporting part; the support and the conduction of the photosensitive member are respectively borne by two independent components, and even if the photosensitive member is disassembled and assembled for many times, the support part for supporting the photosensitive member is not deformed or damaged, so that the photosensitive member can be stably supported.

In some embodiments, the photosensitive assembly comprises a photosensitive member, a driving member and a drum disc, wherein the driving member and the drum disc are respectively arranged at two ends of the photosensitive member, the driving member is used for driving the rotating member to rotate, the first supporting part enters the driving member, the second supporting part enters the drum disc, the outer circumferential surface of the first supporting part is contacted with the driving member, and the outer circumferential surface of the second supporting part is contacted with the drum disc.

In some embodiments, the process cartridge further includes a metal member sleeved outside the first supporting portion, the photosensitive assembly includes a photosensitive member, and a driving member and a drum respectively disposed at two ends of the photosensitive member, the driving member is configured to drive the rotating member to rotate, the metal member enters the driving member along with the first supporting portion, the second supporting portion enters the drum, an outer surface of the metal member contacts the driving member, and an outer circumferential surface of the second supporting portion contacts the drum.

In some embodiments, the outer circumferential surface of the second support portion is provided with at least one recess extending in the first direction.

In some embodiments, the second unit housing includes a main housing, and first and second sidewalls extending from the main housing, the first and second sidewalls being located at both sides of the main housing, respectively, along the first direction, and the photosensitive assembly being located between the first and second sidewalls; the first supporting part passes through a first mounting hole arranged on the first side wall, and the second supporting part passes through a second mounting hole arranged on the second side wall.

In some embodiments, the process cartridge further includes a first unit provided with the developing member, a first unit driving end cap and a first unit non-driving end cap provided in the first unit, and a first connecting member and a second connecting member connecting the first unit and the second unit, the first side wall or the second unit driving end cap being provided with a first coupling portion, and the second side wall or the second unit non-driving end cap being provided with a second coupling portion; the first connector passes through the first unit drive end cap and into the first junction and the second connector passes through the first unit non-drive end cap and into the second junction.

In some embodiments, the first and second unit drive end caps are formed separately and the first and second unit non-drive end caps are formed separately.

In some embodiments, the first unit further includes a stirring member rotatably disposed in the first unit, a developing member driving member disposed on the same side as the first unit driving end cap, a stirring member driving member, and an intermediate driving member between the developing member driving member and the stirring member; the developing member driving member is used for receiving driving force from the outside of the process cartridge and transmitting the driving force to the stirring member driving member through the intermediate driving member; in the first direction, the first link is opposite to the intermediate drive member.

In some embodiments, the first unit further includes a stirring member rotatably disposed in the first unit, a developing member driving member disposed on the same side as the first unit driving end cap, a stirring member driving member, and an intermediate driving member between the developing member driving member and the stirring member; the developing member driving member is used for receiving driving force from the outside of the process cartridge and transmitting the driving force to the stirring member driving member through the intermediate driving member; in the first direction, the first connecting member is opposite to a support shaft for supporting the intermediate driving member.

In some embodiments, the first connector enters the support shaft.

Drawings

Fig. 1A and 1B are perspective views of a process cartridge according to the present utility model.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA direction in fig. 1A.

Fig. 3A is a partially exploded view of the drive end of the process cartridge according to the present utility model.

Fig. 3B is a partially exploded view of the conductive end of the process cartridge according to the present utility model.

Fig. 4 is a partially exploded view of a second unit of the process cartridge according to the present utility model.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the process cartridge according to the present utility model after the first conductive member and the second conductive member are both attached to the first unit non-driving end cap.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the developing member, the supplying member, and the regulating member of the process cartridge according to the present utility model when in contact with the conductive member.

Fig. 7 is a side view of the process cartridge of the present utility model, as viewed from the drive end toward the conductive end in the first direction, after hiding the first unit drive end cap.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the process cartridge according to the present utility model after hiding the first unit drive end cap.

Fig. 9A is a side view of the process cartridge according to the present utility model as seen in the first direction.

Fig. 9B is a side view of the first and second unit drive end caps shown in fig. 9A, with the first and second unit drive end caps hidden.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the direction shown in BB in fig. 1B.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present utility model are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[ Overall structure of Process Cartridge ]

Fig. 1A and 1B are perspective views of a process cartridge according to the present utility model; fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA direction in fig. 1A.

The process cartridge 100 includes a first unit 1 and a second unit 2 coupled to each other, wherein the first unit 1 includes a first unit housing 11 and a developing member 12 rotatably provided in the first unit housing 11, the first unit housing 11 storing therein a developer necessary for developing the process cartridge, and the second unit 2 includes a second unit housing 21 and a photosensitive member 22 rotatably provided in the second unit housing 21, the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 being disposed opposite to each other, and thus, the first unit 1 may also be referred to as a developing unit, and the second unit 2 may also be referred to as a photosensitive unit. The developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are held in a state of being in contact with each other or in a state of being spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance according to the type of developer, at this time, the developer can reach the surface of the photosensitive member 22 from the surface of the developing member 12 under the effect of an electric field force between the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22, and the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are in a state of being close to each other.

Further, the process cartridge 100 further includes a handle 3 provided on the first unit housing 11 or the second unit housing 21, and the user can perform the mounting and removing operations of the process cartridge 100 by grasping the handle 3.

Further, the process cartridge 100 further includes a first driving member 41 provided at an end of the developing member 12 and a second driving member 42 provided at an end of the photosensitive member 22, at least one of the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 being configured to receive driving force from a driving force output member in the image forming apparatus when the process cartridge 100 is mounted to a predetermined position of the image forming apparatus, whereby the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are driven by the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42, respectively, and are rotated about the developing axis L1 and the photosensitive axis L2, respectively, at a predetermined speed.

Generally, the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 are disposed at the same end of the process cartridge, and are defined herein for clarity of the following description: one end provided with the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 is a driving end F of the process cartridge, one end opposite to the driving end F is a conductive/non-driving end E, the extending direction of the developing member 12 or the photosensitive member 22 is a first direction/longitudinal direction, the intersecting direction with the first direction is a second direction, and the intersecting direction with the first direction and the second direction is a third direction along which the photosensitive member 22 is located above the developing member 12, and the driving end F and the non-driving end E are oppositely disposed in the first direction.

Along a first direction, a driving end F and a conductive end E are respectively located at both ends of the process cartridge 100, the conductive end E being for receiving power from the image forming apparatus; in the second direction, the handle 3 and the developing member 12/photosensitive member 22 are respectively located at two ends of the process cartridge 100, wherein the end of the developing member 12/photosensitive member 22 is the front end of the process cartridge, the end of the handle 3 is the rear end of the process cartridge, and the process cartridge 100 can be mounted forward and taken out backward substantially in the second direction; when the process cartridge 100 is assembled, the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 may be substantially adjacent to each other in the third direction, thereby achieving the combination of the first unit 1 and the second unit 2; preferably, the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to each other.

