JP2016170439A - Drive transmission device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drive transmission device capable of certainly receiving an attachable/detachable unit without breaking even if large inertial force is applied on a body side drive output shaft when the attachable/detachable unit is installed to an image forming device, and to provide inexpensively an image forming device using the drive transmission device.SOLUTION: A drive transmission device includes: a process cartridge 60 having a driven shaft; a body side drive output shaft 281 for transmitting driving force to the process cartridge; a development unit coupling 220 and a body side coupling 280 for coupling and separating the driven shaft and the output shaft; a rolling bearing 286 provided on the output shaft; and a drive side plate 11 including a drive side plate thrust stopper 20 for supporting the rolling bearing. The drive side plate thrust stopper has: a cylindrical portion 21 extending along at least a part of an outer periphery of the rolling bearing, and a bottom portion 22 continuing from the cylindrical portion, and receiving a bottom surface of the rolling bearing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a drive transmission device and an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, and a printer using the drive transmission device.

  In recent years, process cartridges have been configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus in order to improve machine maintenance, and paper feed units, fixing units, etc. have been configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus for jam processing. Moreover, in order to reduce the force required when attaching and detaching these parts, a detachment resistance reducing member such as a slide rail is frequently used. When a unit having a large mass such as a process cartridge or a fixing unit is mounted on the apparatus main body, the unit is docked with the apparatus main body side with a large inertia force.

  More specifically, the units are docked with the apparatus main body side by engaging the coupling portions of these units with the main body side coupling section provided on the main body side drive output shaft. Therefore, a large force due to the inertial force is applied to the main body side coupling portion of the main body side drive output shaft. The inertial force applied to the main body side coupling portion is received by the support member of the main body side drive output shaft.

  If it is not necessary for the thrust stop portion of the support member of the main body side drive output shaft to receive such a large inertia force, a sheet metal can be used as the support member. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, a thrust stopper is formed by bending a sheet metal to support the main body side drive output shaft, so that the thrust stopper can be easily and inexpensively performed.

  However, when it is necessary for the support member of the main body side drive output shaft to receive a large inertial force, the thrust stopper formed by the bent portion of the sheet metal does not have sufficient rigidity with respect to the force in the thrust direction. The unit may be deformed by a large inertia force, and the unit may not be correctly attached to the apparatus main body.

  For this reason, in places where it is necessary to receive a large inertial force, a large force can be obtained by using a support member for the main body side drive output shaft made of aluminum die casting or using a bearing with a flange as shown in FIG. Has been able to withstand When such a configuration is used, the cost is increased by changing from sheet metal to aluminum die casting, and the cost is increased by using an expensive flanged bearing as compared with a straight type bearing.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a drive connection between one drive coupling portion having a driven shaft and the other drive coupling portion having a rotatable ball held in a cage. Sometimes the ball rotates, and the thrust force is received. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228688 describes a technique for receiving a force when the drive coupling portion escapes in the thrust direction when the process cartridge is inserted into the apparatus main body.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a drive transmission device capable of reliably receiving a detachable unit without being damaged even when a large inertial force is applied to the main body side drive output shaft when the detachable unit is mounted on the image forming apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus using this at a low cost.

  In order to solve this problem, the present invention includes a detachable unit having a driven shaft, a main body side drive output shaft that transmits a driving force to the detachable unit, the driven shaft, and the main body side drive output shaft. In the drive transmission device having a coupling device for coupling / separating, a bearing member provided on the main body side driving output shaft, and a side plate provided with a bearing supporting portion for supporting the bearing member, the bearing supporting portion includes: It has a cylindrical portion extending along at least a part of the outer periphery of the bearing member, and a bottom portion for receiving the bottom surface of the bearing member, which is continuous from the cylindrical portion.

