JP6452459B2 - Process cartridge - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a process cartridge that is detachable from a main body of an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material using an electrophotographic system. In particular, the present invention relates to a process cartridge formed by combining a separate photosensitive unit and a developing unit.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile machine, a copier, or a multifunction machine that forms an image on a recording material using an image forming process is known. In the image forming apparatus, a photosensitive drum and other image forming process means (developing sleeve or the like) are combined to form a unit, and are detachably provided as a process cartridge in the main body of the image forming apparatus. The photosensitive drum, the developing sleeve, and the like included in the process cartridge do not operate alone but operate by receiving a rotational force from a driving source such as a motor provided in the apparatus main body. For this reason, the process cartridge is provided with a coupling, a gear, and the like for receiving the rotational force.

  The process cartridge is distributed as a replacement part and is replaced by a user. Therefore, a protective cover is attached to the process cartridge before the start of replacement for the purpose of preventing deformation of the photosensitive drum and the developing sleeve, which may occur during transportation and storage, and surface protection. As such a process cartridge, there has been proposed a protective cover that also serves as a separation member for separating the photosensitive drum and the developing sleeve so as to cover the exposed surface of the photosensitive drum (Patent Document 1).

  In addition, there is a process cartridge in which rollers provided at both ends of the rotating shaft of the developing sleeve are brought into contact with the photosensitive drum so that the developing sleeve and the photosensitive drum can be maintained in a non-contact state at a predetermined interval. In the process cartridge having such a configuration, the roller may damage the photosensitive drum due to, for example, vibration or impact during transportation. Therefore, a process cartridge has been proposed in which a removable sheet-like protective member is sandwiched between the photosensitive drum and the roller to prevent the developing sleeve and the photosensitive drum and the photosensitive drum and the roller from interfering with each other (Patent Document 2). .

JP 2001-282079 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-19800

  By the way, recently, for the purpose of simplifying the configuration and the like, there is a process cartridge in which a photosensitive unit having a photosensitive drum and a developing unit having a developing sleeve are separately provided, and these units are connected by a connecting member and combined. It is used. In this process cartridge, the developing sleeve and the photosensitive drum are configured to be adjustably combined so that the developing sleeve and the photosensitive drum are opposed to each other with a predetermined interval.

  Generally, a process cartridge is provided with backlash so that the developing sleeve can be moved minutely in the direction of the rotation axis in the developing container from the viewpoint of eliminating deviation due to processing tolerance of parts and reducing the load that impedes rotation. ing. Therefore, if the process cartridge is subjected to large vibrations or shocks when transported individually, the developing container and the developing sleeve move greatly relative to each other. As a result, the gear that rotates the developing sleeve is disengaged or the developing sleeve rotates. A member for restricting movement in the axial direction may be broken.

  Therefore, even in a process cartridge formed by combining a photosensitive unit and a developing unit, it is conceivable to attach a member that suppresses relative movement between the developing container and the developing sleeve when subjected to vibration or impact. However, when such a member is attached, if the distance between the photosensitive unit and the developing unit changes, it may cause image defects during image formation. Therefore, in the above process cartridge, it is necessary to suppress the relative movement of the developing container and the developing sleeve in the rotation axis direction without changing the interval between the photosensitive drum and the developing sleeve, but such a cartridge has not been proposed yet. Absent.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and can suppress the relative movement of the developing container and the developing sleeve when subjected to vibration or impact without changing the interval between the photosensitive drum and the developing sleeve. An object is to provide a process cartridge.