In some embodiments, the first unit 1 further includes a developer replenishment port 15 provided on the first unit housing 11, a first seal 16 for sealing the developer replenishment port 15, and a first unit driving end cap 11a and a first unit non-driving end cap 11b respectively located at both longitudinal ends of the first unit housing 11, and preferably, the developer replenishment port 15 is also provided at one of the longitudinal ends of the first unit housing 11, and the developer replenishment port 15 can be exposed outwardly from the corresponding end cap regardless of whether the developer replenishment port 15 is provided at the driving end F or the conductive end E. Fig. 3A shows that the developer replenishment port 15 is provided at the driving end F and the exposing port 11a1 is provided at the first unit driving end cover 11a, and the developer replenishment port 15/the first sealing member 16 is exposed through the exposing port 11a1, so that the user can replenish the developer into the first unit 1 through the developer replenishment port 15 by opening only the first sealing member 16 without disassembling the process cartridge.

In some embodiments, the second unit 2 further includes a waste developer discharge opening 23 provided on the second unit housing 21, a second seal 24 for sealing the waste developer discharge opening 23, and a second unit driving end cap 21a and a second unit non-driving end cap 21b respectively located at both longitudinal ends of the second unit housing 21, the first unit driving end cap 11a and the second unit driving end cap 21a being formed separately, and the first unit non-driving end cap 11b and the second unit non-driving end cap 21b being formed separately, it is possible to realize that the first unit driving end cap 11a, the first unit non-driving end cap 11b, the second unit driving end cap 21a and the second unit non-driving end cap 21b are all combined with the developing housing by means of screws, snaps, or the like, and the respective end cap forming is such that the portions required to be aligned when these end caps are combined with the corresponding housings are reduced, and thus, the manufacturing accuracy requirement of the end caps can be reduced without affecting the use of the other end caps even if a single end cap is deformed.

In the second unit 2, a charging member 26 and a waste developer scraping member 27 are provided adjacent to the photosensitive member 22, and the charging member 26 is configured to charge the surface of the photosensitive member 22 with a predetermined amount of electric charge when the process cartridge 100 is developing, and the waste developer scraping member 27 is configured to scrape the waste developer on the surface of the photosensitive member 22, which is contained in the second unit housing 21, and when the amount of the waste developer reaches the predetermined value, the user can discharge the waste developer by opening the second sealing member 24, and can complete the discharge of the waste developer without disassembling the process cartridge, based on which the waste developer discharge port 23 can be provided at an arbitrary position of the second unit housing 21 as long as the discharge operation of the waste developer can be achieved.

In some embodiments, the process cartridge 100 further includes a pushing member 32 between the first unit 1 and the second unit 2, a laser entrance 31 is formed between the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 when the process cartridge 100 is assembled, a laser beam carrying imaging information is emitted from the image forming apparatus and irradiated to the surface of the photosensitive member 22 through the laser entrance 31, so that the surface of the photosensitive member 22 irradiated with the laser beam forms an electrostatic latent image, and in a subsequent developing process, a developer on the surface of the developing member 12 reaches the surface of the photosensitive member 22 under the effect of an electric field force, and the electrostatic latent image can be developed.

Specifically, in some embodiments, the urging member 32 is provided as compression springs, two compression springs 32 are provided at both ends of the process cartridge, respectively, in the first direction, and the laser inlet 31 is located between the two compression springs 32; in some embodiments, the urging member 32 may be further provided as an elastic member such as rubber, sponge, or the like, and optionally, the urging member 32 may be further provided as a tension spring, and the urging member 32 is configured to provide urging force to the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 so that the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are brought close to each other, or so that the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 are combined with each other.

In the present utility model, the process cartridge 100 further includes first and second coupling members 51 and 52 for coupling the first and second units 1 and 2, preferably, the first and second coupling members 51 and 52 are coaxially provided coupling pins, and the first and second units 1 and 2 are relatively rotatable about an axis X where the first and second coupling members 51 and 52 are located, thereby maintaining the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 in a proper mutually adjacent state, or maintaining the first and second driving members 41 and 42 in a proper mutually coupled state, by the first and second coupling members 51 and 52.

As shown in fig. 2, the process cartridge 100 further includes a supply member 13 and a stirring member 14 rotatably provided in the first unit housing 11, and in the second direction, the first unit housing 11 includes a developing cartridge 1a located at the front and a developer cartridge 1b located at the rear, the developing cartridge 1a and the developer cartridge 1b being partitioned by a partition plate 1i provided with a communication port 1h through which the developing cartridge 1a and the developer cartridge 1b can communicate; the developing member 12 and the supplying member 13 are provided in the developing hopper 1a in a state of being in contact with each other, the stirring member 14 is rotatably provided in the developing hopper 1b, the stirring member 14 is for stirring the developer stored in the developing hopper 1b, the developer is prevented from caking and is also for conveying the developer toward the supplying member 13, and the supplying member 13 is for supplying the developer toward the developing member 12; further, the developing member 12 includes a developing member shaft 121 made of a conductive material and a developing layer 122 coated on an outer surface of the developing member shaft 121, and the supplying member 13 includes a supplying member shaft 131 made of a conductive material and a supplying layer 132 coated on an outer surface of the supplying member shaft 131; preferably, both the developing layer 122 and the supply layer 132 are made of an elastic material, and the developing layer 122 is simultaneously in contact with the regulating member 17 and the supply layer 132, for example, the supply layer 132 is made of a sponge for adsorbing and transporting the developer particles, and the developing layer 122 is made of rubber; the developing member shaft 121 and the supplying member shaft 131 may each receive power from the image forming apparatus to generate a suitable electric field force to facilitate movement of the developer between the supplying member 13 and the developing member 12 and between the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22, and preferably, the developing member shaft 121 and the supplying member shaft 131 are each metal shafts made of metal.

In some embodiments, when the developer is magnetic, the developer member 12 may also be a magnetic roller having a magnetic member mounted within a metal sleeve that also receives power from the image forming apparatus.

The process cartridge 100 further includes an adjusting member 17 fixedly installed in the first unit housing 11, the adjusting member 17 being in contact with an outer surface of the developing member 12/developing layer 122 to adjust a thickness of the developer layer on the surface of the developing member 12, and at the same time, the adjusting member 17 being further adapted to rub against the developer so that the developer is charged; preferably, at least a portion of the regulating member 17 is made of a conductive material, so that the regulating member 17 can also receive power from the image forming apparatus.

The structure of each component in the process cartridge 100 is described in further detail below.