  According to the drive transmission device of the present invention, the bearing support portion includes a cylindrical portion extending along at least a part of the outer periphery of the bearing member, and a bottom portion for receiving the bottom surface of the bearing member continuous from the cylindrical portion. Therefore, even if the main body side drive output shaft receives a large inertial force when the detachable unit is mounted, the inertial force is removed from the cylindrical portion. It can be received at the continuous bottom (movement restriction in the thrust direction). In this way, a drive transmission device and an image forming apparatus having high rigidity with an inexpensive configuration without adding another member are realized.

1 is a schematic view of an intermediate transfer tandem color image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration near an intermediate transfer unit. It is the schematic which shows the drive transmission apparatus of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing at the time of assembling | attaching a main body side drive output shaft to an apparatus main body. It is a schematic sectional drawing at the time of assembling | attaching a main body side drive output shaft to an apparatus main body. It is the schematic which shows the driving side board thrust stop formed in the driving side board. It is the schematic which shows the modification of the drive side board thrust stop formed in the drive side board. It is a figure which shows the driving side board thrust stop comprised by the conventional sheet metal bending. It is a figure which shows the drive side board thrust stop which has the conventional structure.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a color electrophotographic printer will be described as an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an intermediate transfer tandem color image forming apparatus.
In the image forming apparatus 100, after image formation, the four photosensitive drums 110Y, 110M, 110C, and 110K are rotationally driven in the directions of arrows (counterclockwise), and the surfaces thereof are uniformly charged by a charger (not shown). Exposure according to image information input by a writing unit (not shown) is performed to form an electrostatic latent image.

  The yellow developing sleeve 210Y attaches toner to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 110Y to develop it as a yellow toner image, and the magenta developing sleeve 210M attaches toner to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 110M. Then, the toner image is developed as a magenta toner image, the toner is attached to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 110C by the cyan developing sleeve 210C and developed as a cyan toner image, and the toner image is developed on the photosensitive drum 110K by the black developing sleeve 210K. A toner is attached to the electrostatic latent image and developed as a black toner image.

  The yellow toner image, the magenta toner image, the cyan toner image, and the black toner image are primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer unit 400 that contacts the photosensitive drums 110Y, 110M, 110C, and 110K and rotates in the direction of the arrow. The Then, four color toner images are superimposed on the intermediate transfer unit 400. These four-color toner images are conveyed from a paper feed cassette (not shown) disposed at the lower part of the apparatus main body, and are secondarily transferred by a secondary transfer roller 510 to a sheet 99 which is conveyed by a registration roller 90 in timing. Transferred to obtain a full color image.

  Next, the sheet is heated by passing through the nip portion between the fixing roller and the pressure roller in the fixing unit 700, whereby the melted toner image adheres to the sheet and is fixed. Then, the sheet is conveyed by a conveyance roller and discharged to a sheet discharge tray of the image forming apparatus. On the other hand, after the image formation, the photosensitive drums 110Y, 110M, 110C, and 110K and the intermediate transfer unit 400 are cleaned of residual toner on the photosensitive drum and the intermediate transfer unit by a cleaning device (not shown), and the next image formation is performed. Provided.

  Here, the registration roller 90, the secondary transfer roller 510, and the fixing unit 700 are held by a drawer unit 50 that is a detachable unit, and the registration roller 90, The secondary transfer roller 510 and the fixing unit 700 can be pulled out from the apparatus main body 100 integrally. There are cases where a drive source is provided on the drawer unit 50 side and a drive source is provided on the apparatus main body 100 side for drive input to these units. When a drive source is provided on the apparatus main body 100 side, it is necessary to perform drive separation when the drawer unit 50 is pulled out. Therefore, a drive separation mechanism such as a coupling for connecting and separating the drive is provided. .

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration in the vicinity of the intermediate transfer unit 400.
The intermediate transfer unit 400 includes a driving roller 410, driven rollers 420 and 430, an intermediate transfer belt 450 wound around these rollers, and the like. The intermediate transfer belt 450 is driven in the direction of the arrow in the figure by the rotation of the driving roller 410 that receives the power from the driving motor 460. Photosensitive drums 110Y, 110M, 110C, and 110K are arranged on the image forming surface 451 of the intermediate transfer belt 450 sandwiched between the driving roller 410 and the driven roller 420. Here, a configuration including the photoconductor drums 110 of four colors is shown, but a configuration including photoconductor drums of five colors or more is also possible.