A process cartridge according to the present invention is a process cartridge that is detachably attached to an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus, and includes a first unit that supports an image carrier, a developing container that contains a developer, and a rotation within the developing container. a developer carrying member which is supported lifting freely, a regulating portion for regulating movement of said developer carrying member to the one end of the rotational axis direction of said developer carrying member, and a second unit having the image the distance between the bearing member and the developer carrying member in a state with a predetermined interval, and a connecting member connecting said first unit and said second unit, while the previous SL attached to the second unit A pressing member that elastically deforms and presses the developer carrier from the other end side in the direction of the rotation axis to the one end side is detachably provided only in the second unit before use. Features.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to make it difficult for the developer container and the developer carrier to move relative to each other without changing the distance between the image carrier and the developer carrier, even if subjected to vibration or impact. Easy to do.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a process cartridge according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration of a process cartridge. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of a process cartridge. The perspective view which shows a connection member. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a developing unit. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a developing unit. The perspective view which shows a pressing member. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view showing a part of the developing unit in an enlarged manner. It is a schematic diagram explaining a holding member, (a) is an attachment state, (b) is the state by which the string was pulled from the attachment state. The perspective view which shows the process cartridge of 2nd Embodiment. The perspective view which shows a pressing member. It is a schematic diagram explaining a holding member, (a) is an attachment state, (b) is the state by which the string was pulled from the attachment state.

  A process cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, the configuration of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9B.

<First Embodiment>
The process cartridge 1 is integrated into a unit by combining a photosensitive drum and other image forming process means (developing sleeve or the like) in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and is integrated into an apparatus main body (not shown) of the image forming apparatus. It is detachable. The process cartridge 1 does not operate as a single unit, but operates by receiving driving force transmission or power supply from the apparatus main body. Such a process cartridge 1 is distributed as a replacement part, and is unpacked from a packing bag (not shown) by a user to be replaced. FIG. 1 shows the process cartridge 1 immediately after being unpacked from the packing bag, that is, before the start of replacement work.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a protective cover 2 is attached to the process cartridge 1 before the start of replacement work. The protective cover 2 is disposed so as to cover the photosensitive drum 111 (for example, see FIG. 2) that is partially exposed outside the cartridge body. On the protective cover 2, a desiccant 5 (for example, a bag-like one containing silica gel or the like) for preventing condensation is stopped by a fixing tape 6 together with a string 4 as a pulling member. Further, a pressing member 3 as a pressing member can be attached to the end side (the front side in the drawing in FIG. 1) joined to the apparatus main body. A detailed description of the pressing member 3 will be described later (see FIGS. 7 to 9B described later).

  When the process cartridge 1 is replaced, the desiccant 5 is removed from the process cartridge 1 taken out from the packing bag by the user. The protective cover 2 to which the fixing tape 6 that holds the desiccant 5 is attached is removed when the process cartridge 1 is inserted into the main body. Since the user performs the removal operation of the desiccant 5 in advance, the string 4 held on the desiccant 5 by the fixing tape 6 is pulled along with the operation. Since the presser member 3 is tied to one side of the string 4, the presser member 3 is pulled by the string 4 and detached from the process cartridge 1. As described above, when the user removes the desiccant 5, the protective cover 2 and the pressing member 3 are detached from the process cartridge 1 together. The process cartridge 1 from which the desiccant 5, the protective cover 2, and the presser member 3 have been removed is inserted and mounted in the longitudinal direction (insertion direction, arrow X direction in the figure) toward the apparatus main body.

  FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the process cartridge. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the process cartridge. However, the illustration of the pressing member 3 is omitted here for the convenience of illustration. As shown in FIG. 2, the process cartridge 1 includes a photosensitive unit 11 as a first unit, a developing unit 12 as a second unit, and a connecting member 13. The photosensitive unit 11 and the developing unit 12 are formed independently.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the photosensitive unit 11 includes a photosensitive drum 111 as an image carrier that is rotatably supported by a photosensitive container 112, a charging roller 113, a cleaning blade 114, and the like. The photosensitive container 112 is formed with an opening at a position facing the developing sleeve 121 provided on the developing unit 12 side when connected to the developing unit 12, and the photosensitive drum 111 exposes a part of the opening from the opening. (See FIG. 2). The charging roller 113 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 111 that is driven to rotate. After the photosensitive drum 111 is charged by the charging roller 113, an electrostatic latent image is formed by an exposure device (not shown) provided on the apparatus main body side. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 111 is visualized through toner development by the developing sleeve 121 provided on the developing unit 12 side. Thereafter, the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 111 is transferred to a recording material or the like. The cleaning blade 114 removes the transfer residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 111 because it is not transferred.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the developing unit 12 includes a developing sleeve 121 as a developer carrier that is rotatably supported in the developing container 122 (inside the developing container), a doctor blade 123, a conveying screw 127, and the like. And a stirring screw 128 and the like. The developing container 122 contains a two-component developer (hereinafter simply referred to as a developer) composed of a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier. The inside of the developing container 122 is divided into two transfer chambers (developing chamber and stirring chamber) by a partition wall 129, and the developing chamber and the stirring chamber are connected at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the developing unit 12.