FIG. 3A is a partially exploded view of the drive end of the process cartridge of the present utility model; FIG. 3B is a partially exploded view of the conductive end of the process cartridge of the present utility model; fig. 4 is a partially exploded view of a second unit of the process cartridge according to the present utility model; fig. 5 is a perspective view of the process cartridge of the present utility model after the first conductive member and the second conductive member are both mounted to the first unit non-drive end cap; fig. 6 is a perspective view of the developing member, the supplying member, and the regulating member of the process cartridge according to the present utility model when in contact with the conductive member.

[ Drive Assembly ]

As described above, the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 are mounted at one longitudinal end of the developing member 12 and one longitudinal end of the photosensitive member 22, respectively, and when at least one of the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 receives a driving force from the image forming apparatus, the developing member 12 can be driven by the first driving member 41 to rotate about the developing axis L1, the photosensitive member 22 can be driven by the second driving member 42 to rotate about the photosensitive axis L2, and at the same time, the supplying member 13, the stirring member 14, and the like are driven to rotate, and it is simplified that the developing member 12, the supplying member 13, the stirring member 14, and the photosensitive member 22 can be collectively referred to as a rotating member rotatably provided in the process cartridge, and for this reason, the process cartridge 100 further includes the driving assembly 4 for receiving the driving force from the image forming apparatus and transmitting the driving force to the rotating member.

Specifically, the driving assembly 4 includes, in addition to the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 described above, a third driving member 43, a fourth driving member 44, a fifth driving member 45, and a sixth driving member 46, wherein the third driving member 43 is coupled to at least one of the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 for receiving the driving force of at least one of the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42, and simultaneously, the third driving member 43 is coupled to the fourth driving member 44 and the fifth driving member 45 at the same time, the fourth driving member 44 is disposed at one longitudinal end of the supplying member 13, and the fifth driving member 45 is coupled to the sixth driving member 46 at the other longitudinal end of the stirring member 14, so that the driving force transmitted from the third driving member 45 can simultaneously drive the supplying member 13 and the stirring member 14.

Alternatively, each member in the driving assembly 4 may be provided as a gear, and may be provided as a member capable of transmitting driving force such as a friction wheel, a pulley, or the like, as long as driving force can be transmitted in the driving assembly 4.

[ Conductive component ]

The conductive member 6 is for electrically connecting the process cartridge 100 with the image forming apparatus, and as shown in fig. 3B, the conductive member 6 includes a first conductive member 61, a second conductive member 62, and a third conductive member 63, wherein the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 are each for receiving power from a power output member in the image forming apparatus to be supplied to the developing member 12 and the supplying member 13, respectively, the third conductive member 63 is for grounding the photosensitive member 22, and as shown in the drawing, the third conductive member 63 is provided as a conductive pin penetrating the second unit non-driving end cap 21B, and when the laser beam irradiates the surface of the photosensitive member 22, charges of the irradiated portion are grounded through the third conductive member 63, whereby the photosensitive member surface of the irradiated portion forms an electrostatic latent image.

In the present utility model, the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 are two separate components formed separately, and the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 are mounted on the first unit case 11 or the first unit non-driving end cap 11b, and the mounting process may be performed by an automated apparatus although the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 need to be mounted in comparison with the structure in which the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 are integrally formed with the first unit case 11 or the first unit non-driving end cap 11b, the mounting of the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 does not cause the problems of complicated process and cost increase in the case of mass production of the process cartridge 100, and the integrally formed structure needs to be subjected to secondary injection molding, thereby causing the complicated process and cost increase.

In the first direction, at least a portion of the first conductive member 61 and at least a portion of the second conductive member 62 overlap, and the size of the process cartridge 100 in the second direction and the third direction can be reduced. The first conductive member 61 includes a first conductive body 610, a first electrical contact portion 611, a second electrical contact portion 612 and a first overlap portion 613 provided on the first conductive body 610, the first electrical contact portion 611 being for electrical connection with the developing member 12, the second electrical contact portion 612 being for electrical connection with the regulating member 17, so that the first conductive member 61 can supply electric power to both the developing member 12 and the regulating member 17; the second conductive member 62 includes a second conductive body 620, and a third electrical contact portion 621, a second overlapping portion 623, and a positioning portion 622 provided on the second conductive body 620, the third electrical contact portion 621 being for electrical connection with the supply member 13, the first overlapping portion 613 and the second overlapping portion 623 being opposite in the first direction, as shown in fig. 5, a first positioning member 11b1 provided on the first unit case 11 or the first unit non-driving end cap 11b being inserted into the first overlapping portion 613 and the second overlapping portion 623, such that the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 are connected; preferably, the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 are not in contact in the first direction, and as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the first overlap portion 613 and the second overlap portion 623 are spaced apart from each other in the first direction, so that a short circuit does not occur between the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 to affect the power reception of the process cartridge 100.

The positioning of the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 is described below.

In some embodiments, the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 are fixedly mounted on the first unit non-driving end cap 11b, and the first positioning member 11b1 may allow the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 to be connected by inserting the first overlap portion 613 and the second overlap portion 623. When the cross section of the first overlapping portion 613 and the cross section of the second overlapping portion 623 are set to be non-circular, the positions of the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 can be determined by the connection of the first positioning member 11b1, i.e., the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 are positioned, but such a design is disadvantageous for the rapid installation of the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62, particularly in an automated apparatus, the first positioning member 11b1, the first overlapping portion 613 and the second overlapping portion 623 need to be precisely positioned to achieve the installation. When the cross section of the first overlap portion 613 and the cross section of the second overlap portion 623 are set to be circular, the mounting of the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 becomes more convenient, but at this time, even if the first positioning member 11b1 is inserted into the first overlap portion 613 and the second overlap portion 623, the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 may still swing, for which reason both the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 need to be secondarily positioned.

In consideration of the ease of mounting the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62, as shown in fig. 3B and 6, the first electric contact portion 611 is also provided in a structure having a circular cross section, specifically, the first electric contact portion 611 is a cylinder having a receiving chamber inside, an outer surface is formed into a circumferential surface, the developing member shaft 121 is interference-fitted with the receiving chamber in the first electric contact portion, while an end of the first electric contact portion 611 is formed as a developing power receiving portion 614 that receives power, and when the first electric contact portion 611 is combined with the first through hole 11B4 provided on the first unit non-driving end cap 11B and exposed through the first through hole 11B4, the first conductive member 61 is positioned, that is, the first positioning member 11B1 is used for pre-positioning the first conductive member 61, and the combination of the first electric contact portion 611 and the first through hole 11B4 is used for secondarily positioning the first conductive member 61; the third electric contact portion 621 is also provided as a cylinder having a receiving cavity inside, an outer surface is formed as a circumferential surface, the supply member shaft 131 is interference-fitted with the receiving cavity in the third electric contact portion, and similarly to the first electric conductive member 61, the third electric contact portion 621 can also be combined with a through hole provided in the first unit non-driving end cap 11b to achieve secondary positioning, in this embodiment, the second electric conductive member 62 is secondarily positioned by a positioning portion 622 provided additionally to promote the degree of freedom of design of the second electric conductive member 62, and as shown in the drawing, the second positioning member 11b3 provided on the first unit non-driving end cap 11b is inserted into the positioning portion 622, so that the first positioning member 11b1 is used for pre-positioning the second electric conductive member 62, and the combination of the second positioning member 11b3 and the positioning portion 622 is used for secondarily positioning the second electric conductive member 62.