  Drive motors 470Y, 470M, 470C, and 470K are connected to the photosensitive drums 110Y, 110M, 110C, and 110K to rotate them counterclockwise in the drawing. The shafts of the developing sleeves 210Y, 210M, 210C, and 210K are provided with a gear 284, the gear 283 is engaged with the gear 283, and the gear 283 is engaged with the shafts of the drive motors 480Y, 480M, 480C, and 480K. ing. Therefore, the rotation of the drive motor 480 is transmitted to the developing sleeve 210 via the gears 284 and 283 constituting the speed reduction mechanism, and the developing sleeve 210 rotates clockwise in the drawing.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the photosensitive drums 110Y, 110M, 110C, and 110K and the developing sleeves 210Y, 210M, 210C, and 210K are combined as process cartridges 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K that are detachable units. The main body 100 can be pulled out integrally. 3, when the process cartridge 60 is pulled out from the apparatus main body 100, the main body side coupling 280 provided on the main body side drive output shaft 281 and the developing unit coupling provided on the developing sleeve 210 are provided. As a result, the process cartridge 60 is separated from the apparatus main body 100. Conversely, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 3, when the process cartridge 60 is inserted into the apparatus main body 100, the main body side coupling 280 and the developing unit coupling 220 are fitted, and the process cartridge 60 and the apparatus main body 100 are driven and connected. Is done.

Next, the drive transmission device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
The drive transmission device connects and separates a process cartridge (detachable unit) 60 having a driven shaft, a main body side drive output shaft 281 that transmits a driving force to the process cartridge 60, and the driven shaft and the main body side drive output shaft 281. , Development unit coupling (coupling device) 220 provided on the driven shaft, main body side coupling (coupling device) 280 provided on the main body side driving output shaft 281, and rolling bearing provided on the main body side driving output shaft 281. (Bearing member) 286 and a side plate (drive side plate) 11 provided with a drive side plate thrust stop (bearing support portion) 20 that supports the rolling bearing 286.

  As shown in the figure, the main body side drive output shaft 281 is positioned in the radial direction by two-point support by the main body side plate 10 located on the front side of the apparatus main body 100 and the drive side plate 11 located on the back side of the apparatus main body 100. ing. The main body side plate 10 is provided with a support component 12 for supporting the main body side plate 10 and the drive side plate 11 and restricting their relative positions. Positioning in the radial direction by the main body side plate 10 realizes a configuration with less tolerance buildup, and support of the main body side drive output shaft 281 by adopting a two-point support configuration by the main body side plate 10 and the drive side plate 11. Rigidity can be ensured.

  The developing unit coupling 220 is provided on the driven shaft of the developing sleeve 210, and the main body side coupling 280 is provided on the main body side driving output shaft 281. At the tip of the developing unit coupling 220, claw portions 221 extending in the axial direction toward the main body side coupling 280 are provided at two locations (the illustrated location and the opposite location). On the other hand, claw portions 282 extending in the axial direction toward the developing unit coupling 220 are provided at two positions in the upper and lower portions in the drawing at the front end portion of the main body side coupling 280 positioned facing the developing unit coupling 220. ing.

  When the developing unit coupling 220 moves in the right direction in the drawing along with the insertion of the process cartridge 60, the developing unit coupling 220 and the main body side coupling 280 have the claw portion 221 and the claw portion 282 as shown in the right drawing. It connects by engagement of. As shown in the figure, the driven shaft of the developing sleeve 210 and the main body side driving output shaft 281 are located on the same axis, and the developing unit coupling 220 and the main body side coupling 280 are securely connected by insertion of the process cartridge 60. As the process cartridge 60 is pulled out, the couplings 220 and 280 are smoothly disconnected.

