JP2016110047A - End member, process cartridge, and method for detaching process cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an end member capable of transferring appropriate torque and being smoothly attached/detached to/from a device body.SOLUTION: An end member includes a cylindrical bearing member and a shaft member supported by the bearing member. The shaft member includes: a rotation shaft that moves in a shaft line direction by turning about a shaft line; a turning force receiving member that is disposed at one end of the rotation shaft and has an engaging member for engaging with the driving shaft of an image formation device body; and a regulation member that engages with or is detached from the rotation shaft or the turning force receiving member by depression to switch between attitude in which the engaging member engages with the driving shaft and attitude having no engagement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a process cartridge mounted on an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer or a copying machine, an end member disposed in the process cartridge, and a method for removing the process cartridge from the main body of the image forming apparatus.

An image forming apparatus typified by a laser printer, a copying machine, and the like includes a process cartridge that is detachable from a main body of the image forming apparatus (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “apparatus main body”). .
The process cartridge is a member that forms contents to be represented such as characters and figures and transfers them to a recording medium such as paper. Therefore, the process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum on which the contents to be transferred are formed, and various means for forming the contents to be transferred by acting on the photosensitive drum are also arranged. Examples thereof include a means for performing development, charging, and cleaning.

  For the process cartridge, the same process cartridge is attached to or detached from the apparatus main body for maintenance, or an old process cartridge is detached from the apparatus main body and a new process cartridge is attached to the apparatus main body instead. Such attachment and detachment of the process cartridge is performed by the user of the image forming apparatus by himself / herself, and it is desirable that the process cartridge can be easily performed from such a viewpoint.

  On the other hand, the photosensitive drum included in the process cartridge needs to be rotated around the axis when operating. For this purpose, the photosensitive drum is configured such that the drive shaft of the apparatus main body engages directly or via another member at the time of operation and receives a rotational force from the drive shaft to rotate. Therefore, in order to attach and detach the process cartridge to and from the apparatus main body, it is necessary to release (removal) and remount the engagement between the drive shaft of the apparatus main body and the photosensitive drum each time.

  Here, if the photosensitive drum (process cartridge) can be attached / detached by moving in the axial direction of the drive shaft of the apparatus main body, the structure for attaching / detaching is relatively simple. However, from the viewpoint of downsizing the image forming apparatus and securing the mounting / demounting space for the process cartridge, the process cartridge is detached from the apparatus main body so as to be pulled out in a direction different from the axial direction of the drive shaft, and is pushed in from this direction. It is preferable to attach to the apparatus main body.

  In Patent Document 1, when the cover of the apparatus main body is closed, the driving force from the apparatus main body side can be transmitted to the photosensitive drum, and when the cover is opened, the driving force is applied to the photosensitive drum. It is disclosed that the movement is performed so as not to be transmitted. Thereby, the process cartridge can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body in a direction different from the axial direction of the drive shaft.

  Further, there is a technique in which a gear is provided on the photosensitive drum, the gear is meshed with a gear driven by the apparatus main body, and the photosensitive drum is rotated.

  Further, Patent Document 2 discloses an invention in which a photosensitive drum unit is rotated by engaging a driving shaft of a device main body with a photosensitive drum unit via a rotational force transmission component having a trunnion structure attached to the photosensitive drum. It is disclosed. Since the rotational force transmission component can change the angle with respect to the axis of the photosensitive drum by the trunnion structure, it is easy to disengage the driving shaft of the apparatus main body from the photosensitive drum unit.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a technique in which a claw member disposed on a bearing member that engages with a drive shaft is provided so as to be movable in the radial direction by an elastic member such as a spring. This ensures that the bearing member and the drive shaft engage with each other, so that the rotational force is properly transmitted, and the claw member is movable during attachment / detachment, so that attachment / detachment is facilitated.

  Further, Patent Document 4 discloses a technique in which a claw member attached to a shaft member that engages with a drive shaft rises by pressing a protrusion at the center of the shaft member. This ensures that the bearing member and the drive shaft engage with each other, so that the rotational force is properly transmitted, and the claw member is movable during attachment / detachment, so that attachment / detachment is facilitated.

  Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a bearing member that engages with a drive shaft is provided so as to be movable in an axial direction by an elastic member such as a spring. As a result, when the bearing member and the drive shaft are attached / detached, the bearing member is urged by the elastic member, but moves and retracts in the axial direction, so that the attachment / detachment is facilitated.

Japanese Patent No. 2875203 JP 2008-233868 A International Publication No. 2012/113289 International Publication No. 2012/152203

Japan Society of Invention and Innovation Technical Bulletin No. 2010-502197

  However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, when the process cartridge is attached or detached, a process for moving the rotating body in the axial direction of the rotating body in conjunction with opening and closing of the lid is required, and a mechanism for that is required. In the technique of providing a gear on the photosensitive drum, the process cartridge can be directly moved in a direction different from the axial direction of the photosensitive drum. However, the rotation of the photosensitive drum may be uneven due to the nature of the gear. It was.

  In the invention described in Patent Document 2, the process cartridge can be directly moved in a direction (substantially orthogonal) different from the axial direction of the photosensitive drum. However, it is necessary to make the rotational force transmitting component tiltable. And is structurally complex. As a result, it may be difficult to match the axis of the drive transmission shaft with the axis of the driven transmission shaft.

  In the inventions described in Patent Documents 3 and 4, the drive shaft can be smoothly attached and detached in the direction in which the claw member is movable. However, the attachment and detachment in the direction perpendicular to this is difficult because the claw member is not movable. There was a case. In addition, problems in assembly are likely to occur, and reusability of the constituent members has not been considered.

  In the invention described in Non-Patent Document 1, when the shaft member is movable only in the axial direction, the engagement between the groove of the rotational force transmitting portion and the rotational force transmitting portion on the drive shaft side is weak, and a taper may be provided. In some cases, the rotational force was not properly transmitted. Further, when the process cartridge is attached / detached, the shaft member may be caught depending on the posture of the shaft member in the rotation direction, and may be difficult to attach / detach.

  In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an end member that can transmit an appropriate rotational force and can be smoothly attached to and detached from the apparatus main body. Also provided are a photosensitive drum unit including the end member, a process cartridge, and a shaft member included in the end member.

  The present invention will be described below.

  The invention according to claim 1 is an end member disposed at an end of a cylindrical rotating body mounted on the image forming apparatus main body, and includes a cylindrical bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member The shaft member is disposed at one end of the rotation shaft that moves in the axial direction by rotation around the axis, and engages with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body. A rotational force receiving member having a member, and a posture in which the engaging member is engaged with or disengaged from the rotating shaft or the rotational force receiving member by pressing, and an attitude in which the engaging member is engaged with the drive shaft and a position in which the engaging member is not engaged. It is an end member provided with the control member to switch.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an end member disposed at an end portion of a columnar rotating body mounted on the image forming apparatus main body, the bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member. The bearing member includes a bearing member main body and a shaft member holding member that is detachably disposed inside the bearing member main body and holds the shaft member. The shaft member is axially rotated by rotating around the axis. A rotating shaft that moves to the rotating shaft, a rotating force receiving member that is disposed at one end of the rotating shaft and that engages with the driving shaft of the image forming apparatus main body, and the rotating shaft by pressing Or it is an end member provided with the control member which engages or disengages with respect to a rotational force receiving member, and switches the attitude | position which an engagement member engages with a drive shaft, and the attitude | position which does not engage.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the end member according to the second aspect, the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body are detachable by a snap fit structure.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the end member according to the second or third aspect, the snap-fit structure has a protruding portion in both the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body, and the protruding portion is engaged. It can be removed by detaching.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the end member according to any of the second to fourth aspects, the shaft member holding member accommodates an elastic member that biases the shaft member in the axial direction.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process cartridge mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus, comprising a casing and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the casing. The photosensitive drum unit includes the photosensitive drum and the photosensitive drum unit. An end member disposed at at least one end of the photosensitive drum is provided, and the end member includes a cylindrical bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member. Is provided with a pivot shaft movable in the axial direction, and the housing has an end to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body rather than the center in the width direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. This is a process cartridge provided with oblique punching means arranged on the opposite side to the part member.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process cartridge mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus, comprising a casing and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the casing. The photosensitive drum unit includes the photosensitive drum and the photosensitive drum unit. An end member disposed at at least one end of the photosensitive drum is provided. The end member includes a bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member. The bearing member is a bearing. A member main body, and a shaft member holding member that is detachably disposed inside the bearing member main body and holds the shaft member. The shaft member includes a rotation shaft that is movable in the axial direction. Is provided with a slanting-out means arranged so as to be biased to the opposite side of the end member to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body from the center in the width direction that is the direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. Process cart Tsu di.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to the seventh aspect, the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body are detachable by a snap fit structure.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to the seventh or eighth aspect, the snap-fit structure has a protruding portion in both the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body, and the protruding portion is engaged. It can be removed by detaching.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to any of the seventh to ninth aspects, the shaft member holding member houses an elastic member that urges the shaft member in the axial direction.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to any one of the sixth to tenth aspects, the oblique removing means is a mark provided on the housing.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to any of the sixth to tenth aspects of the present invention, the engagement with the drive shaft of the main body of the image forming apparatus is more than the center in the width direction that is the direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. The oblique extracting means arranged to be biased to the side opposite to the side on which the end member to be arranged is a concave operation portion provided in the housing.

  According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process cartridge mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus, comprising a casing and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the casing. The photosensitive drum unit includes a photosensitive drum and a photosensitive drum unit. An end member disposed at at least one end of the photosensitive drum is provided, and the end member includes a cylindrical bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member. Is provided with a pivot shaft that is movable in the axial direction, and the housing is provided with a concave operation portion used when a user pulls out the process cartridge from the main body of the image forming apparatus. There is provided an oblique extraction means in which a concave part on the end member side to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body is closed from the center in the width direction, which is the direction in which the axis of the body drum unit extends. , Process cartridge It is.

  According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process cartridge mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus, comprising a casing and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the casing. The photosensitive drum unit includes a photosensitive drum and a photosensitive drum unit. An end member disposed at at least one end of the photosensitive drum is provided. The end member includes a bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member. The bearing member is a bearing. A member main body, and a shaft member holding member that is detachably disposed inside the bearing member main body and holds the shaft member. The shaft member includes a rotation shaft that is movable in the axial direction. Is provided with a concave operation portion used when a user pulls out the process cartridge from the image forming apparatus main body, and the operation portion forms an image more than the center in the width direction, which is the direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. Dress Oblique draining means a portion of the concave as the end member side to be engaged with the drive shaft of the main body is blocked is provided a process cartridge.

  According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to the fourteenth aspect, the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body are detachable by a snap fit structure.

  According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to the fourteenth or fifteenth aspect, the snap fit structure has a protruding portion in both the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body, and the protruding portion is engaged. It can be removed by detaching.

  According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to any one of the fourteenth to sixteenth aspects, the shaft member holding member accommodates an elastic member that biases the shaft member in the axial direction.

  According to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process cartridge mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus, comprising a casing and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the casing. The photosensitive drum unit includes a photosensitive drum and a photosensitive drum unit. An end member disposed at at least one end of the photosensitive drum is provided, and the end member includes a cylindrical bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member. Is provided with a pivot shaft that moves in the axial direction by pivoting around the axis, and the housing has a drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body that is more than the center in the width direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. A process cartridge is provided with oblique punching means arranged on the opposite side to the end member to be engaged.

  According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process cartridge mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus, comprising a casing and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the casing. The photosensitive drum unit includes a photosensitive drum and a photosensitive drum unit. An end member disposed at at least one end of the photosensitive drum is provided. The end member includes a bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member. The bearing member is a bearing. A member main body and a shaft member holding member that is detachably disposed inside the bearing member main body and holds the shaft member, and the shaft member includes a rotating shaft that moves in the axial direction by rotating around the axis. The housing is obliquely arranged so as to be biased to the opposite side of the end member to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body from the center in the width direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. There is a means to remove , A process cartridge.

  According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to the nineteenth aspect, the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body are detachable by a snap fit structure.

  According to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to the nineteenth or twentieth aspect, the snap-fit structure has a protruding portion in both the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body, and the protruding portion is engaged. It can be removed by detaching.

  According to a twenty-second aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to any of the nineteenth to twenty-first aspects, the shaft member holding member accommodates an elastic member that biases the shaft member in the axial direction.

  According to a twenty-third aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to any one of the eighteenth to twenty-second aspects, the oblique punching means is a mark provided on the housing.

  According to a twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to any one of the eighteenth to twenty-second aspects, the image forming apparatus main body is engaged rather than the center in the width direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. The oblique extracting means arranged to be biased to the side opposite to the side on which the end member to be arranged is a concave operation portion provided in the housing.

  According to a twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process cartridge mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus, comprising a casing and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the casing. The photosensitive drum unit includes a photosensitive drum and a photosensitive drum. An end member disposed at at least one end of the photosensitive drum is provided, and the end member includes a cylindrical bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member. Is equipped with a pivot shaft that moves in the axial direction by pivoting around the axis, and the housing is provided with a concave operation section that is used when the user pulls out the process cartridge from the image forming apparatus main body. In the part, an oblique punching means in which a concave part on the side of the end member to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body is closed from the center in the width direction that is the direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. Is provided A process cartridge.

  According to a twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process cartridge mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus, comprising a casing and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the casing. The photosensitive drum unit includes the photosensitive drum and the photosensitive drum unit. An end member disposed at at least one end of the photosensitive drum is provided. The end member includes a bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member. The bearing member is a bearing. A member main body and a shaft member holding member that is detachably disposed inside the bearing member main body and holds the shaft member, and the shaft member includes a rotating shaft that moves in the axial direction by rotating around the axis. The housing is provided with a concave operation portion used when a user pulls out the process cartridge from the main body of the image forming apparatus, and the operation portion has a center in the width direction which is a direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. Remote image forming apparatus oblique draining means a part of a concave which becomes to be the end member side engagement to the drive shaft is blocked in the body is provided a process cartridge.

  According to a twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to the twenty-sixth aspect, the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body are detachable by a snap fit structure.

  According to a twenty-eighth aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to the twenty-sixth or twenty-seventh aspect, the snap-fit structure has a protruding portion in both the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body, and the protruding portion is engaged. It can be removed by detaching.

  According to a twenty-ninth aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge according to any of the twenty-sixth to twenty-eighth aspects, the shaft member holding member accommodates an elastic member that biases the shaft member in the axial direction.

  According to a thirty-third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of detaching a process cartridge attached to an image forming apparatus main body from the image forming apparatus main body, the process cartridge including a casing and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the casing. The photosensitive drum unit includes an end member disposed on at least one end of the photosensitive drum and the photosensitive drum. The end member includes a cylindrical bearing member and a bearing member. A shaft member to be held, the shaft member having a rotation shaft movable in the axial direction, and an axis line of the photosensitive drum unit provided in the process cartridge and an axis line of the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body. Is a process cartridge detachment method in which the process cartridge is detached from the main body of the image forming apparatus so that the angle formed by the angle is 1.5 ° or more and 10 ° or less.

  A thirty-first aspect of the invention is the process cartridge detachment method according to the thirty-third aspect, wherein the bearing member is detachably disposed inside the bearing member main body and the bearing member main body, and holds the shaft member. Member.

  According to a thirty-second aspect of the present invention, in the process cartridge detachment method according to the thirty-third or thirty-first aspect, the shaft member is disposed at one end of the rotation shaft and engages with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body. A rotational force receiving member having an engaging member, and an attitude in which the engaging member engages or disengages with respect to the rotating shaft or the rotational force receiving member by pressing, and the engaging member engages with the driving shaft and does not engage with the driving shaft. And a regulating member for switching between.

  A thirty-third aspect of the present invention is the process cartridge detachment method according to any one of the thirty-third to thirty-second aspects, wherein the pivot shaft of the shaft member moves in the axial direction by pivoting about the axis.

  A 34th aspect of the present invention is the process cartridge detachment method according to any of the 39th to 33rd aspects, wherein the process cartridge is provided with an operation portion for use by a user upon detachment. Diagonal punching means is provided for performing separation so that the angle formed by the axis of the photosensitive drum unit provided in the process cartridge and the axis of the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body is 1.5 ° or more and 10 ° or less. .

  A thirty-fifth aspect of the present invention is the process cartridge detaching method according to the thirty-fourth aspect, wherein the oblique removing means is a mark provided on the process cartridge.

  A thirty-sixth aspect of the present invention is the process cartridge detaching method according to the thirty-fourth aspect, wherein the operation portion is formed in a concave shape, and the oblique pulling means is means for closing a part of the operation portion.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to transmit the rotational force equivalent to the conventional one, and it is possible to more smoothly attach and detach the apparatus main body.