As described above, the positioning of the first conductive member 61 in the first unit non-driving end cap 11b is achieved by positioning the two cylinders on the first conductive member 61, so that the first conductive member 61 and the first unit non-driving end cap 11b do not need to be provided with components having non-circular cross sections, not only simplifying the structures of the first conductive member 61 and the first unit non-driving end cap 11b, but also achieving the automated assembly of the first conductive member 61; likewise, the second conductive element 62 is also automatically assembled by a similar structural design.

As for the second conductive member 62, a supply power receiving portion 624 for receiving power may be provided at either the end of the third electric contact portion 621 or at another position of the second conductive member 62, as shown in fig. 3B, the supply power receiving portion 624 may be provided separately from the third electric contact portion 621, and may be connected by a conductor, the supply power receiving portion 624 may be combined with a second through hole 11B5 provided in the first unit non-driving end cap 11B and exposed through the second through hole 11B5, so that the supply power receiving portion 624 may be changed according to the position of the power output member in the image forming apparatus, and thus, the degree of freedom in design of the second conductive member 62 is improved. Preferably, the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 are made of conductive materials, and more preferably, the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 are not formed by bending a metal sheet, so that the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 can be better adapted to automatic production.

It should be understood that the structures of the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 may be variously changed according to the design requirement, but generally, the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 will be at least partially overlapped in the first direction, by the partially overlapped design, the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 may be combined without contact, and at the same time, the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member may be pre-positioned, not only the overall size of the process cartridge 100 may be controlled, but also the structure of the process cartridge 100 may be simplified, and it is advantageous to implement the automated production of the process cartridge 100; in addition, the structural design of the first conductive member 61 and the second conductive member 62 is also applicable to a process cartridge including only the first unit 1.

[ Photosensitive component ]

The photosensitive member 2a includes the above-described photosensitive member 22 and the second driving force receiving member 42, wherein the second driving force receiving member 42 is mounted at one longitudinal end of the photosensitive member 22, and when the second driving force receiving member 42 receives the driving force to start rotation, the photosensitive member 22 is also synchronously driven to rotate, and the photosensitive member 2a also extends in the first direction; further, the photosensitive assembly 2a further includes a drum 25 coupled to the photosensitive member 22, and the second driving force receiving member 42 and the drum 25 are respectively located at both ends of the photosensitive member 22 in the first direction, and the third conductive member 63 is electrically connected to the photosensitive member 22 through the drum 25.

The positioning structure of the photosensitive member is described below with reference to fig. 3A, 3B, and 4.

The second unit housing 21 includes a main housing 210, and a first sidewall 211 and a second sidewall 212 extending from the main housing 210, wherein the first sidewall 211 and the second sidewall 212 are located at two sides of the main housing 210 along a first direction, respectively, the first sidewall 211 is located at the driving end F, the second sidewall 212 is located at the non-driving end E, and the photosensitive assembly 2a is located between the first sidewall 211 and the second sidewall 212, and during assembling the second unit 2, the photosensitive assembly 2a can be initially located by the first sidewall 211 and the second sidewall 212, which is beneficial to preventing the photosensitive assembly 2a from being accidentally dropped from the main housing 210 and damaged.

The first side wall 211 is provided with a first mounting hole 215, the second side wall 212 is provided with a second mounting hole 216, the second unit driving end cover 21a is combined with the photosensitive assembly 2a through the first mounting hole 215, the second unit non-driving end cover 21b is combined with the photosensitive assembly 2a through the second mounting hole 216, and the design can prevent the photosensitive assembly 2a from rubbing with the second unit driving end cover 21 a/the second unit non-driving end cover 21 b.

Specifically, the second unit driving end cap 21a is provided with a first supporting portion 21a1 protruding toward the second unit housing 21/main housing 210, the first supporting portion 21a1 passing through the first mounting hole 215 and entering the second driving member 42, the outer circumferential surface of the first supporting portion 21a1 being in contact with the second driving member 42, whereby the driving end of the photosensitive assembly 2a is rotatably supported by the first supporting portion 21a1 through the second driving member 42; the second unit non-drive end cap 21b is provided with a second support portion 21b1 protruding toward the second unit housing 21/main housing 210, the second support portion 21b1 passing through the second mounting hole 216 and entering the drum 25, the outer circumferential surface of the first support portion 21b1 being in contact with the second drive member 42, whereby the non-drive end of the photosensitive assembly 2a is rotatably supported by the second support portion 21b1 through the drum 25, and finally, the photosensitive assembly 2a is rotatably supported in the second unit 2.

In some embodiments, the process cartridge 100 further includes a metal member 33 sleeved outside the first supporting portion 21a1, and when the second unit 2/process cartridge 100 is assembled, the first supporting portion 21a1 sleeved with the metal member 33 enters a rotation hole 421 preset in the second driving member 42, and at this time, an outer surface of the metal member 33 contacts an inner wall of the rotation hole 421. In general, the first supporting portion 21a1 is integrally injection-molded with the second unit driving end cap 21a, and the parts of the driving end of the process cartridge are more worn during the transmission of the driving force by the driving assembly 4, so that, when the metal member 33 is sleeved on the first supporting portion 21a1, even if the second driving member 42 generates a large torque or shake, the first supporting portion 21a1 is not worn, that is, the size of the first supporting portion 21a1 is not changed with the long-term use of the process cartridge 100, the relative positions of the second driving member 42 and the first driving member 41 or the relative positions of the photosensitive member 22/the photosensitive assembly 2a and the developing member 12 are not changed, and the imaging quality of the process cartridge 100 can be kept stable.

As described above, when the second unit 2/process cartridge 100 is completed in assembly, the photosensitive assembly 2a is rotatably supported by the second supporting portion 21b1 through the drum 25, and the third conductive member 63 sequentially passes through the second supporting portion 21b1 and the second mounting hole 216 and enters the drum 25, that is, the second supporting portion 21b1 only functions to support the drum 25, and need not be provided to be conductive; meanwhile, the torque or shake of the non-driving end E is smaller than that of the driving end F, and the second supporting portion 21b1 and the second unit non-driving end cover 21b are not subject to great wear even if the metal member is not sleeved outside the second supporting portion 21b1, which allows the second supporting portion 21b1 and the second unit non-driving end cover 21b to be integrally injection-molded.