  In this way, the developing unit coupling 220 and the main body side coupling 280 are coaxially connected without interposing a gear or the like, and the developing sleeve 210 is directly driven to the apparatus main body 100 via the developing unit coupling 220. By doing so, it is possible to avoid the addition of other fluctuation components such as a gear rotation component to the rotation of the developing sleeve 210. For this connection, it is preferable to use a coupling capable of absorbing eccentricity and declination.

  A drive motor 480 shown in FIG. 2 is connected to the main body side drive output shaft 281 via gears 283 and 284. Therefore, the rotation of the drive motor 480 is transmitted to the main body side drive output shaft 281 via the gears 283 and 284, and the main body side drive output shaft 281 rotates. As a result, the developing unit coupling 220 and the developing sleeve 210 connected to the main body side coupling 280 of the main body side drive output shaft 281 also rotate.

  A main body side plate thrust stop 13 is formed on the front side of the apparatus main body 100 in the main body side plate 10, and a drive side plate thrust stop 20 as a bearing support portion is formed on the back side of the apparatus main body 100 in the drive side plate 11. . Rolling bearings 285 and 286 that are bearing members press-fitted into the main body side drive output shaft 281 are sandwiched between the main body side plate thrust stopper 13 and the driving side plate thrust stopper 20. In this manner, the rolling bearings 285 and 286 are sandwiched between the main body side plate thrust stopper 13 and the driving side plate thrust stopper 20, thereby restricting the position of the main body side drive output shaft 281 in the thrust direction.

  Therefore, the main body side drive output shaft 281 assembled in this way is moved in the thrust direction by the action of the main body side plate thrust stopper 13, the drive side plate thrust stopper 20, and the rolling bearings 285 and 286 press-fitted into the main body side drive output shaft 281. On the other hand, it can rotate smoothly by the action of the rolling bearings 285 and 286 under the driving force from the gear 284.

By using a rolling bearing as the bearing member, it is possible to prevent the main body side drive output shaft and the bearing member from sliding, to prevent the bearing member from being worn, and to improve the durability of the parts.
Moreover, when using a rolling bearing, the inner ring | wheel of a rolling bearing is good to press-fit in the main body side drive output shaft 281. FIG. As a result, abnormal wear due to fretting wear caused by micro-slip generated between the drive output shaft on the main unit side and the inner ring of the rolling bearing at the start or stop of shaft rotation can be suppressed, and the durability of parts can be improved. Is planned.

  Further, when the developing unit coupling 220 inserted on the right side in the drawing and the main body side coupling 280 are connected, even if a force on the right side in the drawing is applied to the main body side driving output shaft 281, The main body side drive output shaft 281 and the rolling bearing 286 are received by the drive side plate thrust stop 20 formed on the back side of the 100. Therefore, normal connection between the developing unit coupling 220 and the main body side coupling 280 is performed.

4 and 5 are schematic cross-sectional views when the main body side drive output shaft 281 is assembled to the apparatus main body 100.
In the example of FIG. 4, the rolling bearing 286 is press-fitted into the main body side drive output shaft 281. As shown in the left figure, by pressing the main body side drive output shaft 281 against the driving side plate thrust stopper 20 of the driving side plate 11, as shown in the right figure, the rolling bearing 286 is fitted to the driving side board thrust stopper 20, and the main body A side drive output shaft 281 is assembled. Thereby, the position of the main body side drive output shaft 281 is restricted in the thrust direction.

  In the example of FIG. 5, the rolling bearing 286 is not press-fitted into the main body side drive output shaft 281 and is fixedly disposed in advance on the drive side plate thrust stopper 20 of the drive side plate 11. On the other hand, a step portion 288 is provided at the tip of the main body side drive output shaft 281. Then, as shown in the left figure, by pressing the main body side drive output shaft 281 against the drive side plate thrust stopper 20, as shown in the right figure, the rolling bearing 286 is fitted to the step portion 288 of the main body side drive output shaft 281. Then, the main body side drive output shaft 281 is assembled. Thereby, the position of the main body side drive output shaft 281 is restricted in the thrust direction.