  A conveying screw 127 is rotatably supported in the developing chamber, and a stirring screw 128 is rotatably supported in the stirring chamber. The conveying screw 127 and the agitation screw 128 are arranged in parallel so that they are adjacent to each other and their rotation axes are in the same direction as the rotation axis of the developing sleeve 121. The developer is circulated and conveyed between the developing chamber and the agitating chamber as the conveying screw 127 and the agitating screw 128 are driven. The developing sleeve 121 carries and conveys the developer supplied from the developing chamber. The doctor blade 123 is provided at a position close to the surface of the developing sleeve 121 and forms a thin layer of developer on the surface of the developing sleeve 121.

  These two different units of the photosensitive unit 11 and the developing unit 12 are connected by connecting members 13 at both ends in the longitudinal direction of each unit (the respective rotation axis directions of the photosensitive drum 111 and the developing sleeve 121). FIG. 4 shows a connecting member 13 that connects the photosensitive unit 11 and the developing unit 12.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the connecting member 13 includes a bearing portion 131, a fitting portion 132, and a fixing hole 133. The bearing part 131 rotatably supports the rotation shaft of the developing sleeve 121. The fitting portion 132 is fitted into the developing container 122 and supports the developing unit 12. The fixing hole 133 is a hole for attaching the connecting member 13 to the photosensitive unit 11, and is formed in a shape through which a shaft portion such as a screw can pass. The fixing hole 133 adjusts the relative position between the photosensitive unit 11 and the developing unit 12 so that the photosensitive unit 11 and the developing unit 12 can be connected with the photosensitive drum 111 and the developing sleeve 121 maintained at a predetermined interval. It is formed in a possible size and shape.

  Here, how to assemble the process cartridge 1 will be briefly described. First, the developing unit 12 and the connecting member 13 are combined. In the developing unit 12, the end of the rotation shaft of the developing sleeve 121 is fitted into the bearing 131, and a fitted portion (not shown) provided at a predetermined position of the developing container 122 is fitted into the fitting portion 132. Is done. After the developing unit 12 and the connecting member 13 are combined in this way, the photosensitive unit 11 is fastened to the connecting member 13 with a screw 14 or the like. At this time, the relative positions of the photosensitive unit 11 and the developing unit 12 are adjusted so that the photosensitive drum 111 and the developing sleeve 121 are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval (see gap G in FIG. 3). The photosensitive unit 11 is fastened to the connecting member 13.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 6, a gear 40 is provided on one end side of the developing sleeve 121. The gear 40 transmits the rotational force transmitted to the developing sleeve 121 via the coupling 30 to a peripheral member such as a gear provided in the developing container 122 that requires a rotational operation, and rotates the peripheral member. It is provided for.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a regulating member 50 is provided on the outside of the gear 40 provided on one end side of the developing sleeve 121. The regulating member 50 regulates the movement of the developing sleeve 121 in the direction in which the developing sleeve 121 moves in the direction opposite to the insertion direction (X direction in the drawing) of the process cartridge 1. That is, the developing sleeve 121 is supported in the developing container 122 in a state where the movement in the rotation axis direction toward the gear 40 is restricted. However, since the developing sleeve 121 needs to be rotatably supported by the developing container 122, there is a gap (backlash) between the regulating member 50 and the end of the developing sleeve 121 in the rotational axis direction of the developing sleeve 121. It is secured. That is, in the process cartridge 1 with the pressing member 3 removed, the developing sleeve 121 can be moved minutely in the direction of the rotation axis within the developing container 122.