In some embodiments, at least one of the first sidewall 211 and the second sidewall 212 may be omitted, and the first supporting portion 21a1 and the second supporting portion 21b1 respectively directly enter the photosensitive assembly 2a.

In comparison with the conventional structure in which the photosensitive member 22 is supported and electrically connected to the photosensitive member 22 by one metal pin, the process cartridge 100 according to the present utility model is configured such that the second supporting portion 21b1 for supporting the photosensitive member 22/photosensitive member 2a and the third conductive member 63 for electrically connecting to the photosensitive member 22/conductive member 2a are formed separately, and the third conductive member 63 passes through the second supporting portion 21b1 and enters the drum 25/photosensitive member 2a, and this design ensures that the photosensitive member 2a is stably supported by the second supporting portion 21b1 after being detached and installed a plurality of times, and the relative positions of the photosensitive member 22/photosensitive member 2a and the developing member 12 are not changed, and the image forming quality of the process cartridge 100 can be maintained stable.

Specifically, for the existing metal pins that support the photosensitive member 22 and are electrically connected to the photosensitive member 2, when the photosensitive member 2a is detached, the metal pins must be detached and then mounted again in the process of mounting the photosensitive member 2a, and thus, after being detached a plurality of times, the holes provided in the second unit non-driving end cover 21b through which the metal pins pass or the second mounting holes 216 will inevitably deform, which will cause the photosensitive member 2a to be not stably supported, and the axial distance between the photosensitive member 22 and the developing member 12 will be changed, and thus, the image quality of the process cartridge 100 will be degraded.

In the present utility model, the second supporting portion 21b1 is formed separately from the third conductive member 63, and even if the photosensitive assembly 2a is attached and detached a plurality of times, the second supporting portion 21b1 is not deformed, particularly the outer surface of the second supporting portion 21b1 which is in direct contact with the drum 25 is hardly affected, and accordingly, the outer dimension of the second supporting portion 21b1 is hardly changed; in an extreme case, even though the inside of the second supporting portion 21b1 is damaged by the third conductive member 63 during the multiple disassembly and assembly of the photosensitive member 2a, the outer dimension of the second supporting portion 21b1 is hardly changed as well, and thus the photosensitive member 22/photosensitive member 2a can be stably supported in the second unit case 21.

Further, the outer circumferential surface of the second supporting portion 21b1 is further provided with at least one recessed portion 21b2 extending in the first direction, and on the one hand, the contact area of the outer circumferential surface of the second supporting portion 21b1 with the drum 25 is reduced, and the friction force therebetween is also reduced; on the other hand, the concave portion 21b2 may contain therein a lubricant, which may be, for example, lubricating oil, lubricating powder, conductive paste, or the like, to further reduce the friction force of the second supporting portion 21b1 with the drum 25, and when the conductive paste is contained in the concave portion 21b2, the conductive paste adheres to the third conductive member 63 as the photosensitive member 2a rotates, so that the electrical connection of the third conductive member 63 with the photosensitive member 2a may become more stable.

For the first supporting portion 21a1, the metal member 33 is sleeved outside the first supporting portion 21a1, and even if the inside of the first supporting portion 21a1 is damaged or deformed, stable supporting of the photosensitive assembly 2a by the first supporting portion 21a1 is not affected; in some embodiments, when the third conductive member 63 is disposed at the driving end F, that is, the third conductive member 63 is formed separately from the first supporting portion 21a1, and the third conductive member 63 is electrically connected to the photosensitive member 22 through the second driving member 42, the photosensitive assembly 2a can also be stably supported.

From this, the above-described design in which the third conductive member 63 is formed separately from the first supporting portion 21a 1/the second supporting portion 21b1 is also applicable to a process cartridge in which only the second unit 2 is provided.

[ Connection of first Unit and second Unit ]

FIG. 7 is a side view of the process cartridge of the present utility model from the drive end to the conductive end in a first direction after concealing the first unit drive end cap; fig. 8 is a perspective view of the process cartridge according to the present utility model after hiding the first unit drive end cap;

Fig. 9A is a side view of the process cartridge according to the present utility model viewed in a first direction; FIG. 9B is a side view of the first and second unit drive end caps shown in FIG. 9A, with the first and second unit drive end caps hidden; fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the direction shown in BB in fig. 1B.

As described above, the process cartridge 100 according to the present utility model is rotatably coupled by the first coupling member 51 and the second coupling member 52 coaxially provided, and at the same time, the process cartridge 100 is further provided with the above-described urging member 32, at which time the process cartridge 100 is integrally formed as one lever in the second direction, i.e., the first coupling member 51/second coupling member 52 is located between the urging member 3 and the developing member 12/photosensitive member 22; the photosensitive member 22 and the developing member 12 are held close to each other by the urging force of the urging member 32, and the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 are held in engagement with each other, so that the first connecting member 51 and the second connecting member 52 correspond to the fulcrum of the lever. The first unit driving end cap 11a is provided with a first communication hole 11a2, the first unit non-driving end cap 11b is provided with a second communication hole 11b2, the first connection member 51 passes through the first communication hole 11a2 and is coupled with the first coupling portion 214, and the second connection member 52 passes through the second communication hole 11b2 and is coupled with the second coupling portion 218, whereby the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 are coupled with each other.

The positions of the first and second links 51 and 52 in the process cartridge 100 will be described below.

As further shown in fig. 4, at the driving end F, the second unit housing 21 further includes a first extension 213 extending from the main housing 210 or the first side wall 211 and a first coupling portion 214 provided on the first extension 213, and thus, the first extension 213 may be regarded as a portion of the first side wall 211; at the non-driving end E, the second unit housing 21 further includes a second extension portion 217 extending from the main housing 210 or the second sidewall 212 and a second coupling portion 218 provided on the second extension portion 217, and thus, the second extension portion 217 may be regarded as a portion of the second sidewall 212.

In some embodiments, the first extension 213 and the second extension 217 may also be formed by extending from the second unit driving end cap 21a and the second unit non-driving end cap 21b, respectively, and the second unit 2 may still be capable of rotating relative to the first unit 1 about the axis X under the urging force of the urging member 32; thus, the first extension 213 and the second extension 217 may be described as members capable of being fixedly coupled with the second unit main case 210, and the first extension 213 is provided with the first coupling portion 214 and the second extension 217 is provided with the second coupling portion 218.

As shown in fig. 8, the first driving member 41 is supported by the developing member shaft 121 directly or by the first supporting shaft 1j connected to the first unit housing 11, the third driving member 43 is supported by the third supporting shaft 1c connected to the first unit housing 11, the fourth driving member 44 is supported by the supplying member shaft 131 directly or by the fourth supporting shaft 1d connected to the first unit housing 11, the fifth driving member 45 is supported by the fifth supporting shaft 1e connected to the first unit housing 11, the sixth driving member 46 is supported by the stirring member shaft of the stirring member 14 directly or by the sixth supporting shaft 1g connected to the first unit housing 11, and thus, the developing member shaft 121, the supplying member shaft 131 and the stirring member shaft can also be regarded as supporting shafts of the first driving member 41, the fourth driving member 44 and the sixth driving member 46, respectively, the first driving member 41, the third driving member 43, the fourth driving member 44, the fifth driving member 45 and the sixth driving member 46 are rotatably supported by the supporting shaft in the first unit housing 11, the first driving member 41, the fourth driving member 41 can be called as the stirring member 42, the fourth driving member 46 can be called the stirring member 46, and the fourth driving member can be called the stirring member 46.