2 is a conceptual diagram of an image forming apparatus main body and a process cartridge. FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of an image forming apparatus main body. FIG. 3A is a plan view of the process cartridge, and FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the process cartridge. It is a conceptual diagram explaining the structure of a process cartridge. 2 is an external perspective view of the photosensitive drum unit 10. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an end member 30. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an end member 30. FIG. FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the bearing member 40, and FIG. 8B is a plan view of the bearing member 40. FIG. 9A is a sectional view of the bearing member 40, and FIG. 9B is another sectional view of the bearing member 40. FIG. 10A is a perspective view of the rotating shaft 51, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view of the rotating shaft 51. 11A is a perspective view of the rotational force receiving member 55, FIG. 11B is a plan view of the rotational force receiving member 55, and FIG. 9C is a cross-sectional view of the rotational force receiving member 55. 12A is a perspective view of the regulating member 59, FIG. 12B is a front view of the regulating member 59, and FIG. 12C is a side view of the regulating member 59. 13A is a perspective view of the combination of the bearing member 40 and the rotating shaft 51, FIG. 13B is a plan view of the combination of the bearing member 40 and the rotating shaft 51, and FIG. 13C is the bearing member. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a combination of 40 and a rotating shaft 51. FIG. FIG. 14A is an exploded perspective view of the shaft member 50, and FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional view of the shaft member 50. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an end member 30. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an end member 30. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an end member 30. FIG. 18A is a perspective view of the drive shaft 70, and FIG. 16B is a cross-sectional view of the drive shaft 70. It is a perspective view of the scene where the drive shaft and the end member 30 were engaged. FIG. 20A is a perspective view illustrating a scene where the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit 10 are engaged, and FIG. 20B illustrates another scene where the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit 10 are engaged. FIG. 20C is a perspective view for explaining another scene in which the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit 10 are engaged. It is a perspective view explaining the scene where the drive shaft 70 and a photosensitive drum unit engage. 4 is a perspective view of an end member 130. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an end member 130. FIG. 24A is a perspective view of the bearing member 140, and FIG. 24B is a plan view of the bearing member 140. FIG. FIG. 25A is a cross-sectional view of the bearing member 140, and FIG. 25B is another cross-sectional view of the bearing member 140. 26A is a perspective view of the rotating shaft 151 and the rotational force receiving member 155, FIG. 26B is a sectional view of the rotating shaft 151 and the rotational force receiving member 155, and FIG. 4 is another sectional view of the rotational force receiving member 155. FIG. 27A is a perspective view of the regulating member 159, and FIG. 27B is another perspective view of the regulating member 159. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an end member 130. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an end member 130. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an end member 130. FIG. It is a perspective view of the scene where the drive shaft and the end member were engaged. FIG. 32A is a perspective view for explaining a scene where the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit are engaged, and FIG. 32B is a perspective view for explaining another scene where the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit are engaged. FIG. 32 (c) is a perspective view for explaining another scene where the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit are engaged. 33A is a perspective view of the end member 230, and FIG. 33B is another perspective view of the end member 230. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an end member 230. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a shaft member 250. FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of a shaft member 250. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of a shaft member 250. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a scene where a drive shaft 70 and an end member 230 are engaged. FIG. 39A is a perspective view illustrating a scene where the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit are engaged, and FIG. 39B is a perspective view illustrating another scene where the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit are engaged. FIG. 39 (c) is a perspective view for explaining another scene in which the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit are engaged. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a shaft member 350. FIG. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view in which a part of a shaft member 350 is enlarged. 42A is a sectional view of the end member 330, and FIG. 42B is a sectional view of the posture in which the end member 330 is deformed. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an end member 430. FIG. 44 (a) is a perspective view of the bearing member 440, FIG. 44 (b) is a front view of the bearing member 440, and FIG. 44 (c) is a plan view of the bearing member 440. 45A is a cross-sectional view in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the bearing member 440, and FIG. 45B is a cross-sectional view in the direction along the axis of the bearing member 440. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an end member 430. FIG. 47A is a cross-sectional view in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the end member 430, and FIG. 47B is a cross-sectional view in a direction along the axis of the end member 430. 4 is a perspective view of an end member 430. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the scene where the edge part member 430 and the drive shaft 70 engaged. 50A is a perspective view for explaining a scene where the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit are engaged, and FIG. 50B is a perspective view for explaining another scene where the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit are engaged. FIG. 50 (c) is a perspective view for explaining another scene where the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit are engaged. 51A is a perspective view for explaining a scene where the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit are engaged, and FIG. 51B is a perspective view for explaining another scene where the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit are engaged. FIG. 51 and FIG. 51C are perspective views for explaining other scenes where the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit are engaged. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an end member 530. FIG. 53A is a perspective view of the main body 541 of the bearing member 540, and FIG. 53B is a plan view of the main body 541 of the bearing member 540. 5 is a perspective view of a rotation shaft 551, a rotational force receiving member 462, and a regulating member 370. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an end member 630. FIG. 56A is a perspective view of the bearing member main body 641, and FIG. 56B is a perspective view from another viewpoint of the bearing member main body 641. FIG. 57A is a plan view of the bearing member main body 641, and FIG. 57B is a bottom view of the bearing member main body 641. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a bearing member main body 641. FIG. It is a perspective view of a shaft member holding member 645. 60A is a plan view of the shaft member holding member 645, FIG. 60B is a front view of the shaft member holding member 645, and FIG. 60C is a bottom view of the shaft member holding member 645. It is sectional drawing of the shaft member holding member 645. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an end member 630. FIG. FIG. 63A is a perspective view for explaining one scene for assembling the end member 630, and FIG. 63B is a perspective view for explaining another scene for assembling the end member 630. It is a figure explaining the 1st modification of the edge part member 630, and is an external appearance perspective view of the shaft member holding member 645 'and the bearing member main body 641'. 65A is an enlarged view of a part of the bearing member main body 641 ′, and FIG. 65B is an enlarged view of a part of the scene where the shaft member holding member 645 ′ is combined with the bearing member main body 641 ′. It is. It is a figure explaining the 2nd modification of the edge part member 630, and is an external appearance perspective view of the shaft member holding member 645 "and the bearing member main body 641". 67 (a) is an enlarged view of a part of the bearing member main body 641 ″, and FIG. 67 (b) is a diagram illustrating a scene where the shaft member holding member 645 ″ is combined with the bearing member main body 641 ″. 3 is a plan view of a process cartridge 703. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a scene where a process cartridge 703 is detached. 4 is a plan view of a process cartridge 803. FIG. 4 is a plan view of a process cartridge 903. FIG. 72A is a perspective view from the plan view side of the process cartridge 903 ′, and FIG. 72B is a perspective view from the bottom side of the process cartridge 903 ′. FIG. 4 is a perspective view from the plan view side of a process cartridge 903 ″. 2 is a perspective view of the process cartridge 1003 from the bottom side. 75A is a perspective view from the plan view side of the process cartridge 1103, and FIG. 75B is a perspective view from the plan view side of the process cartridge 1103 '. It is a perspective view from the plan view side of process cartridge 1103 ''. 3 is a plan view of a process cartridge 1203. FIG. 4 is a plan view of a process cartridge 1303. FIG.

  The present invention will be described below based on embodiments shown in the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these forms.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment. A process cartridge 3 and an image forming apparatus main body 2 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “apparatus main body 2”) that is used by mounting the process cartridge 3 are used. 1 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing an image forming apparatus 1 having the same. The process cartridge 3 can be mounted on the apparatus main body 2 by moving as indicated by arrow C ₁ in FIG. 1, and disengaging.

  FIG. 2 shows a view of the apparatus main body 2 shown in FIG. 1 focusing on the drive shaft 70 and the guide 2a. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus main body 2 is provided with a guide 2 a that is a groove for guiding the attachment and detachment of the process cartridge 3, and a drive shaft 70 protrudes from the back end thereof. Although the form of the drive shaft 70 will be described in detail later, the drive shaft projects in the depth direction of the guide 2a from the bottom surface of the guide 2a (projects so as to be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the guide 2a).

On the other hand, FIG. 3 shows the appearance of the process cartridge 3. 3A is a plan view of the cartridge 3 (a diagram showing the upper surface when the cartridge 3 is mounted on the apparatus main body 2), and FIG. 3B is a bottom view of the process cartridge 3 (opposite to the plan view). It is the perspective view seen from the side. As can be seen from FIG. 3B in particular, the shaft member 50 of the end member 30 is disposed so as to protrude from the side surface of the process cartridge 3. As a result, as will be described later, the drive shaft 70 and the shaft member 50 on the apparatus main body 2 side are engaged to transmit the rotational force. More details will be described later.
The process cartridge 3 is provided with an operation portion 3b on the housing 3a. In particular, when the process cartridge 3 is detached from the apparatus main body 2, the user can grasp the operation cartridge 3 or operate it by hooking a plurality of fingers. Is configured to do. Therefore, the operation part 3b may be formed in a convex shape, or conversely in a concave shape.

FIG. 4 schematically shows the internal structure of one example of the process cartridge 3. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the process cartridge 3 includes a photosensitive drum unit 10 (see FIG. 5), a charging roller unit 4, a developing roller unit 5, a regulating member 6, and a cleaning blade 7 inside a housing 3a. . In a posture in which the process cartridge 3 into the apparatus main body 2, a recording medium such as paper by moving along the line indicated by C ₄ in FIG. 4, the image is transferred to the recording medium.

The process cartridge 3 is generally attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 2 as follows. Since the photosensitive drum unit 10 provided in the process cartridge 3 is rotated by receiving a rotational driving force from the apparatus main body 2, at least the shaft of the driving shaft 70 of the apparatus main body 2 and the end member 30 of the photosensitive drum unit 10 is operated at least during operation. The member 50 is engaged and can transmit a rotational force (see, for example, FIG. 19).
On the other hand, when the process cartridge 3 is attached to or detached from the apparatus main body 2, the drive shaft 70 and the end member 30 need to be quickly engaged and disengaged so as not to disturb the movement of the other side regardless of the posture. There is.
As described above, the end member 30 of the photosensitive drum unit 10 is appropriately engaged with the drive shaft 70 of the apparatus main body 2 to transmit the rotational driving force.
Each configuration will be described below.

  The process cartridge 3 is provided with a charging roller unit 4, a developing roller unit 5, a regulating member 6, a cleaning blade 7, and a photosensitive drum unit 10, which are contained inside a housing 3a. Each is as follows.

The charging roller unit 4 charges the photosensitive drum 11 of the photosensitive drum unit 10 by applying a voltage from the apparatus main body 2. This is performed by the charging roller unit 4 rotating following the photosensitive drum 11 and contacting the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 11.
The developing roller unit 5 includes a developing roller that supplies a developer to the photosensitive drum 11. Then, the developing roller unit 5 develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 11. The developing roller unit 5 includes a fixed magnet.
The regulating member 6 is a member that adjusts the amount of the developer that adheres to the outer circumferential surface of the developing roller of the developing roller unit 5 and imparts triboelectric charge to the developer itself.
The cleaning blade 7 is a blade that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 11 and removes the developer remaining after the transfer by the tip.

  The photosensitive drum unit 10 includes a photosensitive drum 11 on which characters, graphics, and the like to be transferred to a recording medium are formed. FIG. 5 shows an external perspective view of the photosensitive drum unit 10. As can be seen from FIG. 5, the photosensitive drum unit 10 includes a photosensitive drum 11, a lid member 20, and an end member 30.

The photosensitive drum 11 is a member in which a photosensitive layer is coated on the outer peripheral surface of a base body that is a cylindrical rotating body. Characters, graphics, and the like to be transferred to a recording medium such as paper are formed on the photosensitive layer.
The base is formed of a conductive material made of aluminum or aluminum alloy in a cylindrical shape. The type of the aluminum alloy used for the substrate is not particularly limited, but it may be a 6000 series, 5000 series, or 3000 series aluminum alloy that is often used as a substrate for a photoreceptor drum and is defined by JIS standards (JIS H 4140). preferable.
Further, the photosensitive layer formed on the outer peripheral surface of the substrate is not particularly limited, and a known one can be applied according to the purpose.
The substrate can be manufactured by forming a cylindrical shape by cutting, extruding, drawing, or the like. The photosensitive drum 11 can be manufactured by laminating the photosensitive layer on the outer peripheral surface of the substrate.

  As will be described later, at least two end members are attached to one end of the photosensitive drum 11 in order to rotate the photosensitive drum 11 about its axis. One end member is the lid member 20, and the other end member is the end member 30.

The lid member 20 is an end member that is disposed at the end of the photosensitive drum 11 in the axial direction that is not engaged with the drive shaft 70 of the apparatus main body 2. The lid member 20 is made of resin, and a fitting portion that is fitted inside the cylinder of the photosensitive drum 11 and a bearing portion that is arranged so as to cover one end surface of the photosensitive drum 11 are formed coaxially. Has been. The bearing portion has a disk shape that covers the end surface of the photosensitive drum 11, and includes a portion that receives a shaft provided in the housing 3 a. The lid member 20 is provided with a ground plate made of a conductive material, thereby electrically connecting the photosensitive drum 11 and the apparatus main body 2.
Note that although an example of the lid material is shown in this embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to apply other forms of the lid material that can be normally taken. For example, a gear for transmitting rotational force may be disposed on the lid material.
The conductive material may be provided on the end member 30 side.

  The end member 30 is a member that is attached to the end of the photosensitive drum 11 opposite to the lid member 20, and includes a bearing member 40 and a shaft member 50. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the end member 30, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the end member 30.

The bearing member 40 is a member that is joined to the end of the photosensitive drum 11 in the end member 30. 8A is a perspective view of the bearing member 40, and FIG. 8B is a plan view of the bearing member 40 as viewed from the side where the shaft member 50 is inserted. Further, FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C _9a -C _9a in FIG. 8B, and FIG. 9B is a line shown by C _9b -C _9b in FIG. 8B. FIG. In each figure shown below, an end face (cut surface) in a sectional view may be hatched.

  As can be seen from FIGS. 6 to 9, the bearing member 40 includes a cylindrical body 41, a contact wall 42, a fitting portion 43, a gear portion 44, and a shaft member holding portion 45.

  The cylindrical body 41 is a cylindrical member as a whole, the contact wall 42 and the gear portion 44 are disposed on the outer side, and the shaft member holding portion 45 is formed on the inner side.

From a part of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 41, a contact wall 42 that comes into contact with and engages with the end surface of the photosensitive drum 11 is erected. As a result, the insertion depth of the end member 30 into the photoconductive drum 11 is regulated in a posture in which the end member 30 is mounted on the photoconductive drum 11.
Further, one side of the cylindrical body 41 with the contact wall 42 interposed therebetween is a fitting portion 43 that is inserted into the inside of the photosensitive drum 11. The fitting portion 43 is inserted inside the photosensitive drum 11 and is fixed to the inner surface of the photosensitive drum 11 with an adhesive. As a result, the end member 30 is fixed to the end of the photosensitive drum 11. Therefore, the outer diameter of the fitting portion 43 is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the photosensitive drum 11 as long as it can be inserted inside the cylindrical shape of the photosensitive drum 11. A groove may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 43. As a result, the groove is filled with an adhesive, and adhesion between the cylindrical body 41 (end member 30) and the photosensitive drum 11 is improved by an anchor effect or the like.

  A gear portion 44 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 41 opposite to the fitting portion 43 with the contact wall 42 interposed therebetween. The gear portion 44 is a gear that transmits a rotational force to another member such as a developing roller unit, and a helical gear is arranged in this embodiment. However, the type of gear is not particularly limited, and spur gears may be arranged, or both may be arranged side by side along the axial direction of the cylindrical body. Further, the gear is not necessarily provided.

  The shaft member holding portion 45 is a part that is formed inside the cylindrical body 41 and has a function of holding the shaft member 50 on the bearing member 40. As can be seen from FIGS. 8A to 9B, the shaft member holding portion 45 includes a rotating shaft holding member 46, a support member 47, and a guide wall 48.

The rotating shaft holding member 46 is a plate-like member formed so as to close the inside of the cylindrical body 41, and a hole 46 a is formed coaxially with the axis of the cylindrical body 41. Since the rotation shaft 51 (see FIG. 10) passes through the hole 46a as will be described later, the hole 46a has such a size and shape that the rotation shaft 51 can pass through. However, in order to prevent the turning shaft 51 from coming off, only the main body 52 of the turning shaft 51 can be penetrated, but the portion where the projection 53 is arranged cannot be penetrated. From the viewpoint of the stable movement of the rotation shaft 51, the hole 46a has substantially the same shape and size as the outer periphery of the main body 52 of the rotation shaft 51 within a range that does not greatly hinder the movement of the rotation shaft 51 in the axial direction. preferable.
In addition, two slits 46 b extend from the hole 46 a in the rotating shaft holding member 46. The two slits 46b are provided at symmetrical positions across the axis of the hole 46a. Further, the size and shape of the slit 46b are formed so that the projection 53 of the rotation shaft 51 (see FIG. 10) can penetrate the slit 46b.

  The support member 47 is a plate-like member that is provided closer to the fitting portion 43 than the rotation shaft holding member 46 and is formed so as to close at least a part of the inside of the cylindrical body 41. The support member 47 is formed in a size that can support at least a rotating shaft elastic member 63 described later.

The guide wall 48 is a cylindrical member that extends in parallel to the axial direction of the cylindrical body 41 from the edge of the hole 46 a of the rotating shaft holding member 46 and has an end connected to the support member 47. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape inside the guide wall 48 is the same as the hole 46a. However, as will be described later, since the main body 52 of the rotation shaft 51 is inserted inside the guide wall 48 and the rotation shaft 51 moves in the axial direction, it is formed in a shape and size capable of such movement. Yes.
The guide wall 48 is formed with a slit 48a. In FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B, the direction in which the slit 48a extends is indicated by a dotted line for easy understanding. One end in the longitudinal direction of the slit 48a leads to the slit 46b of the rotating shaft holding member 46, extends parallel to the axis of the cylindrical body 41, reaches the support member 47, and then extends parallel to the axis so as to make a U-turn. The end portion (the other end side) reaches the rotating shaft holding member 46. Therefore, the other end side is closed by the rotating shaft holding member 46. The slit width of the slit 48a is formed so that the projection 53 of the rotating shaft 51 (see FIG. 8) can move in the slit 48a.

Although the material which comprises the bearing member 40 is not specifically limited, Resin and metals, such as polyacetal, a polycarbonate, and PPS, can be used. Here, when using resin, in order to improve the rigidity of a member, you may mix | blend glass fiber, carbon fiber, etc. in resin according to load torque. Further, in order to facilitate the attachment and movement of the shaft member, the resin may contain at least one of fluorine, polyethylene, and silicon rubber to improve the slidability. Further, the resin may be coated with fluorine or a lubricant may be applied.
In the case of manufacturing with metal, cutting by cutting, aluminum die casting, zinc die casting, metal powder injection molding method (so-called MIM method), metal powder sintering lamination method (so-called 3D printer), or the like can be used. Moreover, iron, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper, zinc, and alloys thereof may be used regardless of the metal material. Moreover, various plating can be performed to improve functionality (such as lubricity and corrosion resistance) on the surface.

Returning to FIGS. 6 and 7, the shaft member 50 among the end members 30 will be described. As can be seen from FIG. 7, the shaft member 50 includes a rotating shaft 51, a rotational force receiving member 55, and a regulating member 59. Further, the shaft member 50 includes a rotating shaft elastic member 63, a restricting member elastic member 64, and a pin 65. The rotating shaft elastic member 63 and the restricting member elastic member 64 of the present embodiment are both string wound springs.
Each will be described below.

The rotating shaft 51 is a shaft-like member that functions as a rotational force transmitting portion that transmits the rotational force received by the rotational force receiving member 55 to the bearing member 40. Perspective view of a pivot shaft 51 in FIG. 10 (a), shows an axial cross-sectional view including a line indicated by _C 10b _{-C 10b} respectively in FIG. 10 (a) in Figure 10 (b).

As can be seen from FIGS. 10A and 10B, the rotation shaft 51 has a cylindrical main body 52, and a partition 52a is provided inside the cylinder so as to close the inside. . Accordingly, concave portions 52b and 52c are formed on one side and the other side of the main body 52 with the partition portion 52a interposed therebetween.
Two protrusions 53 are arranged outside one end of the main body 52. The two protrusions 53 are provided on the same diametrical line of the cylinder of the main body 52 so as to be opposite to each other across the axis. As will be described later, the two protrusions 53 have a function of holding the rotating shaft 51 on the bearing member 40 and restricting the movement of the main body 52.
In addition, the rotation shaft 51 is formed with two holes 52d penetrating the inside and outside of the rotating shaft 51 that are orthogonal to the axis of the cylinder and are arranged in one diameter direction of the cylinder. As will be described later, a pin 65 (see FIG. 7) is passed through the hole 52d to hold the restricting member 59 and restrict the movement of the restricting member 59.
Further, of the end surfaces of the main body 52, the end surface on the recess 52b side (the end surface formed on the side opposite to the projection 53 side) is a direction (parallel to the axis) extending the cylinder so as to border the opening of the recess 52b. An annular rail projection 54 protruding in the direction) is provided. The rail projection 54 functions as a rail for guiding the rotation of the rotational force receiving member 55 as will be described later.

  Here, one example of the rotation shaft 51 has been described. However, the shape of the rotation shaft is not limited to the rotation shaft 51 as long as the rotation shaft can operate and exhibit a function as described later. For example, the partitioning part 52a of the rotating shaft 51 becomes unnecessary by forming the rotating shaft elastic member 63 and the restricting member elastic member 64 with a two-stage spring. Further, as described later, the rotational force receiving member 55 is secured around the axis by the restricting member 59, so that the rail protrusion 54 is not necessarily provided.