  As already described, in the process cartridge 1, the photosensitive drum 111 of the photosensitive unit 11 and the developing sleeve 121 of the developing unit 12 do not operate independently, but operate by receiving driving force transmission or power supply from the apparatus main body. . In order to do so, the developing sleeve 121 of the developing unit 12 is coupled to the rotating shaft of the developing sleeve 121 with a rotational force of a drive transmitting portion (not shown) of the apparatus main body, as shown in FIGS. 30 is disposed. The coupling 30 as a connecting member is provided at the end of the developing sleeve 121 on the downstream side in the insertion direction of the process cartridge 1, specifically, at the other end opposite to the end provided with the gear 40 and the like. . The coupling 30 protrudes outside the developing container 122 so as to be connectable to a drive transmission unit of the apparatus main body.

  By the way, the process cartridge 1 is placed in a box with a packing material attached for individual transportation. In this state, for example, when the process cartridge 1 falls to the ground from the end side and receives vibration or impact, the developing container 122 and the developing sleeve 121 move relative to each other in different directions, and the end of the developing sleeve 121 is moved to the developing container. It may collide with 122 with great force. As a result, the gear 40 of the developing sleeve 121 may be disengaged from the other gear, or the gear 40, the regulating member 50, or the like may be broken. In view of this, even if the process cartridge 1 is subjected to vibration or impact, it is necessary to prevent the developing sleeve 121 and the developing container 122 from moving relative to each other. In order to realize this, the process cartridge 1 of the present embodiment is provided with a pressing member 3. The pressing member 3 is formed using an elastically deformable material such as a resin. The holding member 3 is elastically deformed in a state where it is attached to the developing unit 12, and the elastic sleeve is used to elastically deform the developing sleeve 121 (on the upstream side in the insertion direction of the process cartridge 1). Press to. Hereinafter, the pressing member 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9B.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the pressing member 3 includes an abutting portion 31, an engaging portion 32, a tying portion 33, a slit hole 34, a positioning portion 35, and an arm portion 60. The arm portion 60 as an arm portion protrudes from the surface on which the contact portion 31 is provided in a direction to be attached to the developing unit 12 (opposite to the insertion direction of the process cartridge 1 indicated by an arrow X in the drawing) The contact portion 31 is integrally formed. An engaging portion 32 is provided at the distal end portion of the arm portion 60. Further, the slits 34 formed in the through holes are provided on both sides of the contact part 31 so that the contact part 31 is more easily elastically deformed.

  The pressing member 3 is positioned by the positioning unit 35 on the end side to be joined to the apparatus main body, that is, the end side to which the coupling 30 is connected (the end side downstream in the insertion direction of the process cartridge 1). When the pressing member 3 is positioned by the positioning portion 35, the engaging portion 32 is positioned at a facing position where the engaging portion 32 can enter the engaging groove portion 20 provided in the developing container 122 as shown in FIG. 8. Thus, the pressing member 3 is attached across both the photosensitive unit 11 and the developing unit 12 by fitting the positioning portion 35 into a positioning hole (not shown) provided at a predetermined position of the developing container 122. There is no such thing. The pressing member 3 is attached to the developing unit 12, more specifically to the side surface of the developing container 122 by being pushed into the developing container 122 side in a positioned state. As described above, in the process cartridge 1, the pressing member 3 can be attached only to the developing unit 12.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the developing container 122 is provided with an engaging groove portion 20 into which the engaging portion 32 can enter and an engaged portion 21 that can engage with the engaging portion 32. . The engaged portion 21 protrudes from the opening side of the engaging groove portion 20 in a direction crossing the attaching direction for attaching the pressing member 3. On the other hand, the engaging portion 32 protrudes from the distal end portion of the arm portion 60 in a direction crossing the mounting direction. The engaging portion 32 is provided so as to be able to enter the engaging groove portion 20 as a hole portion and engage with the engaged portion 21 when the pressing member 3 is pushed into the developing container 122 side. Further, in the engagement portion 32, the engagement surface 32 a (the upstream surface in the attachment direction) on the side that engages with the engaged portion 21 in the state of entering the engagement groove portion 20 is directed downstream in the attachment direction. It is formed in the inclined surface inclined in the direction which protrudes so much.