As further shown in fig. 8, the third driving member 43 is provided as a duplex driving member including a driving force receiving portion 431 for coupling with the first driving member 41 and a driving force outputting portion 432 for coupling with both the fourth driving member 44 and the fifth driving member 45, and in the first direction, the driving force receiving portion 431 protrudes farther than the driving force outputting portion 432, or the driving force receiving portion 431 is farther from the non-driving end E than the driving force outputting portion 432, and thus, in the first direction, a height difference is formed between the driving force receiving portion 431 and the fourth driving member 44/fifth driving member 45.

In the second direction, the third drive member 43, the fourth drive member 4 and the fifth drive member 45 are located between the first drive member 41 and the sixth drive member 46, and may be collectively referred to as intermediate drive members; specifically, the first driving member 41 is located at the forefront, the sixth driving member 46 is located at the rearmost, and the sixth driving member 46/stirring member rotation center N is located at the front of at least a portion of the developer replenishment port 15, that is, the sixth driving member 46/stirring member rotation center N is closer to the supplying member 13/developing member 12 than the developer replenishment port 15, so that a portion of the developer replenished from the developer replenishment port 15 can be blocked by the stirring member 14 without rapidly flowing to the supplying member 13/developing member 12 to cause load-weighing of the supplying member 13/developing member 12, and at the same time, it is also advantageous to prevent a large amount of developer from flowing to the supplying member 13/developing member 12 to cause blocking of the communication port 1i, or rotational blocking of the supplying member 13, and further the supplying member 13 cannot smoothly supply the developer to the developing member 12, and the regulating member 17 is pressed by a large amount of developer to become in contact with the developing member 12, and finally cause excessive torque of the developing member 12 or the thickness of the developer layer on the surface of the developing member 12 to be regulated beyond a threshold value.

At the driving end F, the first connection member 51 is connected to the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 by connecting the support shaft or the first unit driving end cap 11a to the first extension 213, and the connection manner of the first connection member 51 to the support shaft will be described.

According to the structural arrangement of the process cartridge 100, the closest point when the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are brought close to each other or the position where the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 are combined with each other is certain in the second direction, in order for the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 to be kept close to each other or for the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 to be kept combined with each other, the urging member 32 needs to provide a proper urging force, and obviously, the greater the urging force that the urging member 32 can provide, the better, but according to the principle of leverage, if the position of the first connecting member 51 is adjusted, the urging force requirement on the urging member 32 can be reduced, which is advantageous in preventing the urging member 32 from urging the first unit casing 11 and/or the second unit casing 22 to deform when the urging member 32 is provided as a compression spring or a pair of repulsive magnetic members or tension springs; further, when the urging member 32 is provided as a tension spring, the tension spring 32 will be located between the first connecting member 51 and the developing member 12/photosensitive member 22 in the second direction.

As shown in fig. 9B, when the first coupling member 51 is coupled to the supporting shaft for supporting the first driving member 41, the urging member 32 is farthest from the first coupling member 51 as a fulcrum in the second direction, and at this time, the process cartridge 100 is formed as a labor-saving lever, and the urging member 32 is required to provide only a small urging force to achieve a state in which the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are held close to each other, or in other words, the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 are held in a coupled state; when the first coupling member 51 is coupled to the supporting shaft for supporting the sixth driving member 46, the urging member 32 is closest to the first coupling rib 51 as a fulcrum in the second direction, and at this time, the process cartridge 100 is formed as a laborious lever, the urging member 32 needs to provide a large urging force to achieve a state in which the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are held close to each other, or in other words, the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 are held in a state of being coupled to each other.

In both extreme cases described above, although it is also possible to achieve a state in which the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are held close to each other, or in other words, the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 are held in a state of being combined with each other, the urging force of the urging member 32 needs to be precisely controlled, otherwise, it is mainly expressed that:

When the first coupling member 51 is coupled with a supporting shaft for supporting the first driving member 41, it may occur that the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are too closely coupled to each other, or that the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 are coupled to each other too closely, resulting in an excessive rotational torque of the developing member 12, the photosensitive member 22, the first driving member 41, and the second driving member 42; when the first driving member 41 or the second driving member 42 is caused to jump between the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 or between the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 due to insufficient manufacturing accuracy, or the driving force outputted from the image forming apparatus is not stable, or foreign matter is caught between the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22, or the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 are caused to jump, the process cartridge 100 will be formed as a laborious lever in the second direction, and it will be difficult for the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 to adjust the state by forcing the two to separate from each other, or it will be difficult for the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 to adjust the state by forcing the two to separate from each other, thereby causing degradation in the image forming quality.

When the first coupling member 51 is coupled with the supporting shaft for supporting the sixth driving member 46, it may occur that the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 cannot reach a state of being close to each other necessary for development, or that the force of coupling the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 to each other is insufficient to cause a jumping phenomenon; in contrast to the above, when the first driving member 41 or the second driving member 42 is not stable due to insufficient manufacturing accuracy, or the driving force outputted from the image forming apparatus is not stable, or a jump is generated between the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 or a jump is generated between the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 due to a foreign matter being caught between the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22, or the process cartridge 100 is formed as a labor-saving lever in the second direction, the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 are easily separated from each other, and accordingly, the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 and the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 are easily separated from each other, thereby causing a decrease in image forming quality.

Based on the above-mentioned factors, it is advantageous to combine the first connecting member 51 with the support shaft of the intermediate driving member, for example, the first connecting member 51 with the support shaft for supporting the third driving member 43, or the first connecting member 51 with the support shaft for supporting the fourth driving member 44, or the first connecting member 51 with the support shaft for supporting the fifth driving member 45; by this arrangement, not only the urging force demand on the urging member 32 can be reduced, but also the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 can be kept in a proper mutually adjacent state at all times, or in other words, the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 can be kept in a proper mutually coupled state at all times.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 7, 9A and 9B, the rotation center of the first driving member 41/developing member 12 is M, the rotation center of the sixth driving member 46/stirring member 14 is N, straight lines D1 and D2 perpendicular to the line MN passing through the point M and the point N are respectively formed, a first area S1 is formed between the straight lines D1 and D2 along the second direction, and an axis X passing through the first connecting member 51 along the first direction is located in the first area S1; based on the inventive concept, when the first link 51 is not coupled with the support shaft supporting each driving member, but coupled with other support members provided on the first unit housing 11, as long as the first link 51 is located at the first region S1, the support member for coupling with the first link 51 may be a support protrusion integrally or separately formed with the first unit housing 11.