Here, with reference to FIG. 3, consider a case where the process cartridge 60 including the photosensitive drum 110 and the developing sleeve 210 is vigorously inserted into the apparatus main body 100.
When the process cartridge 60 is inserted into the apparatus main body 100, depending on the phase / rotation position of the claw portion 282 of the main body side coupling 280 and the claw portion 221 of the developing unit coupling 220, and the amount of axial misalignment of these couplings, The inertia force of the process cartridge 60 itself and the insertion force applied to the process cartridge 60 may be applied to the main body side coupling 280 due to, for example, the portions of the main body side coupling. This force applied to the main body side coupling 280 is directly applied to the main body side drive output shaft 281, and the drive side plate thrust stopper 20 provided on the drive side plate 11 finally receives this force.

  Therefore, if the rigidity and strength of the drive side plate thrust stopper 20 are insufficient, the drive side plate thrust stopper 20 is damaged, and the main body side drive output shaft 281 moves to the back of the apparatus so as to escape from the process cartridge 60. End up. As a result, the main body side coupling 280 and the developing unit coupling 220 cannot be properly fitted, and the driving force from the main body side driving output shaft 281 is not transmitted to the developing sleeve 210.

Therefore, in the present invention, the drive side plate thrust stopper 20 that can secure rigidity and strength at low cost has been devised.
6 shows the drive side plate thrust stopper 20 formed on the drive side plate 11 when viewed from the front side of the apparatus main body 100 which is the insertion side of the main body side drive output shaft 281. As shown in the figure, the driving side plate thrust stopper 20 includes a cylindrical portion 21 extending along the entire outer periphery of the rolling bearing 286, and a bottom portion 22 for receiving the bottom surface of the rolling bearing 286 continuous from the cylindrical portion 21. Have The cylindrical portion 21 and the bottom portion 22 are continuous from the drive side plate 11, and a hole 25 is formed in the bottom portion 22. The cylindrical portion 21 and the bottom portion 22 can be integrally formed by pressing the driving side plate 11 that is a sheet metal member.

  The driving side plate thrust stopper 20 can be formed by pressing using a mold. For example, first, a hole 25 is formed in the driving side plate 11 which is a flat sheet metal member, and a cup-shaped receiving member for forming the cylindrical portion 21 and the bottom portion 22 is disposed on the back surface of the driving side plate 11, and coaxial with the hole 25. A cylindrical member having a diameter larger than this may be overlapped with the receiving member, and the cylindrical member may be pressed toward the receiving member.

  The cylindrical portion 21 extends perpendicularly to the plane of the drive side plate 11, and the outer peripheral surface of the rolling bearing 286 press-fitted into the main body side drive output shaft 281 is fitted into the cylindrical portion 21. Thereby, the main body side drive output shaft 281 is positioned in the radial direction. At the same time, the movement of the main body side drive output shaft 281 in the thrust direction can be restricted by the bottom surface of the rolling bearing 286 abutting against the bottom portion 22. Further, since the hole 25 is formed, friction between the rotating main body side drive output shaft 281 and the drive side plate 11 does not occur.

The right view of FIG. 6 shows a modification of the driving side plate thrust stopper 20 formed on the driving side plate 11 as viewed from the back side of the apparatus main body 100.
When the driving side plate thrust stopper 20 is formed by press working so that the cylindrical portion 21 is provided over the entire circumference, the cylindrical portion 21 does not extend straight toward the back side but tapers due to workability problems. In such a case, the notch 23 may be provided as shown in the figure. This is because by forming the notch 23, the workability when the drive side plate thrust stopper 20 is pressed is improved, and the cylindrical portion 21 is easily formed. In this example, a part of the cylindrical part 21 is cut away, and the side wall of the cylindrical part 21 is discontinuous in the circumferential direction.