  In a state where the pressing member 3 is attached to the developing unit 12, at least one of the arm portion 60 and the contact portion 31 is elastically deformed. The abutting portion 31 is pushed by the end of the developing sleeve 121 and is elastically deformed like a bow in a direction away from the developing container 122, and the arm portion 60 is elastically deformed to bend toward the developing sleeve 121 side. When the arm part 60 or the contact part 31 is elastically deformed, an elastic restoring force is exerted so that the elastically deformed part of the arm part 60 or the contact part 31 is restored. In this case, the elastic restoring force acts on the developing container 122 side at the contact portion 31, and the elastic restoring force acts on the arm portion 60 in a direction away from the developing sleeve 121. By this elastic restoring force, the coupling 30 is pressed in the direction opposite to the insertion direction (X direction in the drawing) of the process cartridge 1. The developing sleeve 121 is pressed through the coupling 30. In addition, the arm portion 60 is elastically deformed, and the engagement surface 32a of the engagement portion 32 and the engaged portion 21 (specifically, one surface on the downstream side in the attachment direction) are partially engaged. As described above, the engagement surface 32a is formed in an inclined shape. In this case, the elastic restoring force generated in the arm portion 60 is likely to work in the direction in which the engaging portion 32 is pulled toward the developing container 122 side. Therefore, the contact portion 31 can press the developing sleeve 121 with a stronger force.

  Further, in the arm portion 60, at least the engaging surface 32 a of the engaging portion 32 comes into contact with the engaged portion 21 as shown in FIG. 9A in a state where the pressing member 3 is attached to the developing unit 12. Formed in length. Specifically, the engagement surface 32a is engaged from the inner wall surface 31a of the contact portion 31 that faces the end surface 30a of the coupling 30 rather than the distance L from the end surface 30a of the coupling 30 to the engagement portion 21. It is formed so that the length M up to the portion in contact with the portion 21 is shortened. Accordingly, the contact portion 31 can be brought into contact with the end portion of the developing sleeve 121 in an elastically deformed state.

  Returning to FIG. 7, the holding member 3 is provided with a tying portion 33. The other end of the string 4 (see FIG. 1) whose one end is fixed to the protective cover 2 together with the desiccant 5 is tied to the tying portion 33. Thus, the string 4 is attached to the presser member 3. The tie portion 33 is preferably provided at a location where the distance from each of the pair of engaging portions 32 in the contact portion 31 is substantially equal.

  When the string 4 is pulled in the direction opposite to the attaching direction, the pressing member 3 is moved from the developing container 122 in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing sleeve 121 with the abutting portion 31 as a vertex as shown in FIG. 9B. It bows like a bow away. Then, since the engaging part 32 bends to the developing sleeve 121 side along the engaging surface 32a, the angle of engagement between the engaging surface 32a and the engaged part 21 becomes shallow. When the cord 4 is further pulled from this state, the engagement between the engaging portion 32 and the engaged portion 21 is released, so that the pressing member 3 is detached from the developing container 122. Since the user needs to remove the presser member 3 and then attach the process cartridge 1 to the apparatus main body, the presser member 3 can be detached from the process cartridge 1 simply by pulling the string 4. Yes.