The rotational force receiving member 55 receives the rotational driving force from the apparatus main body 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) and transmits the rotational driving force to the rotating shaft 51 when the end member 30 assumes a predetermined posture. It is a member to do. 11A is a perspective view of the rotational force receiving member 55, FIG. 11B is a plan view of the rotational force receiving member 55 as viewed from the direction indicated by the arrow C _11b in FIG. 11C shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line C _11c -C _11c in FIG. 11B.

As can be seen from FIGS. 6, 7, and 11 (a) to 11 (c), the rotational force receiving member 55 includes a cylindrical base portion 56 and two engagement members erected from one end portion of the base portion 56. The joint member 58 is provided.
The base portion 56 has a cylindrical shape, and an annular piece 56a is provided at the opening on one end side so that the opening is narrowed. A guide 56b that is an annular depression is formed on the surface of the piece 56a opposite to the base 56. The guide 56b is placed on the rail protrusion 54 (see FIG. 10B) of the rotating shaft 51 to guide the rotation of the base 56.
Further, two protrusions 57 are provided on the inner surface of the base portion 56 of the piece 56a so as to face each other. Here, an example in which two protrusions 57 are provided is shown, but it is sufficient that at least two protrusions are provided, and three or more protrusions may be provided. These protrusions are preferably provided at equal intervals around the axis.
The guide 56b is not necessarily provided as described in the rail protrusion 54.

The two engaging members 58 are disposed at the end of the base 56 opposite to the side on which the piece 56a is provided, and are separated from the axis of the base 56 by the same distance. Has been placed. The interval between the two engaging members 58 is substantially the same as or slightly larger than the diameter of a shaft portion 71 of a drive shaft 70 (see FIG. 18A) described later. The distance between the two engagement members 58 is such that the shaft portion 71 of the drive shaft 70 is disposed between the two engagement members 58 as can be understood with reference to FIG. 58 to be hooked.
How the rotational force can be received from the drive shaft 70 will be described later.

The restricting member 59 is a member that switches between a state in which the engaging member 58 of the rotational force receiving member 55 can transmit the driving force from the driving shaft 70 to the bearing member 40 and a state in which the engaging member 58 rotates freely without being transmitted. That is, the posture in which the engaging member 58 can be engaged with the drive shaft 70 and transmit the rotational force, and the posture in which the engagement is restricted (not engaged) and the rotational force cannot be transmitted. Switch.
12A is a perspective view of the regulating member 59, FIG. 12B is a front view of the regulating member 59, and FIG. 12C is a side view of the regulating member 59.

  As can be seen from FIGS. 12A to 12C, the regulating member 59 has a cylindrical regulating shaft 60, which penetrates in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the regulating shaft 60 and is long in the axial direction. A long hole 60a which is a hole is provided.

Further, a contact portion 61 formed thicker than the restriction shaft 60 is provided on one end side of the restriction shaft 60. As can be clearly understood from FIGS. 12B and 12C, the contact portion 61 has an inclined surface 61 a that is thickest on the regulating shaft 60 side and becomes thinner as it is separated from the regulating shaft 60. .
Further, two protrusions 62 are arranged on the outer peripheral portion on the side where the contact portion 61 is arranged in the end portion of the regulating shaft 60. The two protrusions 62 are arranged on the opposite side across the axis of the cylinder of the restriction shaft 60 and are provided on the same line in the diameter direction. The two protrusions 62 restrict the rotational force receiving member 55 as will be described later. In the present embodiment, the two protrusions 62 are illustrated, but it is sufficient that at least two protrusions are arranged, and there may be three or more protrusions.

  Returning to FIG. 7, another configuration provided in the shaft member 50 will be described. The rotating shaft elastic member 63 and the restricting member elastic member 64 are so-called elastic members, and in the present embodiment, are constituted by string-wound springs. The pin 65 is a rod-shaped member. The arrangement and operation of these members will be described later.

Although the material which comprises each member of the shaft member 50 is not specifically limited, Resins, such as a polyacetal, a polycarbonate, and PPS, can be used. However, in order to improve the rigidity of the member, glass fiber, carbon fiber, or the like may be blended in the resin according to the load torque. Further, a metal may be inserted into the resin to further increase the rigidity, or the whole may be made of metal. In the case of manufacturing with metal, cutting by cutting, aluminum die casting, zinc die casting, metal powder injection molding method (so-called MIM method), metal powder sintering lamination method (so-called 3D printer), or the like can be used. Moreover, iron, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper, zinc, and alloys thereof may be used regardless of the metal material. Also, various functions can be applied to improve surface functionality (such as lubricity and corrosion resistance).
In addition, the shaft member 50 and any member included in the shaft member 50 are manufactured by bending a metal plate or impregnating a resin with metal, glass, carbon fiber, etc. from the viewpoint of giving elasticity. May be.

  The bearing member 40 and the shaft member 50 as described above are combined into the end member 30 as follows. In addition, from the description of the combination, the size and structure of each member and part, and the relationship between the size of the member and part are further understood.

First, the combination of the bearing member 40 and the rotating shaft 51 will be described. 13A is a perspective view in which the rotation shaft 51 is combined with the bearing member 40, FIG. 13B is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 13C is shown by C _13c -C _13c in FIG. 13B. FIG.

As can be seen from FIGS. 13A to 13C, the rotation shaft 51 is passed through the hole 46a of the rotation shaft holding member 46 of the bearing member 40, and the end portion on the side where the projection 53 is disposed is the shaft member. The inside of the holding part 45 and the opposite end thereof are arranged so as to protrude from the bearing member 40. At this time, the protrusion 53 is arranged at the end of the slit 48 a provided on the guide wall 48 on the side closed by the rotating shaft holding member 46, and is caught by the rotating shaft holding member 46. Thus, the rotation shaft 51 is configured not to come off from the bearing member 40.
Further, as can be seen from FIG. 13C, the rotating shaft elastic member 63 is disposed between the rotating shaft 51 and the support member 47, and the protrusion 53 presses the rotating shaft holding member 46 on the rotating shaft 51. It is urged in the direction to be.

  The rotation shaft 51 is attached to the bearing member 40 by inserting the projection 53 of the rotation shaft 51 into the slit 48a from the slit 46b, along the dotted lines shown in FIGS. 9 (a) and 9 (b). This can be done by moving the slit 48a.

  Next, a combination of other members with respect to the rotation shaft 51 in the shaft member 50 will be described. FIG. 14 shows an explanatory diagram. 14A is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view of the shaft member 50 in the direction along the axis.

As can be seen from FIG. 14B, the restricting member elastic member 64 is disposed inside the concave portion 52 b of the main body 52 of the rotation shaft 51. Accordingly, one end of the restricting member elastic member 64 is supported by the partition plate 52 a of the main body 52.
On the other hand, the restriction member 59 has an end portion of the restriction shaft 60 on the side where the contact portion 61 is not disposed passed through the base portion 56 of the rotational force receiving member 55, and further in the recess 52 b of the main body 52 of the rotation shaft 51. Plugged into. Thereby, the rotational force receiving member 55 is disposed on the end surface of the main body 52 of the rotating shaft 51 on the side opposite to the protrusion 53. At this time, the engaging member 58 of the rotational force receiving member 55 is disposed so as to protrude on the opposite side of the rotational shaft 51, and the guide 56 b of the rotational force receiving member 55 is disposed on the end surface of the main body 52 of the rotational shaft 51. It is arranged so as to overlap the rail protrusion 54 formed.
In addition, one end of the regulating member 59 is inserted into a recess 52 b formed in the main body 52 of the rotating shaft 51, and its end surface contacts the other end of the regulating member elastic member 64. As a result, the regulating member 59 is urged in a direction protruding from the main body 52. The other end of the restricting member 59 (that is, the end portion on which the contact portion 61 is disposed) and the contact portion 61 are disposed inside the base portion 56 of the rotational force receiving member 55 and between the two engaging members 58. .

  Further, the pin 65 is arranged so that the long hole 59 a provided in the restriction shaft 60 of the restriction member 59 is passed through, and both ends of the pin 65 are passed through the two holes 52 d of the rotating shaft 51. Thus, the restricting member 59 is restricted from coming out of the main body 52 of the rotating shaft 51 against the urging force of the restricting member elastic member 63.

  By combining as described above, the axial lines of the respective parts of the bearing member 40 and the shaft member 50 are arranged to coincide with each other.

Next, how the end member 30 combined as described above can be deformed, moved, and rotated will be described. FIG. 15 illustrates a cross-sectional view in the direction along the axis in one posture of the end member 30.
In the posture shown in FIG. 15, the entire shaft member 50 is projected from the bearing member 40 as much as possible by the rotating shaft elastic member 63, and the regulating member 59 is formed by the regulating member elastic member 64. Is a posture that protrudes most from the main body 52. When no external force is applied to the shaft member 50, the end member 30 is in this posture.

In this posture, as can be seen from FIG. 15, the protrusion 57 of the rotational force receiving member 55 and the protrusion 62 of the regulating member 59 are present at different positions separated from each other in the axial direction when viewed in the cross-sectional direction of FIG. To do. Thus in this position, the engaging member 58 of the rotational force receiving member 55 is free to be rotated as shown by C _15a in FIG. That is, in this posture, the engagement member 58 is not restricted to rotate relative to the bearing member 40 and the restriction member 59 and is free.
This rotation is performed while the rail projection 54 of the rotation shaft 51 is guided by the guide 56 b of the rotational force receiving member 55. Therefore, even if a rotational force is applied to the rotational force receiving member 55 in this posture, the rotational force receiving member 55 is merely rotated, the rotational force is not transmitted to other members, and the engaging member 58 is not engaged. It is in.
In this posture, as shown by an arrow C _15b in FIG. 15, if the engaging member 58 of the rotational force receiving member 55 is pressed in the axial direction toward the bearing member 40, the force is directly transmitted to the shaft member 50, The shaft member 50 can be moved in the direction in which the shaft member 50 is pushed into the bearing member 40 as shown by _C15c in FIG. 15 against the urging force of the rotating shaft elastic member 63.

Next, the posture in which the regulating member 59 is moved so as to be pushed into the main body 52 side of the rotation shaft 51 from the posture shown in FIG. 15 will be described. FIG. 16 is a view from the same viewpoint as FIG. 15 in the posture, and FIG. 17 is an end face of a portion indicated by C ₁₇ -C ₁₇ in FIG.

In this posture, as indicated by C _{16 b} in FIG. 16, the restricting member 59 moves so as to be pushed into the main body 52 of the rotating shaft 51 against the urging force of the restricting member elastic member 64. Then, the protrusion 62 of the restricting member 59 is in a posture of entering the rotation path of the protrusion 57 of the rotational force receiving member 55. Thereby, in this posture, the rotation of the engaging member 58 of the rotational force receiving member 55 is restricted relative to the bearing member 40 and the restricting member 59 and cannot rotate freely. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, when the rotational force receiving member 55 rotates and follows the rotation, the protrusion 57 rotates, and engages with the protrusion 62 of the restricting member 59 at any part. Therefore, in this engaged position, when a rotational driving force is applied to the regulating member 59 as indicated by _C16a in FIG. 16, the engaged regulating member 59 and the pivoting engaged with the regulating member 59 with the pin 65 are applied. The bearing member 40 engaged by the shaft 51 and the projection 53 of the rotating shaft 51 rotates in the same manner. That is, the rotational driving force applied to the rotational force receiving member 55 is transmitted to the entire end member 30.
Further, if the regulating member 59 is further pressed from this posture in the direction indicated by the arrow C _{16 b} in FIG. 16, the force is transmitted to the rotating shaft 51, and the shaft member 50 resists the urging force of the rotating shaft elastic member 63. Then, as shown by C _16c in FIG. 16, the bearing member 40 can be moved so as to be pushed in the axial direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5 (see also FIG. 19), the fitting member 43 of the end member 30 is inserted and bonded to one end of the photosensitive drum 11 as shown in FIG. Further, the photoconductor drum unit 10 can be formed by disposing the lid member 20 at the other end of the photoconductor drum 11.

  Next, the apparatus main body 2 will be described. In this embodiment, the apparatus main body 2 is a main body of a laser printer. The laser printer operates with the process cartridge 3 mounted as described above, and when forming an image, the photosensitive drum 11 is rotated and charged by the charging roller unit. In this state, the photosensitive drum 11 is irradiated with laser light corresponding to the image information using various optical members provided therein, and an electrostatic latent image based on the image information is obtained. This latent image is developed by the developing roller unit.

  On the other hand, a recording medium such as paper is set in the apparatus main body 2 and is conveyed to a transfer position by a feed roller, a conveyance roller and the like provided in the apparatus main body 2. A transfer roller 1a (see FIG. 4) is disposed at the transfer position. A voltage is applied to the transfer roller 1a as the recording medium passes, and an image is transferred from the photosensitive drum 11 to the recording medium. Thereafter, the image is fixed to the recording medium by applying heat and pressure to the recording medium. Then, the recording medium on which the image is formed is discharged from the apparatus main body 2 by a discharge roller or the like.

  As described above, the apparatus main body 2 applies a rotational driving force to the photosensitive drum unit 10 in a posture in which the process cartridge 3 is mounted. Therefore, how the rotational driving force is applied from the apparatus main body 2 to the photosensitive drum unit 10 in the posture in which the process cartridge 3 is mounted will be described.

  A rotational driving force to the process cartridge 3 is given by a driving shaft 70 as a rotational force applying portion of the apparatus main body 2. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the drive shaft 70 is disposed so as to protrude from the bottom of the back end of the guide groove 2 a. FIG. 18A shows a perspective view of the shape of the tip of the drive shaft 70. FIG. 18B shows a cross-sectional view along the axial direction of the drive shaft 70. As can be seen from these drawings, the drive shaft 70 includes a shaft portion 71 and a rotational force transmission protrusion 72.

The shaft portion 71 is a shaft member that rotates about its axis. And the front-end | tip part of the axial part 71 is made into the magnitude | size which can be arrange | positioned between the two engaging members 58 (for example, refer FIG. 6) of the rotational force receiving member 55 of the above-mentioned axial member 50. FIG.
Moreover, it is preferable that the front end surface of the shaft portion 71 is chamfered by removing a corner portion. Thereby, engagement with the drive shaft 70 and the shaft member 50 is performed more smoothly.

  A gear train is formed on the opposite side of the shaft portion 71 from the tip end side shown in FIG. 18 (a) so that the shaft portion 71 can be rotated about the axis line. Connected to a motor.

  The rotational force transmission protrusion 72 is two columnar members that are provided near the tip of the shaft portion 71 and project from the shaft portion 71 in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the shaft portion 71. In this embodiment, one pin 73 is formed longer than the diameter of the shaft portion 71 in the longitudinal direction, crosses the axis of the shaft portion 71, and is formed by projecting both ends from the side surface of the shaft portion 71.

Here, the moving direction for detaching to the apparatus main body 2 of the process cartridge 3 shown in C ₁ in FIG. 1 (a direction in which the guide groove 2a extends), the shaft portion 71 of the drive shaft 70 of the guide grooves 2a It is arranged so as to protrude substantially vertically from the bottom. In addition to this, the shaft portion 71 only rotates without moving in the axial direction. Therefore, when attaching or detaching the process cartridge 3, it is necessary to attach and detach the shaft member 50 to and from such a drive shaft 70. And according to the above-mentioned end member 30, attachment and detachment of shaft member 50 and drive shaft 70 become easy. A specific manner of attachment / detachment will be described later.

In a posture in which the process cartridge 3 is mounted on the apparatus main body 2, the drive shaft 70 and the rotational force receiving member 55 provided on the shaft member 50 of the end member 30 are engaged to transmit the rotational force. FIG. 19 shows a scene in which the rotational force receiving member 55 of the end member 30 is engaged with the drive shaft 70.
As can be seen from FIG. 19, in the posture in which the drive shaft 70 and the rotational force receiving member 55 are engaged, the axis of the drive shaft 70 and the axis of the shaft member 50 are abutted and arranged. At this time, the tip end of the shaft portion 71 of the drive shaft 70 enters between the two engaging members 58 of the rotational force receiving member 55, and the pin 72 of the drive shaft 70 engages with the engaging member 58 from the side surface. ing. At that time, the tip of the shaft portion 71 of the shaft member 70 presses the contact portion 61 of the regulating member 59, and the end member 30 is in the posture shown in FIG. As a result, the rotational force receiving member 55 rotates following the rotation of the drive shaft 70, and the end member 30 and the photosensitive drum 11, that is, the photosensitive drum unit 10, rotate.

  Next, an example of the operation of the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit 10 when the process cartridge 3 is mounted on the apparatus main body 2 and brought into the posture of FIG. 19 will be described. 20 and 21 show diagrams for explanation. In FIG. 20, the process in which the drive shaft 70 engages with the rotational force receiving member 55 in FIGS. 20 (a) to 20 (c) is shown in perspective view. FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing one scene of engagement according to an example different from FIG.

  First, the photosensitive drum unit 10 approaches from the state shown in FIG. 20A from the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the drive shaft 70 as shown in FIG. 20B. At this time, in the photosensitive drum unit 10, the end member 30 is directed toward the drive shaft 70, and the axis thereof is oriented in parallel with the axis of the drive shaft 70, and the drive shaft 70 moves while moving in a direction perpendicular to the axis. Get closer to. At this time, the shaft member 50 is in the posture shown in FIG.

  In the scene shown in FIG. 20B, the drive shaft 70 contacts the engaging member 58 of the rotational force receiving member 55. However, since the shaft member 50 is in the posture shown in FIG. 15 at this time, the rotational force receiving member 55 rotates freely, so that the drive shaft 70 pushes and rotates the rotational force receiving member 55. Accordingly, the drive shaft 70 can enter between the two engaging members 58 as shown in FIG. 20C without being obstructed by the engaging member 58 of the rotational force receiving member 55.

  When the drive shaft 70 enters between the two engaging members 58 as shown in FIG. 20C, the tip of the drive shaft 70 presses the contact portion 61 of the regulating member 59. Here, since the contact part 61 has the inclined surface 61a, the said penetration | invasion is performed smoothly. As a result, the posture finally shown in FIG. 19 (the posture shown in FIG. 16) is obtained, and the rotational driving force from the drive shaft 70 can be transmitted to the photosensitive drum 11.

On the other hand, even if the rotational force receiving member 55 is in the posture shown in FIG. 15 due to the positional relationship between the drive shaft 70 and the engaging member 58 of the rotational force receiving member 55, the rotational force receiving member 55 is rare. It is also assumed that it does not rotate properly. However, in such a case, as shown in FIG. 21, the drive shaft 70 _applies the force indicated by _C15b shown in FIG. 15 to the shaft member 50, so that the entire shaft member 50 is a bearing member. When the drive shaft 70 is pushed into the 40 side, the drive shaft 70 gets over the engagement member 58 and enters between the two engagement members 58, so that the rotational force can be transmitted as shown in FIG. 19.

  As described above, the process cartridge 3 can be mounted on the apparatus main body 2 so as to be pushed in from a direction different from the axial direction of the drive shaft 70 of the apparatus main body 2. Although the behavior differs with respect to the separation, the movement is smoothly performed similarly by the movement and rotation of the shaft member 50.

Further, according to the end member 30, the shaft member 50 can be smoothly moved with respect to the shaft member 30 by rotating in the axial direction and moving in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction without requiring swinging (tilting) of the shaft member 50. In addition, the drive shaft 70 can be attached and detached. And since the tolerance with respect to a dimension can be set largely with respect to the shaft member which requires rocking | fluctuation (tilting), it can be said that productivity is high also from this viewpoint.
Further, since the restricting member 59 switches between the state in which the engaging member 58 is not engaged with the drive shaft 70 and the state in which the engaging member 58 is engaged with the drive shaft 70 as required, the member can be attached and detached during the attachment and detachment of the process cartridge. Inhibition is less likely to occur and smoother attachment / detachment is achieved.