  At the time of press working using the drive side plate thrust stopper 20, for example, a rectangular opening for the notch 23 and a round hole 25 are first formed in the drive side plate 11 which is a flat sheet metal member. The cup-shaped receiving member for forming the cylindrical portion 21 and the bottom portion 22 is disposed on the back surface of the driving side plate 11, and a columnar member having a larger diameter coaxially with the hole 25 is overlapped with the receiving member, Moreover, what is necessary is just to press a cylindrical member toward a receiving member so that the periphery of a cylindrical member may overlap with an opening part.

  Even when a part of the cylindrical portion 21 is cut away, the main body side drive output shaft 281 is mostly held by the portion of the cylindrical portion 21 extending perpendicularly to the plane of the driving side plate 11. The positioning of the drive output shaft 281 in the radial direction is not affected. Further, the rigidity of the driving side plate thrust stopper 20 against the force applied in the thrust direction by the bottom portion 22 can be maintained.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a modification of the driving side plate thrust stopper 20 formed on the driving side plate 11 as viewed from the back side of the apparatus main body 100.
The rigidity and strength required to form the cylindrical portion 21 over the entire circumference are not necessary. However, when sufficient rigidity and strength cannot be ensured by the conventional thrust stop by sheet metal bending, an arcuate support portion 24 as shown in the drawing is used. It may be formed. The arc-shaped support portion 24 which is a bearing support portion includes an arc-shaped side wall portion 21 extending along a part of the outer periphery of the rolling bearing 286, and an arc-shaped bottom portion 22 formed integrally with the arc-shaped side wall portion 21. Have

  By providing such an arc-shaped support portion 24, the arc-shaped side wall portion 21 abuts on the outer peripheral surface (outer ring) of the bearing, unlike the thrust stop by simple linear sheet metal bending, and the arc-shaped bottom portion 22 also has the same shape. Since it abuts against the bottom surface of the bearing, the arcuate bottom portion 22 having high rigidity can receive a large inertia force applied in the thrust direction while ensuring the radial positioning of the main body side drive output shaft. According to this, it is possible to increase the allowable amount of the driving side plate thrust stopper 20 with respect to a large inertia force when the detachable unit is mounted with an inexpensive configuration without adding another member.

  When the drive side plate thrust stopper 20 is pressed, an opening is formed in the drive side plate 11 which is a flat sheet metal member except for the cylindrical portion 21 and the bottom portion 22 for the arcuate support portion 24. What is necessary is just to arrange | position the cup-shaped receiving member for forming the cylindrical part 21 and the bottom part 22 in the back surface of the side plate 11, pile up a cylindrical member facing a receiving member, and press a cylindrical member toward a receiving member.

FIG. 8 shows a driving side plate thrust stopper 70 constructed by conventional sheet metal bending.
The drive side plate 71 is formed with two vertically long openings 77, and the drive side plate 71 between them is cut so as to be divided into upper and lower parts. The drive side plate thrust stopper 70 is formed by bending the upper and lower drive side plates 71 twice. A bearing 73 is fitted into the driving side plate thrust stopper 70, and a main body side driving output shaft 75 is inserted into the bearing 73. However, the thrust stopper 70 configured by such sheet metal bending is not sufficient in terms of rigidity and strength, and may be damaged when a large force is applied.

FIG. 9 also shows a drive side plate thrust stop 80 having a conventional configuration.
In the thrust stopper 80 shown in the left figure, a flanged ball bearing 82 is fitted into an opening formed in the drive side plate 81, and a main body side drive output shaft 83 is inserted into the flanged ball bearing 82.
In the thrust stopper 80 shown in the right figure, an opening is formed in the driving side plate 81 made of an aluminum block material or the like, and a step portion is formed by cutting out the driving side plate 81 around the opening. A bearing 82 is fitted into the stepped portion, and a main body side drive output shaft 83 is inserted into the bearing 82. However, the manufacture of these thrust stops 80 is relatively expensive.