In some embodiments, the developer replenishment opening 15 is located rearward of the straight line D2, i.e., the straight line D2 is closer to the supply member 13/developing member 12 than the developer replenishment opening 15, in other words, the rotation center N of the stirring member 14 is closer to the supply member 13/developing member 12 than the developer replenishment opening 15, or, in other words, the rotation center N of the stirring member 14 is closer to the supply member 13/developing member 12 than the center of the developer replenishment opening 15, which brings about the advantageous effects as described above.

Further, as shown in fig. 7, a line D3 and a line D4 parallel to the connecting line MN are formed along a third direction intersecting the second direction, or along a direction perpendicular to the connecting line MN, respectively passing through two outermost points of the whole formed by combining the driving members in the first unit 1, and a second area S2 is formed between the line D3 and the line D4 along the third direction, and an axis X passing through the first connecting member 51 along the first direction is located in the second area S2; also, based on the inventive concept, when the first link 51 is not coupled with the support shaft supporting the respective driving pieces, but coupled with the other support shaft provided on the first unit housing 11, it is sufficient that the first link 51 is located at the second region S2.

As described above, the second connecting member 52 is disposed coaxially with the first connecting member 51, and thus, when the second connecting member 52 is projected to the driving end F in the first direction, the second connecting member 52 will have the same position as the first connecting member 51. As shown in fig. 10, at the non-driving end E, the process cartridge 100 includes a non-driving end support 1f coupled to the first unit housing 11, the non-driving end support 1f being provided as a cylinder having a support chamber 1f1, and the second coupling member 52 passes through the second coupling portion 218 and then enters the support chamber 1f1, and both ends of the second coupling member 52 are supported by the first unit non-driving end cap 11b and the support chamber 1f1, respectively, in the first direction, so that the second coupling member 52 can be stably mounted in the process cartridge 100, and accordingly, the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 can be rotatably stably coupled.

In summary, the utility model has the following beneficial effects:

First, the end caps respectively provided at both longitudinal ends of the process cartridge 100 are each provided as a separate body, i.e., at the driving end F, the first unit driving end cap 11a and the second unit driving end cap 21a are also formed separately, at the non-driving end E, the first unit non-driving end cap 11b and the second unit non-driving end cap 21b are also formed separately, so that the portions of the end caps for supporting the photosensitive member 22 and the portions of the end caps for supporting the developing member 12 are separately provided, the manufacturing accuracy requirements of the respective end caps are reduced, and accordingly, the mounting of the respective end caps is simplified due to the reduction of the portions to be aligned, and further, the deformation of the respective end caps does not affect the overall assembly of the process cartridge 100; meanwhile, the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 can be rotatably coupled, and the state between the first coupling member 41 and the second coupling member 42 and the state between the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 can be automatically adjusted according to the environment in which the process cartridge 100 is located or the variation in driving force output from the image forming apparatus, thereby ensuring stable image forming quality of the process cartridge 100.

The axis X passing through the first connecting member 51 in the first direction or the first connecting member 51 being located in the first region S1 is advantageous not only in controlling the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 to be kept in a proper mutually approaching state or in controlling the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 to be kept in a proper mutually combined state, but also in reducing the urging force required for the urging member 31, so that the risk that the first unit housing 11 and the second unit 21 may be urged to deform by the urging member 31 is reduced; further, in the second direction, the size of the process cartridge 100 can be controlled.

The first connection member 51 is located in the second region S2 along the axis X passing through the second connection member 51 in the first direction, or the first connection member 51 is located in the second region S2, which is also advantageous in reducing the size of the process cartridge 100 in the third direction; in some embodiments, the axis X/first coupling member 51 is located in the intersecting region S3 (third region) of the first region S1 and the second region S2, so that the dimensions of the process cartridge 100 in both the second direction and the third direction can be controlled, facilitating miniaturization of the process cartridge 100 and the image forming apparatus, while the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 can be maintained in a proper mutually adjacent state, or in other words, the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 can be maintained in a proper mutually combined state; preferably, the axis X/first connection 51 is opposite the intermediate drive, i.e. the axis X/first connection 51 is located within the range of the intermediate drive, so that the axis X/first connection 51 can be understood to be opposite the intermediate drive as well as to the support shafts (1 c, 1d, 1 e) for supporting the intermediate drive; more preferably, the axis X/first link 51 is opposite to the support shafts (1 c, 1d, 1 e) of the intermediate driving member in the first direction, and thus, the overall structure of the process cartridge 100 can be simplified.

The first coupling member 51 may be provided to be coupled to the supporting shaft or other supporting members coupled to the first unit housing, and when the first coupling member 51 is coupled to the supporting shaft, the process cartridge 100 will not need to be additionally provided with members for coupling to the first coupling member 51, so that the overall structure of the process cartridge 100 can be simplified, the driving assembly 4 will also have a larger design space, for example, the number of intermediate driving members can be increased, so that the sixth driving member 46 for driving the stirring member 14 can be provided as far back (in a direction away from the supplying member 13/developing member 12) as possible, and then the developer located behind the first unit can be also conveyed forward by the stirring member 14, and the residual developer amount in the first unit can be reduced.

Preferably, the first link 51 is combined with a support shaft for supporting the fourth driving member 44 or a support shaft for supporting the fifth driving member 45, and since both the fourth driving member 44 and the fifth driving member 45 are closer to the non-driving end E than the third driving member 43, the size of the process cartridge 100 in the first direction can be reduced.

Still further, when viewed in the first direction, the rotation center P of the fifth driving member 45 or the fifth driving member is located uppermost of the rotation centers of all the driving members among the intermediate driving members, which are closest to the second unit main case 210, preferably, the first connecting member 51 is located within the range of the fifth driving member (which may also be referred to as a specific driving member) 45, and more preferably, the first connecting member 51 is opposite to the support shaft for supporting the fifth driving member 45, so that the extension dimension of the first extension 213 in the third direction may be reduced, not only the material consumption of the second unit 2 but also the size of the second unit 2 in the third direction may be reduced.

[ Other description ]

The above describes that the second connecting member 52 realizes the stable rotatable coupling of the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 by entering into the supporting cavity 1f1 of the non-driving end supporting member 1f connected to the first unit housing 11, and the first connecting member 51 may have the same arrangement.

Taking the first link 51 coupled with the support shaft for supporting the fifth driving member 45 as an example, the support cavity 1e1 is also formed inside the support shaft 1e at the driving end F, and the first link 51 passes through the first coupling portion 214 after passing through the first unit driving end cap 11a and finally enters the support cavity 1e1, so that both ends of the first link 51 are supported by the support cavity 1e1 and the first unit driving end cap 11a, respectively, in the first direction, and thus the first link 51 can be stably mounted in the process cartridge 100, and accordingly, the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 can be rotatably stably coupled.