  Next, the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the end member 130 in the second embodiment, and FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view of the end member 130. Since the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except for the end member 130, the description thereof is omitted here. Also, for the end member 130, the same parts as those of the end member 30 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  The end member 130 is also a member attached to the end of the photosensitive drum 11 opposite to the lid member 20, and includes a bearing member 140 and a shaft member 150.

The bearing member 140 is a member that is joined to the end of the photosensitive drum 11 in the end member 130. 24A is a perspective view of the bearing member 140, and FIG. 24B is a plan view of the bearing member 140 as viewed from the side where the shaft member 150 is inserted. Further, FIG. 25A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line indicated by C _25a -C _25a in FIG. 24B, and FIG. 25B is a line indicated by C _25b- C _25b in FIG. FIG.

  As can be seen from FIGS. 22 to 25, the bearing member 140 includes a cylindrical body 41, a contact wall 42, a fitting portion 43, a gear portion 44, and a shaft member holding portion 145.

  The shaft member holding portion 145 is a portion that is formed inside the cylindrical body 41 and has a function of holding the shaft member 150 on the bearing member 140. As can be seen from FIGS. 24A to 25B, the shaft member holding portion 145 includes a rotating shaft holding member 146, a rotating shaft support member 147, and a regulating member holding member 148.

The rotating shaft holding member 146 is a plate-like member formed so as to close the inside of the cylindrical body 41, and a hole 146 a is formed coaxially with the axis of the cylindrical body 41. As will be described later, the hole 146a has a size and a shape that allow the rotation shaft 151 (see FIG. 26) to pass therethrough. However, in order to prevent the pivot shaft 151 from coming off, only the main body 152 of the pivot shaft 151 can be penetrated, but the portion where the outer protrusion 153 is disposed cannot be penetrated. From the viewpoint of stable movement of the rotation shaft 151, the hole 146 a may have substantially the same shape and size as the outer periphery of the main body 152 of the rotation shaft 151 within a range that does not greatly hinder the movement of the rotation shaft 151 in the axial direction. preferable.
In addition, the slit holding member 146 has two slits 146b extending from the hole 146a. The two slits 146b are provided at symmetrical positions across the axis of the hole 146a. Further, the size and shape of the slit 146b are formed so that the outer protrusion 153 of the rotation shaft 151 (see FIG. 26) can penetrate the slit 146b.

The rotation shaft support member 147 is a member that is provided closer to the fitting portion 43 than the rotation shaft holding member 146 and is formed so as to close at least a part of the inside of the cylindrical body 41. As shown in FIG. 25B, the rotation shaft support member 147 has a hole 147a or a gap through which the first restriction shaft 160 of the restriction member 159 (see FIG. 27) passes around the axis of the cylindrical body 41. Is provided. Further, it is formed so as to hold at least a rotating shaft elastic member 163 to be described later.
Further, as can be seen from FIG. 25A, the rotation shaft support member 147 is provided with a groove 147 b extending in parallel with the axial direction of the cylindrical body 41. The groove 147b is closed at the end on the rotating shaft holding member 146 side, and opens in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body 41 on the side of the regulating member holding member 148 that is the opposite side. The groove 147b is arranged so that the protrusion 162 of the regulating member 159 (see FIG. 27) can move inside.

  The restricting member holding member 148 is a member that is provided further on the fitting portion 43 side than the rotation shaft support member 147 and is formed so as to close at least a part of the inside of the cylindrical body 41. The restricting member holding member 148 is formed in a size capable of holding at least a restricting member elastic member 164 described later.

Returning to FIGS. 22 and 23, the shaft member 150 of the end member 130 will be described. As can be seen from FIG. 23, the shaft member 150 includes a rotation shaft 151, a rotational force receiving member 155, a restriction member 159, a rotation shaft elastic member 163, and a restriction member elastic member 164. The rotating shaft elastic member 163 and the restricting member elastic member 164 of this embodiment are both string springs.
Each will be described below.

26 (a) is a perspective view of the rotating shaft 151, FIG. 26 (b) is an axial sectional view including a line indicated by C _26b -C _26b in FIG. 26 (a), and FIG. A sectional view in the axial direction including a line indicated by C _26c -C _26c is shown in (a).

As can be seen from FIGS. 26 (a) to 26 (c), the rotation shaft 151 has a cylindrical main body 152.
Two outer protrusions 153 are arranged outside one end of the main body 152. The two outer protrusions 153 are provided on one diametric line of the cylinder of the main body 152. The two outer protrusions 152 have a function of holding the main body 152 on the bearing member 140 and restricting the movement of the main body 152 as will be described later.
The main body 152 is provided with two inner protrusions 154 on the inner surface of the cylinder at the same end as the end where the outer protrusion 153 is provided.

  The rotational force receiving member 155 receives a rotational driving force from the apparatus main body 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) and transmits the driving force to the main body 152 when the end member 30 assumes a predetermined posture. It is. As can be seen from FIGS. 26 (a) to 26 (c), in this embodiment, the rotational force receiving member 155 is disposed at the end of the main body 152 opposite to the side on which the outer protrusion 153 is disposed. A cylindrical base 156 and two engaging members 158 erected from one end of the base 156 are configured.

  The base 156 has a cylindrical shape and is formed so that both the outer diameter and the inner diameter thereof are larger than the main body 152. The outer peripheral portion of the base portion 156 has an inclined surface 156a so that the diameter decreases as the distance from the main body 152 increases in the axial direction. As a result, the drive shaft 70 can smoothly slide on the outer peripheral portion. On the other hand, the inner peripheral portion of the base portion 156 is inclined so that the diameter increases as the distance from the main body 152 increases in the axial direction. Thereby, the front-end | tip of the drive shaft 70 can be settled stably.

The two engaging members 158 are provided at the end of the base 156 opposite to the side on which the rotation shaft 151 is disposed, and are separated by the same distance from the axis of the base 156, and both are symmetrical with respect to the axis. Placed in position. The interval between the two engaging members 158 is substantially the same as or slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 71 of the drive shaft 70 (see FIG. 18). The interval between the two engagement members 158 is configured such that the pin 72 is caught by the engagement member 158 in a posture in which the shaft portion 71 of the drive shaft 70 is disposed between the two engagement members 158.
How the rotational force can be received from the drive shaft 70 will be described later.

  The restricting member 159 can rotate freely because the engaging member 158 of the rotational force receiving member 155 can be engaged with the driving shaft 70 to transmit the driving force to the bearing member 40 and the engaging member 158 is not engaged to transmit the driving force. Switch between the states to be performed. FIG. 27A shows a perspective view of the regulating member 159, and FIG. 27B shows a perspective view of the regulating member 159 from another angle.

As can be seen from FIGS. 27A and 27B, the restriction member 159 includes a columnar first restriction shaft 160 and a columnar second restriction shaft 161 whose outer diameter is larger than that of the first restriction shaft 160. These two are arranged coaxially and have one end connected to each other.
Two protrusions 162 are disposed on the end of the first restriction shaft 160 opposite to the side on which the second restriction shaft 161 is disposed. The two protrusions 162 are provided on the same line in the diameter direction of one column of the first restriction shaft 160. As will be described later, the two protrusions 162 have a function of holding the restricting member 159 on the bearing member 140 and restricting movement of the restricting member 159.

  In the second restriction shaft 161, the end opposite to the side on which the first restriction shaft 160 is disposed is a contact portion 161a, and an inclined surface is formed. Further, a restriction groove 161b, which is two grooves opened to the first restriction shaft 160 side, is provided at the end of the second restriction shaft 161 where the first restriction shaft 160 is disposed. The two restriction grooves 161b are formed on opposite sides of the axis of the second restriction shaft 161.

  The bearing member 140 and the shaft member 150 as described above are combined into the end member 130 as follows. FIG. 28 shows a cross-sectional view along the axial direction of the end member 130 in one posture. In addition, from the description of the combination, the size and structure of each member and part, and the relationship between the size of the member and part are further understood.

  As can be seen from FIGS. 23 and 28, in the shaft member 150, a regulating member 159 is inserted inside the main body 152 of the rotating shaft 151. At this time, the second restriction shaft 161 is accommodated in the main body 152, and the end of the first restriction shaft 160 on the protrusion 162 side protrudes from the side opposite to the rotational force receiving member 155 (that is, the outer protrusion 153 and the inner protrusion 154 side). To be arranged. 26, the inner protrusion 154 of the rotation shaft 151 is disposed in the restriction groove 161b of the restriction member 159.

The rotating shaft 151 and the regulating member 159 combined in this way are held by the bearing member 140 as follows. That is, the rotation shaft 151 is passed through the hole 146a of the rotation shaft holding member 146 of the bearing member 140, and the end portion on the side where the outer protrusion 153 is disposed is the inner side of the shaft member holding portion 145 and the opposite end portion thereof. Is arranged so as to protrude from the bearing member 140. At this time, the outer protrusion 153 is caught by the rotation shaft holding member 146 so that the rotation shaft 151 is not detached from the bearing member 140.
Further, as can be seen from FIG. 28, the rotating shaft elastic member 163 is disposed between the rotating shaft 151 and the rotating shaft support member 147, and the rotating shaft 151 is urged in the direction of coming out of the bearing member 140. Yes. At this time, the first restriction shaft 160 of the restriction member 159 is passed inside the rotation shaft elastic member 163.

  The rotation shaft 151 is attached to the bearing member 140 by inserting the outer protrusion 153 of the rotation shaft 151 into the bearing member 140 from the slit 146b of the rotation shaft holding member 146 and moving the rotation shaft 151 around the axis. What is necessary is just to rotate.

On the other hand, the first regulating shaft 160 of the regulating member 159 is passed through the hole 147a (see FIG. 25B) of the rotating shaft support member 147. The protrusion 162 is placed inside the groove 147b (see FIG. 25A). As a result, the regulating member 159 is prevented from coming off from the bearing member 140 while allowing movement in the axial direction.
Further, as can be seen from FIG. 28, the elastic member 164 for restricting member is disposed between the restricting member 159 and the restricting member holding member 148, and the restricting member 159 is biased in the direction of coming out of the bearing member 140.

  To attach the restriction member 159 to the bearing member 140, the protrusion 162 of the restriction member 159 may be inserted into the slit 147b from the opening of the slit 147b of the rotating shaft support member 147.

In the posture of the end member 130 combined in this way, the rotating shaft 151 and the rotational force receiving member 155 disposed on the rotating shaft 151 are urged in the direction of being removed from the bearing member 140 by the rotating shaft elastic member 163. The outer protrusion 153 is held without being pulled out by engaging with the shaft member holding portion 145 of the bearing member 140. Further, the rotating shaft 151 and the rotational force receiving member 155 can move in the axial direction against the urging force of the rotating shaft elastic member 163 and by the urging force.
On the other hand, the restricting member 159 is urged in a direction to be pulled out from the bearing member 140 by the restricting member elastic member 164, and the protrusion 162 is held without being pulled out by engaging with the shaft member holding portion 145 of the bearing member 140. .
In the posture shown in FIG. 28, since the inner protrusion 154 of the rotation shaft 151 is placed inside the restriction groove 161b of the restriction member 159, the rotation shaft 151 and the rotational force receiving member 155 disposed on the rotation shaft 151 are axial lines. Center rotation is restricted.

  By combining them as described above, the axis lines of the bearing member 140 and the shaft member 150 are aligned with each other.

  Next, how the end member 130 combined as described above can be deformed, moved, and rotated will be described. 29 and 30 show cross-sectional views in directions along the axis in two different postures of the end member 130.

29, from the posture shown in FIG. 28, as indicated by the arrow C _29a in FIG. 29, the rotary shaft 151 (rotational force receiving member 155) is bearing against the biasing force of the rotary shaft elastic member 163. The posture moved so as to be pushed into the member 140 is shown. Accordingly, as can be seen from FIG. 29, the rotation shaft 151 moves in the axial direction, so that the inner protrusion 154 of the rotation shaft 151 is detached from the restriction groove 161b of the restriction member 159, and the engagement between both is released. Accordingly, as shown by the arrow C _29b in FIG. 29, the rotation shaft 151 and the rotational force receiving member 155 (engagement member 158) arranged on the rotation shaft 151 are rotatable. In other words, in this posture, the engaging member 158 is free from being restricted from rotating relative to the bearing member 140 and the restricting member 159.

30 further moves from the posture shown in FIG. 29 so as to push the restricting member 159 toward the bearing member 140 against the biasing force of the restricting member elastic member 164 as indicated by an arrow C _30a in FIG. Represents the posture. Thus, as can be seen from FIG. 30, the restricting member 159 moves in the axial direction, so that the inner protrusion 154 of the rotating shaft 151 reenters the inside of the restricting groove 161b of the restricting member 159, and both are engaged. Therefore, in this posture, the engagement member 158 is restricted from rotating relative to the bearing member 140 and the restriction member 159. For example, when the rotational force is applied to the rotational force receiving member 155 as indicated by the arrow _C30b , The rotational force is transmitted to the rotation shaft 151, the regulating member 159, and the bearing member 140, and finally the end member 130 (photosensitive drum unit) is rotated about the axis.

The drive shaft 70 and the rotational force receiving member 155 provided on the shaft member 150 of the end member 130 are engaged with each other in a posture in which the process cartridge including the end member 130 is mounted on the apparatus main body. Rotational force is transmitted. FIG. 31 shows a scene in which the rotational force receiving member 155 of the end member 130 is engaged with the drive shaft 70.
As can be seen from FIG. 31, in the posture in which the drive shaft 70 and the rotational force receiving member 155 are engaged with each other, the axis of the drive shaft 70 and the axis of the shaft member 150 are abutted and arranged. At this time, the tip of the shaft portion 71 of the drive shaft 70 enters between the two engaging members 158 of the rotational force receiving member 155 so that the rotational force transmitting protrusion 72 of the drive shaft 70 is caught by the engaging member 158 from the side surface. Is engaged. At that time, the tip of the shaft portion 71 of the shaft member 70 presses the rotational force receiving member 155 and the regulating member 159, and the end member 130 is in the posture shown in FIG. As a result, the rotational force receiving member 155 is rotated following the rotation of the drive shaft 70, and the end member 130 and the photosensitive drum 11, that is, the photosensitive drum unit are rotated.

  Next, an example of the operation of the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit when the process cartridge 3 is mounted on the apparatus main body 2 and brought into the posture shown in FIG. 31 will be described. FIG. 32 shows a diagram for explanation. FIG. 32 is a perspective view sequentially illustrating the process in which the drive shaft 70 engages with the rotational force receiving member 155 in FIGS. 32 (a) to 32 (c).

  First, the photosensitive drum unit approaches from the state shown in FIG. 32A from the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the drive shaft 70 as shown in FIG. 32B. At this time, in the photosensitive drum unit, the end member 130 is directed to the drive shaft 70 side, and the axis thereof is oriented in parallel to the axis of the drive shaft 70. The photosensitive drum unit moves toward the drive shaft 70 while moving in a direction orthogonal to the axis. Get closer. At this time, the shaft member 150 is in the posture shown in FIG.

  In the scene shown in FIG. 32B, the tip of the drive shaft 70 contacts the inclined surface 156a of the base 156 of the rotational force receiving member 155. Then, the drive shaft 70 presses the rotational force receiving member 155 and the shaft member 150 toward the bearing member 140. As a result, the rotational force receiving member 155 and the shaft member 150 move in the axial direction, and the end member 130 assumes the posture shown in FIG. In this posture, the rotational force receiving member 155 and the shaft member 150 are rotatable. Therefore, even if the drive shaft 70 comes into contact with the engaging member 158 of the rotational force receiving member 155, the rotational force receiving member 155 rotates freely, and thus the drive shaft 70 pushes and rotates the rotational force receiving member 155. As a result, the drive shaft 70 can enter between the two engaging members 158 as shown in FIG. 32C without being obstructed by the engaging member 158 of the rotational force receiving member 155.

  When the drive shaft 70 enters between the two engaging members 158 as shown in FIG. 32 (c), the tip of the drive shaft 70 presses the regulating member 159. Here, since the front end portion of the regulating member 159 is configured to have an inclined surface at the contact portion 161a, the intrusion is smoothly performed. As a result, the posture shown in FIG. 31 (the posture shown in FIG. 30) is finally obtained, and the rotational driving force from the drive shaft 70 can be transmitted to the photosensitive drum 11.

As described above, the shaft member can be driven more smoothly with respect to the shaft member by the rotation in the axial direction and the movement in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction without requiring the swinging of the shaft member even by the end member 130. Detachable to 70 is possible. And since the tolerance with respect to a dimension can be set largely with respect to the shaft member which requires rocking | fluctuation, it can be said that productivity is high also from this viewpoint.
Further, since the restricting member 159 switches between the state in which the engaging member 158 is not engaged with the driving shaft 70 and the state in which the engaging member 158 is engaged with the driving shaft 70 as necessary, the member can be attached and detached during the attachment and detachment of the process cartridge. Inhibition is less likely to occur and smoother attachment / detachment is achieved.

  Next, the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 33A is a perspective view in one posture of the end member 230 in the third embodiment, and FIG. 33B is a perspective view in another posture of the end member 230. FIG. 34 shows an exploded perspective view of the end member 230. Since the third embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except for the end member 230, the description thereof is omitted here. Also, for the end member 230, the same parts as those of the end member 30 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  The end member 230 is also a member attached to the end of the photosensitive drum 11 opposite to the lid member 20, and includes a bearing member 140 and a shaft member 250. Here, since the bearing member 140 having the same configuration as the above-described bearing member 140 can be applied, the same reference numerals are given here and the description thereof is omitted.

As can be seen from FIG. 35, the shaft member 250 includes a rotation shaft 251, a rotational force receiving member 262, a restriction member 270, a pin 274, a restriction member elastic member 275, and a rotation shaft elastic member 276. ing. Here, the pin 274 is a rod-shaped member. In addition, the elastic member 275 for the regulating member and the elastic member 276 for the rotation shaft in the present embodiment are string wound springs.
FIG. 35 shows an enlarged exploded perspective view of members other than the pin 274. Each member will be described with reference to FIGS. 34 and 35.

The rotational shaft 251 is a member that transmits rotational force from the rotational force receiving member 262 to the bearing member 140. As can be seen from FIGS. 34 and 35, the cylindrical first rotational shaft 252 and the first rotational shaft. A cylindrical second rotation shaft 253 having an outer diameter smaller than 252 is provided, the two are arranged coaxially and one end is connected to each other.
Two protrusions 252 a are disposed on the side surface of the first rotation shaft 252 that is connected to the second rotation shaft 253. The two protrusions 252a are provided on the same line in the diameter direction of one cylinder of the first rotation shaft 252. The two protrusions 252a function in the same manner as the above-described outer protrusion 153 (see, for example, FIG. 26A).
In addition, two protrusions 253a are also arranged on the side surface of the second rotation shaft 253 opposite to the side connected to the first rotation shaft 252. The two protrusions 253a are provided on the same line in the diameter direction of one column of the second rotation shaft 253. The two protrusions 253a function in the same manner as the protrusion 162 (for example, see FIG. 27A) of the restriction member 159 described above.