  On the other hand, by configuring the driving side plate thrust stopper 20 as in the present invention, it is possible to ensure higher strength against the force in the thrust direction than the thrust stopper configured by sheet metal bending as shown in FIG. In addition, it can be finished at a lower cost than a thrust stop using an expensive flanged ball bearing as shown in FIG. 9 or a thrust stop formed by machining.

  In this embodiment, the drive transmission device for attaching / detaching the process cartridge 60 including the photosensitive drum 110 and the developing sleeve 210 has been described. However, the drive transmission device of the present invention can be applied to other attachment / detachment units. is there. For example, the present invention is effective when applied to a drive transmission device such as a drawer unit 50 that is operated by a user and has a large weight and inertial force.

  Further, although the present embodiment has been described as a drive separation mechanism (coupling mechanism) on the same axis without a gear or the like, it is also effective for a drive separation mechanism on the same axis using gear engagement.

  Further, a sliding bearing may be used in place of the rolling bearing as the bearing that abuts against the driving side plate thrust stopper 20. However, a rolling bearing is preferably used, which can suppress wear due to sliding of the main body side drive output shaft 281 and improve durability.

  The image forming apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes such a drive transmission device. This prevents damage to the apparatus main body when the unit is attached or detached during jam processing or maintenance in the image forming apparatus.

20 Drive side plate thrust stop (bearing support)
21 Cylindrical part 22 Bottom part 60 Process cartridge (detachable unit)
100 Image forming apparatus 220 Development unit coupling (connection device)
280 Body side coupling (connector)
281 Main body side drive output shaft 285, 286 Rolling bearing (bearing member)

JP 2009-047270 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-12010

In order to solve this problem, the present invention includes a detachable unit having a driven shaft, a main body side drive output shaft that transmits a driving force to the detachable unit, the driven shaft, and the main body side drive output shaft. In the drive transmission device having a coupling device for coupling / separating, a bearing member provided on the main body side driving output shaft, and a side plate provided with a bearing supporting portion for supporting the bearing member, the bearing supporting portion includes: A cylindrical portion extending along at least a part of the outer periphery of the bearing member, and a movement restriction in the thrust direction of the main body side drive output shaft for receiving the bottom surface of the bearing member continuous from the cylindrical portion. It possesses a bottom, wherein the bearing member is a rolling bearing, the inner ring of said rolling bearing is characterized in that it is press-fitted into the main body side drive output shaft.

Claims (8)

A detachable unit having a driven shaft, a main body side drive output shaft for transmitting a driving force to the detachable unit, a connecting device for connecting / separating the driven shaft and the main body side drive output shaft, and the main body side In a drive transmission device having a bearing member provided on a drive output shaft and a side plate provided with a bearing support portion for supporting the bearing member,
The bearing support portion includes a cylindrical portion that extends along at least a part of the outer periphery of the bearing member, and a bottom portion that is continuous from the cylindrical portion and receives a bottom surface of the bearing member. Drive transmission device.   The drive transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical portion extends along the entire outer periphery of the bearing member.   2. The drive transmission device according to claim 1, wherein a part of the cylindrical part is cut out and a side wall of the cylindrical part is discontinuous in a circumferential direction.   The bearing support portion includes an arc-shaped side wall portion extending along a part of the outer periphery of the bearing member as the cylindrical portion, and an arc-shaped bottom portion integrally formed with the arc-shaped side wall portion as the bottom portion. The drive transmission device according to claim 1.   The cylindrical portion and the bottom portion of the bearing support portion formed on the side plate are integrally formed by pressing a sheet metal member. Drive transmission device.   The drive transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the bearing member is a rolling bearing.   The drive transmission device according to claim 6, wherein an inner ring of the rolling bearing is press-fitted into the main body side drive output shaft. An image forming apparatus using the drive transmission device according to claim 1.

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