In some embodiments, the first and second connection members 51 and 52 may also be disposed so as not to enter the support cavity 1e1/1f1, the first and second connection members 51 and 52 still being opposite the respective support shafts in the first/longitudinal direction, regardless of whether the first and second connection members 51 and 52 pass through the respective junctions; as shown in fig. 10, the support shaft 1E has a first end face 1E2 facing the drive end, the non-drive end support 1f has a second end face 1f2 facing the non-drive end, the first connecting piece 51 enters the first joint 214 after passing through the first unit drive end cap 11a, and the first connecting piece 51 does not enter the support chamber 1E1 regardless of whether the first connecting piece 51 passes through the first joint 214, that is, in the first direction, the first connecting piece 51 is farther from the non-drive end E than the first end face 1f 2; likewise, the second connecting piece 52 can also be arranged to pass only through the first unit non-drive end cap 11b and into the second coupling portion 218, but the second connecting piece 52 does not enter the support chamber 1f1, i.e. the second connecting piece 52 is further away from the drive end than said second end face 1f2 in the first direction, by means of which design the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 can still be coupled in a rotatable manner.

Preferably, the non-driving end supporting member 1F is also configured as a cylinder protruding from the first unit housing 11, and for convenience of understanding, the non-driving end supporting member 1F may be referred to as a non-driving end supporting shaft, the supporting shaft for coupling with the first connecting member 51 at the driving end may be referred to as a driving end supporting shaft, supporting cavities are provided in the driving end supporting shaft and the non-driving end supporting shaft, and the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 may be coupled in a rotatable manner in the first direction regardless of whether the first connecting member 51 and the second connecting member 52 enter the supporting cavities, so that, at the driving end F, the first connecting member 51/the axis X is located in the third region S3 in the first direction, and in particular, for the supporting shafts (1 c, 1d, 1 e) of the respective intermediate driving members, the first connecting member 51 may be coaxially disposed or eccentrically disposed.

Preferably, the first connecting member 51 is arranged coaxially with the support shaft of the intermediate driving member and enters a support cavity arranged in the support shaft, and at this time, the axis X passes through the support shaft along the first direction, so as to ensure that the first connecting member 51 can be stably supported, and the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 can be stably combined.

In some embodiments, the second connecting member 52 may be fixedly connected to the first unit non-driving end cover 21b or the second extending portion 217, and by providing a coupling hole in the second extending portion 217 or the first unit non-driving end cover 21b, the rotatable coupling of the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 at the non-driving end E is achieved by using the manner that the second connecting member 52 is coupled to the coupling hole, and at the driving end F, the process cartridge 100 still achieves the rotatable coupling of the first unit 1 and the second unit 2 at the driving end F by means that the first connecting member 51 passes through the first unit driving end cover 11b and enters at least the first coupling portion 214, so long as the first connecting member 51 and the second connecting member 52 are coaxially disposed in the first direction, that is, at least the first connecting member 51 is located in the first area S1/the second area S2/the third area S3, so that the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 can be kept in a suitable mutually adjacent state, and the first driving member 41 and the second driving member 42 can be kept in a stable state when the first driving member and the first driving member 42 are disposed in a suitable state and the first driving member 42 can be engaged.

Claims

1. A process cartridge including a second unit housing and a photosensitive assembly rotatably disposed in the second unit housing and extending in a first direction; the second unit comprises a second unit shell, a second unit driving end cover and a second unit non-driving end cover, wherein the second unit driving end cover and the second unit non-driving end cover are fixedly connected with the second unit shell;

it is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of,

The second unit driving end cover and the second unit non-driving end cover are respectively provided with a first supporting part and a second supporting part which can enter two ends of the photosensitive assembly;

The processing box further comprises a conductive piece electrically connected with the photosensitive assembly, the conductive piece penetrates through the first supporting part or the second supporting part, and the conductive piece is formed with the first supporting part and the second supporting part.

2. A process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the photosensitive member includes a photosensitive member, and a driving member and a drum provided at both ends of the photosensitive member, respectively, the driving member being for driving the rotation member to rotate, the first supporting portion being incorporated into the driving member, the second supporting portion being incorporated into the drum, an outer circumferential surface of the first supporting portion being in contact with the driving member, and an outer circumferential surface of the second supporting portion being in contact with the drum.

3. The process cartridge according to claim 2, further comprising a metal member sleeved outside the first supporting portion, wherein the photosensitive member includes a photosensitive member, and a driving member and a drum provided at both ends of the photosensitive member, respectively, the driving member being configured to drive the rotating member to rotate, the metal member entering the driving member along with the first supporting portion, the second supporting portion entering the drum, an outer surface of the metal member being in contact with the driving member, and an outer circumferential surface of the second supporting portion being in contact with the drum.

4. A process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein an outer circumferential surface of the second supporting portion is provided with at least one recess portion extending in the first direction.

5. The process cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second unit housing includes a main housing, and first and second side walls extending from the main housing, the first and second side walls being located on both sides of the main housing, respectively, in the first direction, and the photosensitive member being located between the first and second side walls;

The first supporting part passes through a first mounting hole arranged on the first side wall, and the second supporting part passes through a second mounting hole arranged on the second side wall.

6. The process cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the process cartridge further comprises a first unit provided with the developing member, a first unit driving end cap and a first unit non-driving end cap provided in the first unit, and a first connecting member and a second connecting member connecting the first unit and the second unit, the first side wall or the second unit driving end cap being provided with a first joint portion, and the second side wall or the second unit non-driving end cap being provided with a second joint portion;

The first connector passes through the first unit drive end cap and into the first junction and the second connector passes through the first unit non-drive end cap and into the second junction.

7. The process cartridge of claim 6, wherein the first unit drive end cap and the second unit drive end cap are formed separately, and the first unit non-drive end cap and the second unit non-drive end cap are formed separately.

8. The process cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the first unit further comprises a stirring member rotatably provided in the first unit, a developing member driving member provided on the same side as the first unit driving end cap, a stirring member driving member, and an intermediate driving member between the developing member driving member and the stirring member;

the developing member driving member is used for receiving driving force from the outside of the process cartridge and transmitting the driving force to the stirring member driving member through the intermediate driving member;

in the first direction, the first link is opposite to the intermediate drive member.

9. The process cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the first unit further comprises a stirring member rotatably provided in the first unit, a developing member driving member provided on the same side as the first unit driving end cap, a stirring member driving member, and an intermediate driving member between the developing member driving member and the stirring member;

in the first direction, the first connecting member is opposite to a support shaft for supporting the intermediate driving member.

10. A process cartridge according to claim 9, wherein the first coupling member enters the supporting shaft.