  The rotational force receiving member 262 is a member that receives the rotational driving force from the apparatus main body 2 (see FIG. 1) and transmits the rotational driving force to the rotating shaft 251 when the end member 230 assumes a predetermined posture. is there. In this embodiment, the rotational force receiving member 262 is disposed at the end of the first rotational shaft 252 of the rotational shaft 251 opposite to the second rotational shaft 253, and has a cylindrical base 263 and a plate. The engagement member 266 has a shape.

The base 263 is a cylindrical member, and is coaxially disposed at one end of the first rotation shaft 252 of the rotation shaft 251. Both the outer periphery and inner periphery of the base 263 are formed larger than the outer periphery and inner periphery of the first rotation shaft 252 of the rotation shaft 251. Further, the outer peripheral portion of the base portion 263 has an inclined surface 263c whose diameter decreases as the distance from the first rotation shaft 252 increases.
The base portion 263 is provided with two engaging member storage grooves 264 that are grooves formed substantially in parallel with the axis therebetween. In this embodiment, the two engaging member storage grooves 264 are provided in parallel to a position at the same distance from the axis with the axis interposed therebetween, and extend so as to be twisted with respect to the axis.
In addition, the base 263 is provided with a hole 263a along the diameter of the base and penetrating in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the two engaging member storage grooves 264 extend. In this embodiment, four holes 263a are formed.

  The engaging member 266 has a plate shape as a whole, and is formed to have a size that fits in the groove of the engaging member storage groove 264 described above. The engaging member is provided with a through hole 266a. One of the engaging members is an engaging portion 267 and the other is an operated portion 268 across the through hole 266a. Although not particularly limited, the engaging portion 267 is preferably longer than the operated portion 268. Further, the tip of the engaging portion 267 may be curved. As a result, the pin 72 of the drive shaft 70 can be stably engaged.

The restriction member 270 includes a restriction shaft 271, a contact part 272, and an operation part 273.
The restriction shaft 271 is a columnar member, and its outer shape is set to a size that can be inserted inside the cylinder of the first rotation shaft 252. In addition, a slit 271a is formed in the restriction shaft 271 so as to penetrate in the diameter direction and extend in a predetermined size in the axial direction.
The contact portion 272 is a part of a cone (a truncated cone) provided coaxially on the side of the end surface of the restriction shaft 271 that is not inserted into the first rotation shaft 252, and has a diameter smaller than that of the restriction shaft 271 at the bottom. Has been increased. Accordingly, the side surface of the contact portion 272 is an inclined surface 272a.
The operation unit 263 is a rod-like member extending in a direction away from the axis, and two operation members 263 are arranged in the same manner as the engagement member 266. As will be described later, the operation portion 273 is formed at a position and a length that can press the operated portion 268 of the engaging member 266 in a direction parallel to the axial direction.

  The members described above are combined as follows to form the end member 230. In addition, from the description of the combination, the size and structure of each member and part, and the relationship between the size of the member and part are further understood.

First, the shaft member 250 will be described. FIG. 36 is an external perspective view in which the portions of the rotational force receiving member 262 and the regulating member 270 in one posture in a scene where the members are combined are enlarged. In FIG. 36 and FIG. 37 used later, only the engaging member 266 is hatched for easy viewing.
As can be seen from FIG. 33 to FIG. 36, the elastic member 275 for the restricting member is inserted inside the cylinder of the first turning shaft 252 of the turning shaft 251, and the contact portion 272 of the restricting shaft 271 of the restricting member 270. Insert the end on the side where is not placed. As a result, the regulating member 270 is urged in the direction of coming out of the rotation shaft 251 by the urging force of the regulating member elastic member 275.
On the other hand, the engaging member 266 is disposed in the engaging member storage groove 264 provided in the base 263 of the rotational force receiving member 262. At this time, the hole 263a provided in the base portion 263 and the hole 266a provided in the engaging member 266 are arranged in a straight line. Further, the slits 271a provided on the restriction shaft 271 of the restriction member 270 are included in the straight line. Then, the holes 263a, the holes 266a, and the slits 271a aligned on the straight line in this way are inserted so as to pass through the pins 274. Thus, the posture shown in FIG. 36 can be obtained.
At this time, the operation portion 273 of the regulating member 270 is disposed so as to overlap the operated portion 268 formed on the engagement member 266 of the rotational force receiving member 262.

  Further, the shaft member 250 can be attached to the bearing member 140 in accordance with the above-described example of the end member 130 (see, for example, FIG. 28). At this time, the two protrusions 252a of the first rotation shaft 252 are the above-described outer protrusions 153 (see, for example, FIG. 26A), and the two protrusions 253a of the second rotation shaft 253 are the protrusions 162 of the restriction member 159 (see FIG. For example, see FIG. 27A), and the rotating shaft elastic member 276 is disposed in the same manner as the restricting member elastic member 164 described above.

  In the end member 230 combined in this way, the rotating shaft 251 and the rotational force receiving member 255 arranged on the rotating shaft 251 are urged by the rotating shaft elastic member 276 in the direction of coming out of the bearing member 140, and the protrusion 252a. Is held without being pulled out by engaging with the shaft member holding portion 145 of the bearing member 140. Further, the rotational shaft 251 and the rotational force receiving member 262 can move in the axial direction against the urging force of the rotational shaft elastic member 276 and by the urging force.

  By combining as described above, the axis lines of the bearing member 140 and the shaft member 250 are aligned with each other.

The end members 230 combined as described above can take a form as shown in FIG. 36 as one posture. That is, the engaging member 266 is disposed so as to lie along the inside of the engaging member storage groove 264.
On the other hand, as indicated by C ₃₆ in FIG. 36, when the regulating member 270 is pressed to the bearing member 140 side (downward in the drawing in FIG. 36), the operation portion 273 is also moved downward, and the engagement member 256 is operated. The part 268 is moved downward. Then, since the engaging member 266 rotates around the pin 274, the engaging member 266 stands up so as to approach parallel to the axial direction as shown in FIG.

  That is, the end member 230 can switch between the posture in which the engaging member 266 is erected (projected posture) and the tilted posture (sunk posture).

The drive shaft 70 and the rotational force receiving member 262 provided on the shaft member 250 of the end member 230 are engaged with each other in a posture in which the process cartridge including the end member 230 is mounted on the apparatus main body. Rotational force is transmitted. FIG. 38 shows a scene in which the rotational force receiving member 262 of the end member 230 is engaged with the drive shaft 70.
As can be seen from FIG. 38, in the posture in which the drive shaft 70 and the rotational force receiving member 262 are engaged with each other, the axis of the drive shaft 70 and the axis of the shaft member 250 are abutted and arranged. At this time, the distal end of the shaft portion 71 of the drive shaft 70 enters between the two engaging members 266 of the rotational force receiving member 262 so that the rotational force transmission protrusion 72 of the drive shaft 70 is caught by the engaging member 266 from the side surface. Is engaged.
That is, at that time, the tip end of the shaft portion 71 of the shaft member 70 presses the contact portion 272 of the regulating member 270, and the end member 230 is in the posture shown in FIG. As a result, the rotational force receiving member 262 rotates following the rotation of the drive shaft 70, and the end member 230 and the photosensitive drum 11, that is, the photosensitive drum unit, rotate.

  Next, an example of the operation of the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit when the process cartridge 3 is mounted on the apparatus main body 2 and brought into the posture shown in FIG. 38 will be described. FIG. 39 shows a diagram for explanation. FIG. 39 is a perspective view sequentially illustrating the process in which the drive shaft 70 engages with the rotational force receiving member 262 in FIGS. 39 (a) to 39 (c).

  First, the photosensitive drum unit approaches from the state shown in FIG. 39A from the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the drive shaft 70 as shown in FIG. 39B. At this time, in the photosensitive drum unit, the end member 230 is directed to the drive shaft 70 side, and the axis thereof is oriented in parallel to the axis of the drive shaft 70. The photosensitive drum unit moves toward the drive shaft 70 while moving in a direction perpendicular to the axis. Get closer. At this time, the shaft member 250 is in the posture shown in FIG.

  In the scene shown in FIG. 39B, the tip of the drive shaft 70 contacts the base 263 of the rotational force receiving member 262. However, in this state, the engaging member 266 of the shaft member 250 is in the posture shown in FIG. 36 and is tilted, so that the drive shaft 70 is not obstructed by the engaging member 256 of the rotational force receiving member 252, and FIG. It is possible to enter between the two engaging members 256 as shown in (c). At this time, the drive shaft 70 slides on the inclined surface 263c of the base 263, whereby the rotation shaft 251 is pressed in the axial direction, and the rotation shaft 251 and the rotational force receiving member 262 are elastic for the rotation shaft. It moves in the axial direction against the urging force of the member 276. Thereby, it operates more smoothly.

  As shown in FIG. 39 (c), when the drive shaft 70 enters the position where the restricting member 270 is pressed, the engaging member 266 rises as described above and deforms to the posture shown in FIG. As a result, the posture shown in FIG. 38 is finally obtained, and the rotational driving force from the drive shaft 70 can be transmitted to the photosensitive drum 11.

As described above, the shaft member can be driven more smoothly with respect to the shaft member by rotating in the axial direction and moving in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction without requiring the shaft member to swing even by the end member 230. Detachable to 70 is possible. Moreover, since the tolerance with respect to a dimension can be set largely with respect to the shaft member which requires rocking | fluctuation, it can be said that productivity is high also from this viewpoint.
Further, since the restricting member 270 switches between the state in which the engaging member 266 is not engaged with the driving shaft 70 and the state in which the engaging member 266 is engaged with the driving shaft 70 as required, the member can be attached and detached during the attachment and detachment of the process cartridge. Inhibition is less likely to occur and smoother attachment / detachment is achieved.

  Next, the fourth embodiment will be described. FIG. 40 is a perspective view of the shaft member 350 among the end members of the present embodiment, and FIG. 41 is an exploded perspective view of the tip portion where the regulating member 370 of the shaft member 350 is disposed. FIG. 42 shows a tip portion where the regulating member 370 is arranged in a cross section along the axis of the shaft member 350. 42A shows one posture of the regulating member 370, and FIG. 42B shows another posture of the regulating member 370. The end member of this embodiment includes a bearing member 140 having the same form as the above-described end member 230, and the shaft member 350 is held by the bearing member 140. Therefore, here, the shaft member 350 will be described.

  As can be seen from FIG. 40, the shaft member 350 includes a rotation shaft 351, a rotational force receiving member 362, a regulating member 370, and a rotation shaft elastic member 376. Here, the rotating shaft elastic member 376 of the present embodiment is a string winding spring.

The rotational shaft 351 is a member that transmits rotational force from the rotational force receiving member 362 to the bearing member 140, and as can be seen from FIG. 40, the rotational shaft 351 is more than the cylindrical first rotational shaft 352 and the first rotational shaft 352. It has a cylindrical second rotating shaft 353 with a small outer diameter, and these two are arranged coaxially and connected at one end.
Two protrusions 352 a are disposed on the side surface of the first rotation shaft 352 that is connected to the second rotation shaft 353. The two protrusions 352a are provided on the same line in the diameter direction of one cylinder of the first rotation shaft 352. The two protrusions 352a function in the same manner as the above-described outer protrusion 153 (see, for example, FIG. 26A).
In addition, two protrusions 353 a are also arranged on the side surface of the second rotation shaft 353 opposite to the side connected to the first rotation shaft 352. The two protrusions 353 a are provided on the same line in the diameter direction of one column of the second rotation shaft 353. The two protrusions 353a function in the same manner as the protrusion 162 (for example, see FIG. 27A) of the restriction member 159 described above.

  The rotational force receiving member 362 receives the rotational driving force from the apparatus main body 2 (see FIG. 1) and transmits the rotational driving force to the rotating shaft 351 when the end member of this embodiment assumes a predetermined posture. It is a member. In this embodiment, the rotational force receiving member 362 is disposed at the end of one side of the first rotation shaft 352 of the rotation shaft 351 (the side opposite to the side to which the second rotation shaft 353 is connected), It has a base 363, an engaging member 364, and a pin 365.

The base portion 363 is a portion that connects the engaging member 364 to the first rotation shaft 352 of the rotation shaft 351 via the pin 365, and is formed at one end portion of the first rotation shaft 352 in this embodiment. A part (tip portion) of one rotation shaft 352 also serves as the base 363.
A concave portion 363a is formed on the base portion 363 along the axis from one end face of the first rotation shaft 352, and a protrusion 363b is provided on the bottom thereof as can be seen from FIG. Further, the base 363 has a depth in which the direction along the axial direction from the end surface on one side of the first rotation shaft 352 is a length direction, and the side surface of the first rotation shaft 352 communicates with the recess 363a. Two slits 363c are formed. In this embodiment, the two slits 363c are arranged at a position of 180 ° around the axis so as to be on one diameter of the first rotation shaft 352.
Furthermore, holes 363d and 363e that extend in the width direction of the slit 363c and pass through the base 363 are formed in the base 363. The hole 363d and the hole 363e are arranged side by side in the length direction of the slit 363c, and the hole 363d is closer to the one end of the first rotation shaft 352.

  The engaging member 364 is a rod-like member and is bent at one place in this embodiment. A through hole 364a perpendicular to the direction in which the engaging member 364 extends is provided at one end thereof.

  The pin 365 is a round bar member.

The restriction member 370 includes a restriction shaft 371, an operation member 372, an elastic member 373, and a pin 374.
The restriction shaft 371 is a columnar member, and the outer shape of the restriction shaft 371 is sized to be inserted inside the recess 363 a provided in the base 363. The restriction shaft 371 is formed with a slit 371a extending through the restriction shaft 371 so as to be in the diameter direction and extending in a predetermined size in the axial direction. Of the end portions of the restriction shaft 371, the end portion on the side not inserted into the base portion 363 is a part of a cone (a truncated cone), and an inclined surface 371b is formed. In addition, a protrusion 371c is provided on the end of the regulation shaft 371 on the side opposite to the inclined surface 371b.
The operation unit 372 is a rod-shaped member, and two operation units 372 are arranged in the same manner as the engagement member 364. The operation unit 372 includes a through hole 372a perpendicular to the length direction near the center in the length direction.
In this embodiment, the elastic member 373 is formed by a string spring. The pin 374 is a round bar member.

The members described above are combined as follows to form the end member of this embodiment. In addition, from the description of the combination, the size and structure of each member and part, and the relationship between the size of the member and part are further understood.
The elastic member for regulating member 373 is inserted inside the recess 363a formed in the base 363, and the end of the regulating member 370 on the side where the projection 371c is provided is also inserted. One end of the restricting member elastic member 373 is inserted and fixed to the protrusion 363b in the recess, and the other end of the restricting member elastic member 373 is inserted and fixed to the protrusion 371c of the restricting shaft 371. As a result, the regulating shaft 371 is urged in the direction of coming out of the rotating shaft 351 by the urging force of the regulating member elastic member 373.
As can be seen from FIG. 42A, one end side of the operation portion 372 is inserted from the slit 363c into the slit 371a of the regulating shaft 371. And the pin 374 is arrange | positioned so that the hole 363e and the hole 372a may pass. As a result, the operation unit 372 can rotate around the pin 374. At this time, the operation unit 372 is arranged so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the restriction shaft 371 in a posture in which no external force is applied.

  On the other hand, one end side of the engaging member 374 is disposed in the slit 371a, and the pin 365 is disposed through the hole 363d and the hole 364a. As a result, the engaging member 364 can rotate about the pin 365 as an axis. At this time, the engagement member 364 is positioned so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the restriction shaft 371 in a posture in which no external force is applied, and to be superimposed on the distal end side of the restriction shaft 371 with respect to the operation portion 372. The engaging member 364 is disposed so as to come into contact with the tip of the operation portion 372 that is not inserted into the slit 371a.

  The shaft member 350 can be attached to the bearing member 140 in the same manner as the end member 320. As a result, the shaft member 350 can move in the axial direction of the bearing member 140.

The end members 330 combined as described above can take a form as shown in FIG. 42A as one posture. That is, the engaging member 364 is disposed so as to extend and lie in the radial direction of the rotation shaft 351.
On the other hand, as shown by an arrow C _42a in FIG. 42, when the restriction shaft 371 of the restriction member 370 is pressed toward the bearing member 140 (downward in the drawing of FIG. 40), the restriction shaft 371 moves to the bearing member 140, Of the operation portion 372, the end portion inserted into the slit 371a of the restriction shaft 371 is also pressed in the same direction. Then, the operation part 372 rotates around the pin 374 and the opposite end moves to the opposite side to the bearing member 140. As a result, the end on the opposite side presses the engaging member 364, and the engaging member 364 rotates about the pin 355, so that the engaging member 364 moves in the axial direction as shown in FIG. Stand up so that it approaches parallel.

  That is, the end member 330 can also switch between the posture in which the engaging member 364 is erected (projected posture) and the tilted posture (sunk posture). Thereby, the end member 330 can act similarly to the example of the end member 230.

  In the present embodiment, an example in which one type of operation unit directly presses the engagement member has been shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and these are linked via a plurality of types of operation units, and finally come closest to the engagement member. The operation unit may be configured to press the engaging member. Further, the operation unit and the engaging member may be integrated without distinction.

  Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. FIG. 43 shows an exploded perspective view of the end member 430 included in the fifth embodiment. Except for the end member 430, since it is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description is omitted here. The end member 430 also includes a bearing member 440 and a shaft member 450.

The bearing member 440 is a member that is joined to the end of the photosensitive drum 11 in the end member 430. 44A is a perspective view of the bearing member 440, FIG. 44B is a front view of the bearing member 440, and FIG. 44C is a side of the bearing member 440 from which the shaft member 450 is disposed. A plan view was shown. Further, FIG. 45 (a) shows an end view along the line indicated by _{C45a- C45a} in FIG. 44 (b). That is, FIG. 45A shows an end surface when the bearing member 440 is cut along a plane orthogonal to the axis of the bearing member 440. FIG. 45B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line indicated by C _45b -C _45b in FIG. That is, FIG. 45B is a cross-sectional view of the bearing member 440 in the direction along the axis including the axis of the bearing member 440.

  The bearing member 440 includes a cylindrical body 441, a contact wall 442, a fitting portion 443, a gear portion 444, and a shaft member holding portion 445.

  The cylindrical body 441 is a cylindrical member as a whole, a contact wall 442 and a gear portion 444 are disposed on the outside thereof, and a shaft member holding portion 445 is formed on the inside thereof. In addition, at least a portion of the inner side of the cylindrical body 441 where the shaft member holding portion 445 is provided, the first rotation shaft 452 of the rotation shaft 451 of the shaft member 450 described later smoothly moves in the axial direction. The inner diameter of the cylindrical body 441 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the first rotation shaft 452 to the extent that it can rotate about the axis.

From a part of the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 441, a contact wall 442 that comes into contact with and engages with the end surface of the photosensitive drum 11 is provided upright. As a result, the insertion depth of the end member 430 into the photosensitive drum 11 is regulated in a posture in which the end member 430 is mounted on the photosensitive drum 11.
In addition, one side of the cylindrical body 441 across the contact wall 442 serves as a fitting portion 443 inserted into the inside of the photosensitive drum 11. The fitting portion 443 is inserted inside the photosensitive drum 11 and is fixed to the inner surface of the photosensitive drum 11 with an adhesive. As a result, the end member 430 is fixed to the end portion of the photosensitive drum 11. Accordingly, the outer diameter of the fitting portion 443 is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the photoconductive drum 11 as long as it can be inserted inside the cylindrical shape of the photoconductive drum 11. A groove may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 443. As a result, the groove is filled with an adhesive, and adhesion between the cylindrical body 441 (end member 430) and the photosensitive drum 11 is improved by an anchor effect or the like.

  A gear portion 444 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 441 opposite to the fitting portion 443 across the contact wall 442. The gear portion 444 is a gear that transmits a rotational force to another member such as a developing roller unit, and a helical gear is arranged in this embodiment. However, the type of gear is not particularly limited, and spur gears may be arranged, or both may be arranged side by side along the axial direction of the cylindrical body. Further, the gear is not necessarily provided.

  The shaft member holding portion 445 is a portion that is formed inside the cylindrical body 441 and has a function of holding the shaft member 450 on the bearing member 440 while ensuring a predetermined operation of the shaft member 450. It functions as one of means for moving and rotating the member 462. The shaft member holding portion 445 includes a bottom plate 446, a screw groove 447, and a lid 448.

  As shown in FIG. 45B, the bottom plate 446 is an annular member and is arranged so as to close and partition the inside of the cylindrical body 441. Accordingly, a through hole 446a is provided at the center. Of the rotating shaft 451, the second rotating shaft 453 is inserted into the through hole 446a. The bottom plate 446 can be attached to the cylindrical body 441 by adhesion, fusion, or the like. Moreover, the cylindrical body 441 and the bottom plate 446 may be integrally formed.

  As shown in FIG. 45B, the lid 448 is an annular member disposed at a predetermined interval in the axial direction with respect to the bottom plate 446, and closes and partitions the inside of the cylindrical body 441. Placed in. Accordingly, a through hole 448a is provided at the center. The first rotation shaft 452 of the rotation shaft 451 is inserted into the through hole 448a. A screw groove 447 is disposed between the bottom plate 446 and the lid 448. Attachment of the lid 448 to the cylindrical body 441 may be detachable with a nail or the like, or may be fixed by adhesion or fusion. Moreover, the cylindrical body 441 and the lid 448 may be integrally formed.

The spiral groove 447 is an inner surface of the cylindrical body 441, and is a plurality of spiral grooves formed between the bottom plate 446 and the lid 448. The depth direction is indicated by _C45d in FIG. 45 (a). As described above, the cylindrical body 441 is formed radially (in the radial direction) about the axis. On the other hand, the longitudinal direction of the spiral groove 447 is a direction along the axis of the cylindrical body 41 as shown in FIG. 45 (b), and one end side and the other end side thereof are on the inner periphery of the cylindrical body 41. It is twisted so as to be displaced in the direction along, and is formed in a spiral shape. In addition, as shown by C _{45 w} in FIG. 34A, the width direction of the thread groove 447 is inserted into an end portion of a projection 452 a of a shaft member 451 described later, and the end portion of the projection 452 a is smoothly inserted into the groove. Is formed to be approximately the same as the diameter of the protrusion 452a.
Note that one end in the longitudinal direction of the spiral groove 447 is closed by a bottom plate 446 and the other end in the longitudinal direction is closed by a lid 448.
Further, “twist rate” can be defined as an index representing the degree of twist of the spiral groove 447. That is, the “twist rate” is the distance in the axial direction of the spiral groove (the size indicated by C _45h in FIG. 45B) and the angle at which the spiral groove is twisted in the circumferential direction around the axis. It is defined from the total twist angle and is expressed by the following equation.
Twist rate (° / mm) = total twist angle (°) / axial distance of screw groove (mm)

  Further, at least one set of the plurality of spiral grooves 447 that are opposed to each other across the axis of the cylindrical body 41 is provided. Although this embodiment is an example in which a total of eight spiral grooves 47 are formed, two sets of spiral grooves may be formed in one set. On the other hand, 2 sets, 3 sets, or 5 sets or more of spiral grooves may be provided. When such a screw-shaped groove is injection-molded, the mold is released while the mold is rotated after the material is injected.

Although the material which comprises the bearing member 440 is not specifically limited, Resin and metals, such as a polyacetal, a polycarbonate, and PPS, can be used. Here, when using resin, in order to improve the rigidity of a member, you may mix | blend glass fiber, carbon fiber, etc. in resin according to load torque. Further, in order to facilitate the attachment and movement of the shaft member, the resin may contain at least one of fluorine, polyethylene, and silicon rubber to improve the slidability. Further, the resin may be coated with fluorine or a lubricant may be applied.
In the case of manufacturing with metal, cutting by cutting, aluminum die casting, zinc die casting, metal powder injection molding method (so-called MIM method), metal powder sintering lamination method (so-called 3D printer), or the like can be used. Moreover, iron, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper, zinc, and alloys thereof may be used regardless of the metal material. Moreover, various plating can be performed to improve functionality (such as lubricity and corrosion resistance) on the surface.

  Returning to FIG. 43, the shaft member 450 will be described. As can be seen from FIG. 43, the shaft member 450 includes a rotation shaft 451, a rotational force receiving member 462, a regulating member 370, and a rotation shaft elastic member 376. Here, the rotating shaft elastic member 376 of the present embodiment is a string winding spring. Here, since the regulating member 370 and the rotating shaft elastic member 376 are the same as those described above, the same reference numerals are given and description thereof is omitted.

  Similar to the above-described rotational force receiving member 362, the rotational force receiving member 462 receives rotational driving force from the apparatus main body 2 (see FIG. 1) when the end member of this embodiment assumes a predetermined posture. It is a member that transmits the driving force to the rotation shaft 451. In this embodiment, the rotational force receiving member 462 is disposed at the end of one side of the first rotation shaft 452 of the rotation shaft 451 (the side opposite to the side to which the second rotation shaft 453 is connected), A base 463, an engaging member 464, and a pin 465 are configured. Here, since the base 463 and the pin 465 are the same as the base 363 and the pin 365 of the above-described form, the description thereof is omitted here.

The engaging member 464 is a rod-like member, and in this embodiment, the engaging member 464 is bent at one place and is tapered so as to have a hook shape. A through hole 464a perpendicular to the direction in which the engaging member 464 extends is provided at one end thereof. The through hole 463a is the same as the through hole 363a in the above-described form.
Thus, by providing the hook member-like taper on the engaging member 464, the shaft member 450 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow C _49c in FIG. 49 as will be described later with reference to FIG. A pulling force (retraction force P) can be generated, and rotation can be stabilized.

The rotational shaft 451 is a member that transmits rotational force from the rotational force receiving member 462 to the bearing member 440, and as can be seen from FIG. It has a cylindrical second rotating shaft 453 with a small outer diameter, and these two are arranged coaxially and connected at one end.
Two protrusions 452 a are disposed on the side surface of the first rotation shaft 452 that is connected to the second rotation shaft 453. The two protrusions 452a are provided on the same line in the diameter direction of the cylinder of the first rotation shaft 452.

The bearing member 440 and the shaft member 450 are combined as follows to form the end member 430. From the description of the combination, each member, the size of the part, the structure, the relationship between the members, the size of the parts, and the like are further understood. 46 is a cross-sectional view of the end member 430 along the axial direction. 47A is an end view of the end member 430 along the line indicated by C _47a -C _47a in FIG. 46, and FIG. _47B is a line indicated by C _47b -C _47b in FIG. 47A. It is sectional drawing of the edge part member 430 by. However, in FIG. 47B, only the protrusion 452a is shown for the shaft member 450 for easy viewing.

As can be seen from FIG. 46, among the rotating shafts 451, the second rotating shaft 453 is inserted toward the bottom plate 446 side of the shaft member holding portion 445 formed inside the bearing member 440 and passes through the through hole 446a. Is done. Further, the first rotation shaft 452 is passed through the through hole 448 a of the lid 448. At this time, the protrusion 452a protruding from the side surface of the rotating shaft 451 is inserted into the screw groove 447 formed in the shaft member holding portion 445 of the bearing member 440 as shown in FIGS. 47 (a) and 47 (b). Is done.
As can be seen from FIG. 46, the second rotation shaft 453 is passed inside the rotation shaft elastic member 376 inside the bearing member 440, and the rotation shaft elastic member 376 is connected to the bottom plate 446 and the second plate 446. It arrange | positions between the one rotating shaft 452. Accordingly, one of the rotating shaft elastic members 376 contacts the first rotating shaft 452 and the other contacts the bottom plate 446. Accordingly, the rotation shaft elastic member 376 urges the rotation shaft 451 and the rotation shaft 451 is urged in a direction in which the rotation shaft 451 protrudes from the bearing member 440. However, the protrusion 452a is inserted into the screw groove 447 of the bearing member 440, and both ends of the screw groove 447 are closed by the bottom plate 446 and the lid 448. It is held in an energized state.

  As described above, the axes of the bearing member 440 and the rotation shaft 451 coincide with each other in a posture in which the members are combined.

Next, how the end member 430 can be deformed, moved, and rotated will be described. FIG. 48 shows a perspective view of the end member 430 in one posture.
In the postures shown in FIGS. 46 to 48, the entire shaft member 450 is projected from the bearing member 440 as much as possible by the rotating shaft elastic member 376. When no external force is applied to the shaft member 450, the end member 430 is in this posture.
The rotational force receiving member 462 and the regulating member 370 operate as described above with reference to FIGS. 42 (a) and 42 (b) and will not be described. Here, the case where the rotational force receiving member 462 and the regulating member 370 are in the posture of FIG. 42A will be described as an example, but the rotational force receiving member 462 and the regulating member 370 are in the posture of FIG. But it works the same way.

46 and 48 (the rotational force receiving member 462 and the regulating member 370 are in the posture shown in FIG. 42A), the rotational force receiving member 462 is moved as shown by the arrow C _46a in FIGS. When a rotational force around the axis is applied to the rotation shaft 451, the protrusion 452a also rotates following this. Then, first, the protrusion 452a presses the side wall of the screw groove 447 and transmits the rotation to the bearing member 440, and the bearing member 440 rotates as indicated by an arrow C _46b in FIGS. As a result, the photosensitive drum 11 attached to the bearing member 440 also rotates around the axis.
Second, since the protrusion 452a is inserted in the screw groove 447, when the rotation shaft 451 rotates, the protrusion 452a also moves in the axial direction as shown by an arrow C _47c in FIG. 47B. . As a result, the rotating shaft 451 to which the protrusion 452a is attached and the rotational force receiving member 462 and the restricting member 370 attached to the turning shaft 451a are also shown in FIG. 46 and FIG. 48 as indicated by the arrow C _46c . It moves against the urging force or in the urging direction.

  Therefore, in the end member 430, the rotation of the rotational force receiving member 462 also causes the end member 430 to rotate around the axis and move in the direction along the axis of the rotation shaft 451.

  In a posture in which the process cartridge 3 is mounted on the apparatus main body 2, the driving shaft 70 and the rotational force receiving member 462 included in the shaft member 450 of the end member 430 are engaged to transmit the rotational force. FIG. 49 is a perspective view showing a scene in which the rotational force receiving member 462 of the end member 430 is engaged with the drive shaft 70.

  As can be seen from FIG. 49, in the posture in which the drive shaft 70 and the rotational force receiving member 462 are engaged, the axis of the drive shaft 70 and the axis of the shaft member 450 are abutted and arranged. At this time, the rotational force transmitting protrusions 72 of the drive shaft 70 are engaged so as to be hooked from the side surfaces of the two engaging members 464 of the rotational force receiving member 462.

49, when the drive shaft 70 rotates in the rotational force transmission direction as shown by an arrow C _49a in FIG. 49, the rotational force transmission protrusion 72 is caught by the engaging member 464, and the arrow C _49b shown in FIG. Thus, the rotational force is transmitted to the rotation shaft 451. At this time, the rotating shaft 451 _tends to move in the direction indicated by the arrow C _49c in FIG. 49 by the action of the screw groove 447 and the protrusion 452a of the bearing member 440. However, since the rotational force transmitting protrusion 72 of the drive shaft 70 is engaged with the engaging member 464 of the rotational force receiving member 462, the engagement between the two is not released and the stable connection is maintained. The force that tries to move in the direction indicated by the arrow C _49c is a force that draws the drive shaft 70, and acts to stabilize the rotation.
However, in this case, the pulling force by the screw groove 447 is weaker than the force with which the engaging member 463 engages with the drive shaft 70. More specifically, the following configuration is preferable. In other words, it is preferable that the rotational drive condition is that the following expression is established in the pull-in force P by the engaging member, the biasing force Q of the elastic member for the rotating shaft, and the axial force R by the spiral groove.
R ≦ P + Q
Here, P is a force that moves in the direction approaching the drive shaft of the apparatus main body during drive rotation due to the shape of the engaging member of the tip member, and Q is generated by the elastic member for the rotating shaft and approaches the drive shaft of the apparatus main body. A force R for moving in the direction, R, is a force generated by the spiral groove of the main body during rotational driving, and moving the rotation shaft in a direction away from the driving shaft of the apparatus main body.

  Next, an example of the operation of the drive shaft 70 and the photosensitive drum unit when the process cartridge including the end member 430 is mounted on the apparatus main body 2 and brought into the posture of FIG. 49 will be described. The description of the first example is shown in FIG.

  As for the first example, FIG. 50 is a perspective view sequentially illustrating the process in which the drive shaft 70 engages with the rotational force receiving member 462 in FIGS. 50 (a) to 50 (c). In this example, the drive shaft 70 contacts the engaging member 464 before the drive shaft 70 presses the restriction shaft 371 of the restriction member 370.

  First, the photosensitive drum unit approaches from the state shown in FIG. 50A from the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the drive shaft 70 as shown in FIG. 50B. At this time, in the photosensitive drum unit, the end member 430 is directed to the drive shaft 70 side, and the axis thereof is oriented in parallel with the axis of the drive shaft 70. The photosensitive drum unit moves toward the drive shaft 70 while moving in a direction perpendicular to the axis. Get closer. At this time, the shaft member 450 is in the posture shown in FIG.

  In this example, as shown in FIG. 50B, the drive shaft 70 presses the engaging member 464 of the rotational force receiving member 462. Thereby, the shaft member 450 moves to the bearing member 440 side. This movement also causes rotation around the axis by the action of the threaded groove 447. As can be seen from FIG. 50 (c), the drive shaft 70 rides over one engagement member 464, so that the posture shown in FIG. 49 can be obtained.

  In the case of this example, the drive shaft 70 and the rotational force receiving member 462 can be detached by going back to the above description.

  In the above example, before the drive shaft 70 presses the restriction shaft 371 of the restriction member 370, the drive shaft 70 contacts the engagement member 464. Therefore, the drive shaft 70 needs to get over the engagement member 464. there were. On the other hand, as a second example, there is an example in which the drive shaft 70 presses the regulating shaft 371 without contacting the engagement member 464 (including a slight contact that does not hinder the engagement). In this case, when the drive shaft 70 presses the restriction shaft 371, the engagement member 464 stands up and smoothly engages with the rotational force transmission protrusion 72 of the drive shaft 70.

  On the other hand, when the drive shaft 70 and the rotational force receiving member 462 shown in FIG. 49 are disengaged from each other, the disengagement may be performed in a direction different from the first example. At that time, for example, the separation proceeds as follows. FIG. 51 shows a diagram for explanation. FIG. 50 is a perspective view illustrating the process in which the rotational force receiving member 462 is detached from the drive shaft 70 in FIGS. 51 (a) to 51 (c).

  In this example, when the photosensitive drum unit is detached from the drive shaft from the posture shown in FIG. 49, the rotational force transmitting member 72 of the drive shaft 70 is caught by the engaging member 464 as shown in FIG. In this case, as shown in FIG. 51 (b), the rotation shaft 451 rotates around the axis by the hook. Then, the rotating shaft 451 moves along the axial direction toward the bearing member 440 by the action of the screw groove 447. Further, when the regulating member 370 is separated from the shaft portion 71 of the drive shaft 70, the force for pressing the regulating shaft 371 of the regulating member 370 is also released, and the engaging member 464 is deformed to the posture shown in FIG. As a result, the engagement between the rotational force transmitting member 72 and the engaging member 364 is released, and it can be smoothly detached as shown in FIG.

  As described above, the present embodiment further facilitates the engagement and disengagement between the drive shaft and the photosensitive drum unit.

  Next, a sixth embodiment will be described. FIG. 52 is an exploded perspective view of the end member 530 included in the sixth embodiment. Similarly to the end member 30, the end member 530 is a member that is attached to the end of the photosensitive drum 11 opposite to the lid member 20, and includes a bearing member 540 and a shaft member 550. ing.

  The bearing member 540 is a member that is joined to the end of the photosensitive drum 11 in the end member 530. 53A is a perspective view of the main body 541 of the bearing member 540, and FIG. 53B is a plan view of the main body 541.

  The bearing member 540 has a main body 541 and a lid member 542. As can be seen from FIGS. 52 and 53, the main body 541 includes a cylindrical body 441, a fitting portion 443, a gear portion 444, and a shaft member holding portion 545. It is prepared for.

  Since the cylindrical body 441, the fitting portion 443, and the gear portion 444 are the same as the end member 430 described above, the same reference numerals are given and the description thereof is omitted.

  The shaft member holding portion 545 is a portion formed inside the cylindrical body 441 and having a function of holding the shaft member 550 on the bearing member 540 while ensuring a predetermined operation of the shaft member 550. It functions as one of means for moving and rotating the member 462. The shaft member holding portion 545 includes a bottom plate 546 and a screw-shaped portion 547 that is a space whose cross section is twisted in the axial direction.

  The bottom plate 546 is a disk-shaped member and is disposed so as to block and partition at least a part of the inside of the cylindrical body 441. Thereby, the shaft member 450 is supported. In this embodiment, a through hole 546a is formed at the center thereof, and a second rotating shaft 553 included in the rotating shaft 551 of the shaft member 550 is inserted into the through hole 546a (see FIG. 46). ). The bottom plate 546 can be attached to the cylindrical body 441 by adhesion, fusion, or the like. Further, the cylindrical body 441 and the bottom plate 546 may be integrally formed.

The threaded portion 547 is a space formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical body 441. As can be seen from FIG. 53 (b), in this embodiment, the cross section orthogonal to the axial direction is substantially triangular, and the cross section is in the axial direction. And is formed so as to rotate little by little around the axis line, and is a so-called twisted triangular prism shaped space (in FIG. The cross section of one example is represented by a broken line.)
One end of the spiral groove 547 in the longitudinal direction is partially blocked by the bottom plate 546, and the other end opposite to this is partially blocked by the lid member 542.

  The lid member 542 is a disk-like member disposed on the opposite side of the bottom plate 546 with the shaft member holding portion 545 interposed therebetween, and has a through hole 542a at the center thereof. In this embodiment, a claw 542b is provided, which engages with the main body 541 and is fixed by a so-called snap fit. However, the means for fixing the lid is not limited to this, and other means such as an adhesive or heat or ultrasonic fusion can also be used.

  As can be seen from FIG. 52, the shaft member 550 includes a rotation shaft 551, a rotational force receiving member 462, a regulating member 370, and a rotation shaft elastic member 376. Here, the rotating shaft elastic member 376 of the present embodiment is a string winding spring. Here, the rotational force receiving member 462, the restricting member 370, and the rotating shaft elastic member 376 are the same as those described above, so the same reference numerals are given and the description thereof is omitted. FIG. 54 is a perspective view of the rotation shaft 551, the rotational force receiving member 462, and the regulating member 370.

The rotational shaft 551 is a member that transmits rotational force from the rotational force receiving member 462 to the bearing member 540, and as can be seen from FIG. 54, more than the cylindrical first rotational shaft 552 and the first rotational shaft 552. It has a cylindrical second rotation shaft 553 with a small outer diameter, and these two are arranged coaxially and connected at one end.
Three protrusions 552 a are disposed on the side surface of the first rotation shaft 552 that is connected to the second rotation shaft 553. The three protrusions 552a are arranged on the outer periphery of the cylinder of the first rotation shaft 452 at regular intervals (120 ° intervals) around the axis of the cylinder. Each protrusion 552a has a twisted shape corresponding to the shape of the threaded portion 547.

  The bearing member 540 and the shaft member 550 as described above are also combined following the end member 430 described above. At this time, the protrusion 552a is disposed on the screw portion 547 and acts in the same manner as the end member 430.

  Next, a seventh embodiment will be described. FIG. 55 shows an exploded perspective view of the end member 630 included in the seventh embodiment. Other than the end member 630 is the same as in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted here. The end member 630 also includes a bearing member 640 and a shaft member 650.

  The bearing member 640 is a member that holds the shaft member 650 while being joined to the end portion of the photosensitive drum 11 among the end member 630. In this embodiment, the bearing member 640 includes a bearing member main body 641 and a shaft member holding member 645 as separate members, which are detachably connected.

56A is a perspective view of the bearing member main body 641 viewed from the side where the shaft member holding member 645 is inserted, and FIG. 56B is a perspective view of the bearing member main body 641 viewed from the opposite side. Indicated. 57A is a plan view of the bearing member main body 641 viewed from the side where the shaft member holding member 645 is inserted, and FIG. 57B is a bottom view of the bearing member main body 641 viewed from the opposite side. The figure is shown. Further, FIG. 58 is a sectional view taken along the line C ₅₈ -C ₅₈ shown in FIG.

  The bearing member main body 641 includes a cylindrical body 441, a contact wall 442, a fitting portion 443, a gear portion 444, and a shaft member holding member mounting portion 642. Since the cylindrical body 441, the contact wall 442, the fitting portion 443, and the gear portion 444 are as described above, the same reference numerals are given here and description thereof is omitted.

  The shaft member holding member mounting portion 642 is a part that is formed inside the cylindrical body 441 and has a function of holding the shaft member holding member 645 inside the cylindrical body 441 of the bearing member main body 641. Further, the shaft member holding member mounting portion 642 functions as one of means for moving and rotating the rotational force receiving member 462. In this embodiment, the shaft member holding member mounting portion 642 has an engaging groove 642a, a bottom plate 643, and a protruding portion 644.

The engagement groove 642a is a groove provided on the inner surface of the cylindrical body 441 and extends over the entire length in the axial direction of the cylindrical body 441 with the direction along the axis of the cylindrical body 441 as the longitudinal direction. Therefore, as can be seen from FIG. 56 (b), the engaging groove 642a is provided through the bottom plate 643. Thereby, it becomes easy to produce the bearing member main body 641 by injection molding.
The engaging groove 642a functions as a part of a so-called snap fit structure in which an engaging claw 646b provided in the shaft member holding member 645 is engaged. Therefore, as can be seen from FIG. 58, a protruding portion 642b is provided on the bottom surface of the engaging groove 642a at the end opposite to the bottom plate 643 side. The engaging claw 646b is engaged with the protruding portion 642b. In addition, this protrusion part 642b protrudes from the bottom face of the engaging groove 642a, and is a form which has an undercut part.

  As can be seen from FIGS. 56 and 58, the bottom plate 643 is an annular member, and is disposed so as to close and partition the inside of the cylindrical body 441. Accordingly, a through hole 643a is provided at the center. The second rotating shaft 453 of the rotating shaft 651 is inserted into the through hole 643a. The bottom plate 643 can be attached to the tubular body 441 by adhesion, fusion, or the like. Further, the cylindrical body 441 and the bottom plate 643 may be integrally formed.

  The protruding portion 644 is an annular protrusion that is erected from the surface of the bottom plate 643 that is on the shaft member holding member mounting portion 642 side. The protrusion 664 is arranged so that the center axis of the ring coincides with the axis of the cylindrical body 441. Further, in this embodiment, a part of the protruding portion 664 is cut out.

The shaft member holding member 645 includes a lid 646 and a screw portion 647. 59 is an external perspective view of the shaft member holding member 645, FIG. 60A is a plan view of the shaft member holding member 645, FIG. 60B is a front view of the shaft member holding member 645, and FIG. It is a bottom view of the shaft member holding member 645. FIG. 61 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C ₆₁ -C ₆₁ in FIG.

  The lid 646 is an annular member that is disposed at a predetermined interval in the axial direction with respect to the bottom plate 643 in a posture (see FIG. 62) in which the shaft member holding member 645 is attached to the bearing member main body 641. It arrange | positions so that the inner side of the shape body 441 may be block | closed and partitioned off. Accordingly, a through hole 646a is provided at the center. The first rotation shaft 652 of the rotation shaft 651 is inserted into the through hole 646a. The lid 646 is provided with an engaging claw 646b for attachment to the cylindrical body 441. The engaging claw 646b is inserted into the engaging groove 642a of the bearing member main body 641 described above, and engages with a protrusion 642b (see FIG. 58) provided here. In this embodiment, three engaging claws 646b are provided at equal intervals on the outer periphery of the lid 646, and as shown in FIG. 60 (b), a protrusion 646c is provided at the tip thereof. As a result, the protrusion 646c of the engagement claw 646b is engaged with the protrusion 642b of the engagement groove 642a so as to form a so-called snap fit structure. In addition, the protrusion part 646c of this engagement nail | claw 646b is protruded and is a form which has an undercut part.

  The screw portion 647 is a cylindrical member for forming the screw groove 648. That is, the screw-shaped portion 647 has a cylindrical shape arranged coaxially with the lid 646 from one surface of the lid 646, and extends in the axial direction on the wall and extends in the direction of one end and the other end along the circumference. Two spiral grooves 648 which are twisted so as to be displaced in the direction and formed in a spiral shape are provided. The two spiral grooves 648 of this embodiment are formed at positions opposite to each other with the axis line therebetween. The concept of the spiral groove is the same as the examples described so far.

  In addition, as can be seen from FIGS. 60A, 60C, and 61, the cylindrical portion 649 is formed at the inner end of the screw portion 647 on the side opposite to the side where the lid 646 is disposed. Has been placed. As can be seen from FIG. 61, the cylindrical body 649 is coaxial with the screw-shaped portion 647 and is open at both ends in the axial direction. However, the opening on the side opposite to the lid 646 is narrowed. In addition, as shown in FIG. 60 (c), a part of the wall of the cylindrical body 649 is cut away. As will be described later, a rotating shaft elastic member 376 is held inside the cylindrical body 649.

  The material constituting the bearing member 640 can be considered in the same manner as the bearing member 440 described above.

  Returning to FIG. 55, the shaft member 650 will be described. As can be seen from FIG. 55, the shaft member 650 includes a rotation shaft 651, a rotational force receiving member 462, a regulating member 370, and a rotation shaft elastic member 376. Here, the rotating shaft elastic member 376 of the present embodiment is a chord spring. Further, since the regulating member 370, the rotating shaft elastic member 376, and the rotational force receiving member 462 are the same as those described above, the same reference numerals are given and the description thereof is omitted.

The rotational shaft 651 is a member that transmits rotational force from the rotational force receiving member 462 to the bearing member 640, and as can be seen from FIG. 55, than the cylindrical first rotational shaft 652 and the first rotational shaft 652. It has a cylindrical second rotating shaft 453 with a small outer diameter, and these two are arranged coaxially and connected at one end.
A hole 652a penetrating in the diametrical direction is provided on an end side surface of the first rotation shaft 652 that is connected to the second rotation shaft 453, and a pin 652b is inserted therein. The pin 652 b is formed longer than the diameter of the first rotation shaft 652, and the pin 652 b is inserted into the hole 652 a of the first rotation shaft 652, and both ends of the pin 652 b are the first rotation shaft 652. It protrudes from the side surface, and this acts in the same manner as the two protrusions 452a described above.

  The bearing member 640 and the shaft member 650 are combined into the end member 630 as follows. From the description of the combination, each member, the size of the part, the structure, the relationship between the members, the size of the parts, and the like are further understood. 62 is a cross-sectional view of the end member 630 along the axial direction.

  As can be seen from FIG. 62, in the bearing member 640, the shaft member holding member 645 is inserted inside the bearing member main body 641. At this time, the lid 646 of the shaft member holding member 645 is inserted so as to be opposite to the bottom plate 643 of the bearing member main body 641, and the lid 646 is disposed so as to close the opening of the bearing member main body 641. At that time, the protrusion 646c of the engagement claw 646b of the lid 646 is inserted into the engagement groove 642a of the bearing member main body 641 and engages with the protrusion 642b.

On the other hand, of the rotation shaft 651, the second rotation shaft 453 is inserted toward the bottom plate 643 of the bearing member main body 641. It passes through. The first rotation shaft 652 is passed through the through hole 646 a of the lid 646. At this time, the projection made of the pin 652b is inserted from the side surface of the first rotation shaft 652 into the screw groove 648 formed in the screw portion 647 of the shaft member holding member 645 as shown in FIG.
As can be seen from FIG. 62, the second rotation shaft 453 is passed inside the rotation shaft elastic member 376 inside the bearing member 640, and the rotation shaft elastic member 376 is held by the shaft member. It arrange | positions between the edges of the site | part with which opening was narrowed among the cylinders 649 of the member 645. FIG. Accordingly, the rotating shaft elastic member 376 is held inside the cylindrical body 649, one of which contacts the first rotating shaft 652 and the other contacts the shaft member holding member 645. Accordingly, the rotation shaft elastic member 376 urges the rotation shaft 651 and the rotation shaft 651 is urged in a direction in which the rotation shaft 651 protrudes from the bearing member 640. However, the protrusion formed by the pin 652b is inserted into the screw groove 648 of the bearing member 640, and both ends of the screw groove 648 are closed by the bottom plate 643 and the lid 646. The member 640 is held in a biased state without being detached from the member 640.

  As described above, the axis lines of the bearing member 640 and the rotation shaft 651 coincide with each other in a posture in which the members are combined.

Here, the end member 630 can be assembled as follows, for example, and FIG. 63 shows a perspective view for explanation. FIG. 63A shows a scene where the shaft member 650 is combined with the shaft member holding member 645, and FIG. 63B shows a scene where the shaft member 650 is further combined with the bearing member main body 641.
As can be seen from FIG. 63A, the shaft member 650 with the pin 652 b detached is inserted into the shaft member holding member 645 together with the rotating shaft elastic member 376. At that time, the position of the through hole 652 a provided in the first rotation shaft 652 is positioned so as to coincide with the position of the screw groove 648 of the shaft member holding member 645. Then, as indicated by a straight arrow in FIG. 63A, the pin 652b is inserted into the through hole 652a through the screw groove 548. As a result, the shaft member 650 and the shaft member holding member 645 are combined and are not detached.
63B, the combined shaft member 650 and shaft member holding member 645 are combined with the bearing member main body 641.
Thus, the end member 630 can be assembled efficiently. That is, assemblability can be improved.

  The end member 630 as described above operates in the same manner as the end member 430 described above. Furthermore, according to such an end member 630, the shaft member can be easily detached from the bearing member by detaching the shaft member holding member from the bearing member main body, and the reusability can be improved. Become.

  FIG. 64 shows an exploded perspective view of the bearing member 640 ′ in the end member which is the first modification of the end member 630. As can be seen from FIG. 64, the bearing member 640 'has a bearing member main body 641' and a shaft member holding member 645 '. Since the shaft member is the same as the shaft member 650, illustration and description thereof are omitted.

  In the first modification, the bearing member main body 641 ′ is provided with a protrusion 642 ′ b instead of the protrusion 642 b provided in the engagement groove 642 a of the bearing member main body 641. In the first modification, the shaft member holding member 645 ′ is provided with a protruding portion 646 ′ c instead of the protruding portion 646 c of the shaft member holding member 645. Since other configurations can be formed following the example of the bearing member 641 described above, the protruding portion 642'b and the protruding portion 646'c will be described here.

FIG. 65 (a) shows an enlarged view of the portion indicated by _C65a in FIG. As can be seen from FIG. 65 (a), the bearing member main body 641 ′ has two protrusions so as to face each of the walls of the groove side surface at the end opposite to the bottom plate 643 of the engagement groove 642a. A portion 642′b is provided, and the groove width of the engagement groove 642a is narrowed. This constitutes a part of a so-called snap-fit structure. In addition, this protrusion part 642'b protrudes from the side surface of the engaging groove 642a, and is a form which has an undercut part.

  On the other hand, as can be seen from FIG. 64, the shaft member holding member 645 ′ is provided with a protruding portion 646 ′ c that is a protrusion standing from the side surface of the screw portion 647. The protrusion 646'c is provided at a position where it is inserted into the engaging groove 642a in a posture in which the shaft member holding member 645 'is combined with the bearing member main body 641'. The thickness of the protrusion 646'c is smaller than the engagement groove 642a and larger than the interval between the protrusions 642'b provided in the engagement groove 642a. Thereby, the protrusion 642'b and the protrusion 646'c constitute a snap fit structure.

The combination of the shaft member holding member 645 ′ with respect to the bearing member main body 641 ′ is the same as that of the end member 630 described above. However, in the first modified example, as shown in FIG. 646′c is engaged by engaging with the protrusion 642′b.
The end member of this example also acts in the same manner as the end member 630 described above.

  66 shows an exploded perspective view of the bearing member 640 ″ among the end members which are the second modification of the end member 630. As can be seen from FIG. 66, the bearing member 640 ″ is the bearing member main body 641. ”And the shaft member holding member 645 ′. As can be seen from FIG. 66, in the second modification, the shaft member holding member 645 ′ has the same configuration as the first modification, and the bearing member main body. Accordingly, the bearing member main body 641 "will be described here.

  In the second modified example, in the bearing member main body 641 ″, instead of the protruding portion 642b provided in the engagement groove 642a of the bearing member main body 641, continuous from the end of the engagement groove 642a, An introduction groove 642 ″ b, which is a groove extending along the inner circumferential direction, is provided. The other configuration can be formed following the example of the bearing member 641 described above, and therefore, the introduction groove 642 ″ b will be described here.

FIG. 67 (a) shows an enlarged view of the portion indicated by C _67a in FIG. As can be seen from FIG. 67 (a), in the bearing member main body 641 ″, the end of the engagement groove 642a opposite to the bottom plate 643 is closed, and the engagement groove 642a at the end is closed. An introduction groove 642 ″ b that extends continuously from the side surface in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body 441 is provided. The end of the introduction groove 642 ″ b opposite to the side continuous with the engagement groove 642a is open.

When the shaft member holding member 645 ′ is combined with the bearing member main body 641 ″, first, the protruding portion 646′c of the shaft member holding member 645 ′ is disposed near the opening of the introduction groove 642 ″ b. Thereafter, the shaft member holding member 645 ′ is rotated about its axis, so that the protrusion 646′c is moved in the introduction groove 642 ″ b as indicated by an arrow C _67b in FIG. 67 (b). Thus, the protrusion 646′c moves from the opening of the introduction groove 642 ″ b into the introduction groove 642 ″, reaches the engagement groove 642a, and is disposed inside the engagement groove 642a. In the second modification example. Since the end of the engaging groove 642a is closed, the protrusion 646′c does not come off from the axial direction of the bearing member main body 641 ″, and the shaft member holding member 645 ′ is held by the bearing member main body 641 ″.
The end member of the second modification also operates in the same manner as the above-described end member 630.

  So far, a plurality of forms have been described for the end member. Hereinafter, other forms of the process cartridge casing will be described. A photosensitive drum unit including any of the end members described above can be applied to the casing described below.

FIG. 68 is a plan view of the process cartridge 703 including the housing 703a of the first example. In FIG. 68, the position of the end member on the side that engages with the drive shaft 70 of the apparatus main body 2 is represented by an arrow C _68b . In this _embodiment, C 68c _{-C 68c} the width direction of the operating portion 703b shown in (left-right direction, the photosensitive drum unit is a direction extending) the center position in _the width direction (toward the process cartridge 703 shown in C 68a _{-C 68a} It is arranged shifted from the center of the left and right direction and the direction in which the photosensitive drum unit extends) to the side opposite to the end member on the drive shaft side (may be referred to as “non-drive side portion”). Is functioning as In other words, in this example, it is an oblique punching means that prompts the user to operate with the non-driving side portion.

  According to such a process cartridge 703, as shown in FIG. 69, when the process cartridge 703 is detached from the apparatus main body 2, the center of the operation portion 703b is pulled to oppose the side on which the drive shaft 70 is engaged. You can pull out the side closer to you. This makes it possible to incline as shown by an angle α (an angle α formed by the axis of the photosensitive drum unit and the axis of the drive shaft of the apparatus main body) in FIG. 69, so that the end member can be easily detached from the drive shaft. The angle α is not less than 1.5 ° and not more than 10 °. Among them, the angle is preferably 2 ° or more. As a result, the end member can be smoothly detached.

FIG. 70 is a plan view of a process cartridge 803 including a housing 803a of the second example. In FIG. 70, the position of the end member on the side that engages with the drive shaft 70 of the apparatus main body 2 is represented by an arrow C _70b . In this example, the operation unit width direction of the process cartridge 803 shown in _C 70a _{-C 70a} to 803b mark 803c is arranged on the non-driving side portion than the center of the (left-right direction, the direction in which the photosensitive drum unit extends), which Is used as a means of diagonal removal. The specific mode of the mark 803c is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a seal, printing, and unevenness formed. Furthermore, an explanatory note may be displayed.
The housing 803a having such a diagonal punching means operates in the same manner as described above. In this example as well, it is the diagonal punching means that urges the user to operate with the non-driving side portion.

FIG. 71 is a plan view of a process cartridge 903 including a housing 903a of the third example. In FIG. 71, the position of the end member on the side that engages with the drive shaft 70 of the apparatus main body 2 is represented by an arrow C _71b . In this example, to form the operating portion 903b in a recessed shape, C _71a -C _71a width direction of the process cartridge 903 shown at the end of the drive shaft side than the center of the (left-right direction, the extending direction of the photosensitive drum unit) On the member side, a means 903c for closing at least a part of the operation portion 903b is disposed, and this is used as an oblique extracting means. A means for closing the operation portion 903b is not particularly limited, and a sticker can be attached, a concave portion can be filled with resin or metal, or a fitting jig can be used.
The casing 903a having such a diagonal punching means operates in the same manner as described above. This example is also an oblique punching means that prompts the user to operate with the non-driving side portion.

FIG. 72A is a perspective view from the plan view side of a process cartridge 903 ′ having a housing 903′a which is a modification of the third example. FIG. 72B is a perspective view seen from the bottom surface direction. In FIG. 72, the position of the end member on the side that engages with the drive shaft 70 of the apparatus main body 2 is represented by an arrow C _72b . In this example, the operation unit 903′b is formed in a concave shape, and is closer to the drive shaft than the center in the width direction of the process cartridge 903 indicated by C _{72a to} C _72a (the left-right direction on the paper surface, the direction in which the photosensitive drum unit extends). On the end member side, a means 903c for closing at least a part of the operation portion 903b is disposed, and finally, two hole-like operation portions 903′b into which fingers can be inserted are formed on the non-driving side portion. That is, the closing means 903′c is used as an oblique extraction means. The formation method of the means for closing the operation portion 903b is not particularly limited, and a sticker can be attached, a concave portion can be filled with resin or metal, or a fitting jig can be used. In this example, as can be seen from FIG. 72B, an operation hole 903′d through which a finger can be inserted is also provided on the bottom surface side. Thereby, the operability can be further improved. However, the hole 903′d is not necessarily provided.
The housing 903′a having such a diagonal punching means operates in the same manner as described above. This example is also an oblique punching means that prompts the user to operate with the non-driving side portion.

FIG. 73 is a perspective view from the plan view side of a process cartridge 903 ″ having a housing 903 ″ a which is another modified example of the third example. In FIG. 73, the position of the end member on the side that engages with the drive shaft 70 of the apparatus main body 2 is represented by an arrow C _73b . In this example, the operation portion 903 ″ b is formed in a concave shape, and on the drive shaft side from the center in the width direction of the process cartridge 903 ″ indicated by C _73a -C _73a (the left-right direction on the paper surface, the direction in which the photosensitive drum unit extends). On the end member side, a projection 903 "c is disposed on at least a part of the operation portion 903" b, and this is used as an oblique extraction means. In this example, the protrusion 903 ″ c is a form in which a plurality of protrusion-like members are erected from the bottom of the operation portion 903 ″. This protrusion-shaped member is a protrusion that is not dangerous for the user, and may be formed of resin, metal, or the like, or a seal having a protrusion attached thereto.
The casing 903 ″ a having such a diagonal punching means operates in the same manner as described above. Also in this example, the diagonal punching means urges the user to operate with the non-driving side portion.

FIG. 74 is a perspective view of the process cartridge 1003 including the housing 1003a of the fourth example as seen from the bottom surface side. In FIG. 74, the position of the end member on the side that engages with the drive shaft 70 of the apparatus main body 2 is represented by an arrow C _74b . In this example, an operation portion (the shape is not particularly limited and not shown) is formed on the plane side, and as can be seen from FIG. 74, the width direction of the process cartridge 1003 indicated by C _74a -C _74a (paper surface) A member 1003c that prevents the user from gripping is disposed closer to the end member on the drive shaft side than the center in the left-right direction (the direction in which the photosensitive drum unit extends), and this is used as an oblique extraction means. Accordingly, the user can grasp the housing 1003a while avoiding the obstructing member 1003c, and thus can grasp the position where the process cartridge 1003 can be pulled out naturally.
A means for closing the operation portion 1003b is not particularly limited, and a sticker can be attached, a concave portion can be filled with resin or metal, or a fitting jig can be used.
The casing 1003a having such a diagonal punching means operates in the same manner as described above. In this example as well, it is the diagonal punching means that urges the user to operate with the non-driving side portion.

75 (a) and 75 (b) are perspective views from the plan view side of process cartridges 1103 and 1103 ′ including the casings 1103a and 1103 ′ of the fifth example and the modifications thereof. 75 (a) and 75 (b), the position of the end member (which may be referred to as “driving side end member”) on the side _engaged with the drive shaft 70 of the apparatus main body 2 by an arrow C _75b . Expressed. In this example, operation surfaces 1103c and 1103′c are formed which are touched surfaces of the operation units 1103b and 1103′b when the user pulls out the process cartridges 1103 and 1103 ′. The operation surfaces 1103 c and 1103 ′ c are inclined so as to approach the side (lower side of the drawing) as they are moved away from the driving side end member (located at the position of C _{75 b} ), and this is an oblique extraction means. Function as.
A means for forming such an operation surface is not particularly limited, and an inclined surface can be formed or a jig can be attached to an operation portion that is not inclined using resin or metal.
In the example of FIG. 75A, the operation unit 1103b is a parallelogram in plan view of the process cartridge 1103, and in the example of FIG. 75B, the operation unit 1103′b is triangular in plan view of the process cartridge 1103 ′. However, the shape in plan view is not particularly limited.
The casings 1103 and 1103 ′ having such a diagonal punching means operate in the same manner as described above. And in this example, the user is the diagonal pulling means that is configured so that the user can pull out the process cartridge diagonally by simply pulling out.

FIG. 76 is a perspective view from the plan view side of a process cartridge 1103 ″ including a casing 1103 ″ a which is another modification of the fifth example. In FIG. 76, the position of the end member on the side that engages with the drive shaft 70 of the apparatus main body 2 is represented by an arrow C _76b . In this example, an operation surface 1103 "c, which is a surface that is touched when the user pulls out the process cartridge 1103", is formed on the inside of the operation unit 1103 "b that is rectangular and has a concave shape in plan view. The operation surface 1103 "c is inclined so as to approach the side to be pulled out (downward on the paper surface) as it moves away from the driving side end member, and this functions as an oblique extraction means.
The casing 1103 "having such a diagonal pulling means works in the same manner as described above. In this example, the user can also pull the process cartridge diagonally by simply pulling it out. Means.

FIG. 77 is a plan view of a process cartridge 1203 including a housing 1203a of the sixth example. In FIG. 77, the position of the end member on the side that engages with the drive shaft 70 of the apparatus main body 2 (may be referred to as “drive side end member”) is represented by an arrow C _77b . In this example, the operation unit 1203b is provided (the configuration of the operation unit is not particularly limited), the positioning protrusion 1203 of the process cartridge 1203 is disposed only on the non-driving side portion, and the driving side end member opposite thereto is disposed. It is not provided on the side. In this example, this functions as an oblique extraction means. Normally, as shown by _C77a in FIG. 68, the positioning protrusions are arranged on both sides.
Such a diagonal pulling means does not prevent the process cartridge from tilting when the user pulls out the process cartridge, and therefore allows a smooth diagonal pulling.

FIG. 78 is a plan view of a process cartridge 1303 including a casing 1303a of the seventh example. In FIG. 78, the position of the end member on the side that engages with the drive shaft 70 of the apparatus main body 2 (may be referred to as “drive side end member”) is represented by an arrow C _78b . In this example, the operation unit 1303b is provided (the configuration of the operation unit is not particularly limited), and the corner of the process cartridge 1303 that is pulled out on the drive side end member side (downward on the paper surface) has a notch 1303c. Have. In this example, this functions as an oblique extraction means. In this example, the cutout 1303c has an inclined surface, but it may be a rectangular stepped cutout.
Even with such a diagonal pulling means, when the user pulls out the process cartridge, the tilting of the process cartridge is not hindered, so that smooth diagonal pulling is possible.

In the above, the process cartridge provided with the oblique removal means facilitates the oblique removal with the inclination as described above. However, even if not provided with such an oblique draining means, Figure 68, Figure 70 _C 68a _{-C 68a,} the width-direction center drive shaft side than the position of the process cartridge as shown in C 70a _{-C 70a} Similarly, the process cartridge can be tilted and obliquely removed by pulling the side opposite to the end member.

  Next, since the test was conducted with respect to removing the process cartridge by tilting as described above, the test will be described. In the test, a process cartridge corresponding to a laser printer (HP LaserJet P2055) manufactured by Hewlett-Packard Company was prepared, and the end member of the first form described above was arranged on this.

In the test, when 60 steps of “normal separation” were attempted and the process cartridge could not be removed even by pulling with a strong force, the above-described method (the end member on the drive shaft side with respect to the center position in the width direction of the operation unit) "Drawing diagonally" was performed by the method of pulling the opposite side. Here, “normal separation” means that the process cartridge is pulled out in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the photosensitive drum unit to separate the process cartridge.
Here, each “one time” constituting 60 times is as follows. That is, the process cartridge is mounted on the apparatus main body, and idling is performed so that the drive shaft and the end member of the apparatus main body are appropriately engaged. Thereafter, the image is drawn at a specified time (drawing of a test for confirming that an image is formed, and this image drawing is performed only for multiples of 5 out of 60 times). Then, try to “normally leave” the process cartridge. Then, “diagonal removal” was performed on the cartridges that could not be removed from the process cartridge by “normal removal”. This “oblique punching” is performed on the opposite side of the end member on the drive shaft side from the center position in the width direction of the process cartridge as indicated by C _68a -C _68a and C _70a -C _70a in FIGS. The process cartridge was tilted and pulled out by the pulling method.
In addition, in the test, it was set as a test that diagonally detaches the target that could not be removed normally. However, if the process cartridge can be detached by normal detachment, the process cartridge can be surely detached even by obliquely removing it. It is believed that there is.
The above results are shown in Table 1. In Table 1, “Cartridge Detachable” means that the process cartridge could be removed, and “Cartridge Unremovable” means that the process cartridge could not be removed.

  As can be seen from Table 1, the process cartridge could not be detached 32 times (53%) with normal detachment, but all of the process cartridge could be detached by diagonally removing. In other words, it can be said that the removal of the process cartridge was possible at a rate of 100% by oblique removal.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Image forming apparatus main body 3 Process cartridge 10 Photosensitive drum unit 11 Photosensitive drum (cylindrical rotating body)
20 Lid material 30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630 End member 40, 140, 440, 540, 640 Bearing member 50, 150, 250, 350, 450, 550, 650 Shaft member 51, 151, 251 , 351, 451 Rotating shaft 55, 155, 262, 362 Rotational force receiving member 59, 159, 270, 370 Restricting member

Claims (36)

An end member disposed at an end of a columnar rotating body mounted on the image forming apparatus main body,
A cylindrical bearing member;
A shaft member held by the bearing member,
The shaft member is
A pivot shaft that moves in the axial direction by pivoting about the axis;
A rotational force receiving member that is disposed at one end of the rotation shaft and includes an engagement member that engages with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body; and
An end provided with a regulating member that engages or disengages with respect to the rotating shaft or the rotational force receiving member by pressing, and switches between a posture in which the engaging member engages with the drive shaft and a posture in which the engaging member does not engage with the driving shaft. Part member. An end member disposed at an end of a columnar rotating body mounted on the image forming apparatus main body,
A bearing member;
A shaft member held by the bearing member,
The bearing member is
Bearing member body,
And a shaft member holding member that is detachably disposed inside the bearing member main body and holds the shaft member,
The shaft member is
A pivot shaft that moves in the axial direction by pivoting about the axis;
A rotational force receiving member that is disposed at one end of the rotation shaft and includes an engagement member that engages with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body; and
An end provided with a regulating member that engages or disengages with respect to the rotating shaft or the rotational force receiving member by pressing, and switches between a posture in which the engaging member engages with the drive shaft and a posture in which the engaging member does not engage with the driving shaft. Part member.   The end member according to claim 2, wherein the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body are detachable by a snap fit structure.   4. The snap fit structure according to claim 2, wherein each of the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body has a protruding portion, and is removable when the protruding portion engages and disengages. 5. End member.   The end member according to claim 2, wherein the shaft member holding member accommodates an elastic member that biases the shaft member in the axial direction. A process cartridge mounted on the image forming apparatus main body,
A housing, and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the housing,
The photoconductive drum unit includes an end member disposed on at least one end of the photoconductive drum and the photoconductive drum,
The end member has a cylindrical bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member,
The shaft member includes a rotation shaft movable in the axial direction,
The casing is disposed so as to be biased to the opposite side of the end member to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body from the center in the width direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. A process cartridge provided with an oblique punching means. A process cartridge mounted on the image forming apparatus main body,
A housing, and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the housing,
The photoconductive drum unit includes an end member disposed on at least one end of the photoconductive drum and the photoconductive drum,
The end member has a bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member,
The bearing member includes a bearing member main body, and a shaft member holding member that is detachably disposed inside the bearing member main body and holds the shaft member,
The shaft member includes a rotation shaft movable in the axial direction,
The casing is disposed so as to be biased to the opposite side of the end member to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body from the center in the width direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. A process cartridge provided with an oblique punching means.   The process cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body are detachable by a snap fit structure.   9. The snap fit structure according to claim 7, wherein each of the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body has a protruding portion, and is removable when the protruding portion is engaged and disengaged. Process cartridge.   The process cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the shaft member holding member accommodates an elastic member that biases the shaft member in the axial direction.   The process cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the oblique punching means is a mark provided on the housing.   A slanting arrangement that is offset from the center in the width direction, which is the direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends, to the side opposite to the side where the end member to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body is arranged. The process cartridge according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the extracting means is a concave operation portion provided in the casing. A process cartridge mounted on the image forming apparatus main body,
A housing, and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the housing,
The photoconductive drum unit includes an end member disposed on at least one end of the photoconductive drum and the photoconductive drum,
The end member has a cylindrical bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member,
The shaft member includes a rotation shaft movable in the axial direction,
The casing is provided with a concave operation unit used when a user pulls out the process cartridge from the image forming apparatus main body.
The operation portion is covered with a portion of the concave shape that is closer to the end member to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body than the center in the width direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. A process cartridge provided with an oblique pulling means. A process cartridge mounted on the image forming apparatus main body,
A housing, and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the housing,
The photoconductive drum unit includes an end member disposed on at least one end of the photoconductive drum and the photoconductive drum,
The end member has a bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member,
The bearing member includes a bearing member main body, and a shaft member holding member that is detachably disposed inside the bearing member main body and holds the shaft member,
The shaft member includes a rotation shaft movable in the axial direction,
The casing is provided with a concave operation unit used when a user pulls out the process cartridge from the image forming apparatus main body.
The operation portion is covered with a portion of the concave shape that is closer to the end member to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body than the center in the width direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. A process cartridge provided with an oblique pulling means.   The process cartridge according to claim 14, wherein the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body are detachable by a snap fit structure.   16. The snap fit structure according to claim 14 or 15, wherein each of the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body has a protruding portion, and the protruding portion is detachable when the protruding portion engages and disengages. Process cartridge.   The process cartridge according to claim 14, wherein the shaft member holding member accommodates an elastic member that biases the shaft member in the axial direction. A process cartridge mounted on the image forming apparatus main body,
A housing, and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the housing,
The photoconductive drum unit includes an end member disposed on at least one end of the photoconductive drum and the photoconductive drum,
The end member has a cylindrical bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member,
The shaft member includes a rotation shaft that moves in the axial direction by rotation around the axis,
The casing is disposed so as to be biased to the opposite side of the end member to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body from the center in the width direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. A process cartridge provided with an oblique punching means. A process cartridge mounted on the image forming apparatus main body,
A housing, and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the housing,
The photoconductive drum unit includes an end member disposed on at least one end of the photoconductive drum and the photoconductive drum,
The end member has a bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member,
The bearing member includes a bearing member main body, and a shaft member holding member that is detachably disposed inside the bearing member main body and holds the shaft member,
The shaft member includes a rotation shaft that moves in the axial direction by rotation around the axis,
The casing is disposed so as to be biased to the opposite side of the end member to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body from the center in the width direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. A process cartridge provided with an oblique punching means.   The process cartridge according to claim 19, wherein the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body are detachable by a snap fit structure.   21. The snap fit structure according to claim 19 or 20, wherein each of the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body has a protruding portion, and the protruding portion is detachable by engaging and disengaging. Process cartridge.   21. The process cartridge according to claim 19, wherein the shaft member holding member accommodates an elastic member that biases the shaft member in the axial direction.   The process cartridge according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein the oblique removing means is a mark provided on the housing.   A slanting arrangement that is offset from the center in the width direction, which is the direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends, to the side opposite to the side where the end member to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body is arranged. The process cartridge according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein the removing means is a concave operation portion provided in the housing. A process cartridge mounted on the image forming apparatus main body,
A housing, and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the housing,
The photoconductive drum unit includes an end member disposed on at least one end of the photoconductive drum and the photoconductive drum,
The end member has a cylindrical bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member,
The shaft member includes a rotation shaft that moves in the axial direction by rotation around the axis,
The casing is provided with a concave operation unit used when a user pulls out the process cartridge from the image forming apparatus main body.
The operation portion is covered with a portion of the concave shape that is closer to the end member to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body than the center in the width direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. A process cartridge provided with an oblique pulling means. A process cartridge mounted on the image forming apparatus main body,
A housing, and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the housing,
The photoconductive drum unit includes an end member disposed on at least one end of the photoconductive drum and the photoconductive drum,
The end member has a bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member,
The bearing member includes a bearing member main body, and a shaft member holding member that is detachably disposed inside the bearing member main body and holds the shaft member,
The shaft member includes a rotation shaft that moves in the axial direction by rotation around the axis,
The casing is provided with a concave operation unit used when a user pulls out the process cartridge from the image forming apparatus main body.
The operation portion is covered with a portion of the concave shape that is closer to the end member to be engaged with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body than the center in the width direction in which the axis of the photosensitive drum unit extends. A process cartridge provided with an oblique pulling means.   27. The process cartridge according to claim 26, wherein the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body are detachable by a snap fit structure.   26. The snap fit structure according to claim 24 or 25, wherein each of the shaft member holding member and the bearing member main body has a protruding portion, and the protruding portion is detachable when the protruding portion engages and disengages. Process cartridge.   29. The process cartridge according to claim 26, wherein the shaft member holding member houses an elastic member that biases the shaft member in the axial direction. A method of detaching a process cartridge attached to an image forming apparatus main body from the image forming apparatus main body,
The process cartridge is
A housing, and a photosensitive drum unit disposed in the housing,
The photoconductive drum unit includes an end member disposed on at least one end of the photoconductive drum and the photoconductive drum,
The end member has a cylindrical bearing member and a shaft member held by the bearing member,
The shaft member includes a rotation shaft movable in the axial direction,
The process cartridge is detached from the image forming apparatus main body so that an angle formed by the axis of the photosensitive drum unit provided in the process cartridge and the axis of the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body is 1.5 ° or more and 10 ° or less. Process cartridge removal method.   The process cartridge detachment method according to claim 30, wherein the bearing member includes a bearing member main body and a shaft member holding member that is detachably disposed inside the bearing member main body and holds the shaft member. The shaft member is
A rotational force receiving member that is disposed at one end of the rotation shaft and includes an engagement member that engages with the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body; and
A regulating member that engages or disengages with respect to the rotating shaft or the rotational force receiving member by pressing and switches between a posture in which the engaging member engages with the driving shaft and a posture in which the engaging member does not engage with the driving shaft. Item 32. The process cartridge removal method according to Item 30 or 31.   33. The process cartridge detachment method according to claim 30, wherein the rotation shaft of the shaft member moves in the axial direction by rotation around an axis. The process cartridge includes an operation unit that is used for a user's operation during the separation,
The operation unit is obliquely arranged so that the angle formed by the axis of the photosensitive drum unit provided in the process cartridge and the axis of the drive shaft of the image forming apparatus main body is 1.5 ° or more and 10 ° or less. 34. The process cartridge detachment method according to any one of claims 30 to 33, wherein a removal means is provided.   35. The process cartridge removal method according to claim 34, wherein the oblique punching means is a mark provided on the process cartridge.   35. The process cartridge detachment method according to claim 34, wherein the operation portion is formed in a concave shape, and the oblique extraction means is means for closing a part of the operation portion.

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