  As described above, the process cartridge 1 includes the pressing member 3 formed using a material that can be elastically deformed. The holding member 3 is elastically deformed in a state where it is attached to the developing unit 12 and presses the developing sleeve 121 via the coupling 30 by an elastic restoring force generated thereby. As a result, the developing sleeve 121 is supported in the developing container 122 with no gap between the developing sleeve 121 and the regulating member 50. In this case, there is no backlash that allows the developing sleeve 121 to move in the direction of the rotation axis in the developing container 122, so that the developing sleeve 121 and the developing container 122 move together without relative movement. . Therefore, even if the developer container 122 and the developing sleeve 121 are moved relative to each other without being moved relative to each other even if they are subjected to vibration or impact during transportation or the like, the gear 40 provided on the developing sleeve 121 is disengaged. Or the gear 40, the regulating member 50, etc. are not easily broken.

  The pressing member 3 is provided so as to be attachable only to the developing unit 12. Thereby, even if the pressing member 3 is attached, a load is not applied to the connecting member 13 that adjusts the gap G between the photosensitive drum 111 and the developing sleeve 121. Therefore, even though the pressing member 3 is attached, the relative position between the photosensitive unit 11 and the developing unit 12 cannot be changed before the attachment, and the interval between the photosensitive drum 111 and the developing sleeve 121 does not change. The presser member 3 is formed in a size that does not come into contact with the photosensitive unit 11 while being attached to the developing unit 12.

Second Embodiment
Next, a process cartridge according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a process cartridge according to the second embodiment. The process cartridge 1A shown in FIG. 10 differs from the process cartridge 1 of the first embodiment described above only in the pressing member 3A, and the other components such as the developing container 122 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Accordingly, the description of the same configuration as that of the first embodiment will be omitted below, and the pressing member 3A different from the first embodiment will be mainly described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 12B.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the pressing member 3 </ b> A of the second embodiment is a single plate-like member formed in a flat plate shape using an elastically deformable material such as a resin. 3 A of pressing members have the contact part 36, the engaging part 37, the binding part 38, and the contact part 39 in the same plane. The pressing member 3 </ b> A is attached to the end side joined to the apparatus main body of the process cartridge 1 by a pair of engaging portions 37. By engaging the engaging portion 37 with the engaged portion 21 of the engaging groove portion 20 provided in the developing container 122, the pressing member 3 </ b> A is attached to the developing unit 12, more specifically, the developing container 122. At that time, the pressing member 3 </ b> A is not attached across both the photosensitive unit 11 and the developing unit 12.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, when the engaging portion 37 is inserted into the engaging groove portion 20, the abutting portion 36 is elastically deformed and bent in an insertion direction (X direction in the figure) to be bowed and elastic. To curve. The engaging portion 37 is subjected to a force drawn toward the developing container 122 by the elastic restoring force that the contact portion 36 tries to return to the original position. As a result, in the attached state of the pressing member 3A, the coupling 30 moves in the direction opposite to the insertion direction (X direction in the figure) of the process cartridge 1 by the elastic restoring force that the abutting portion 36 curved in a bow shape returns. Pressed. Then, the developing sleeve 121 is pressed through the coupling 30.

  The pressing member 3A may be formed so that the angle θ formed by the distance D between the engaged portions 21 of the engaging groove portion 20 with which the engaging portion 37 contacts is, for example, approximately 120 degrees. For example, when the pressing member 3A is formed of a resin plate having a thickness of 0.5 mm, it has been experimentally confirmed that a pressing force that does not cause relative movement between the developing container 122 and the developing sleeve 121 can be obtained at approximately 120 degrees. . Depending on the thickness of the pressing member 3A, if the angle is smaller than 180 degrees, the angle θ may be set to 160 degrees, for example.

Further, presser members 3A includes a contact portion 39 which abuts against the engaged portion 21 in a state where the engagement portion 37 by a predetermined amount enters the respective engagement grooves 20 (see FIG. 11). The abutting part 39 restricts the engaging part 37 from entering the engaging groove part 20 more than a predetermined amount. For example, when the abutting portion 39 is not provided, the pressing member 3A is displaced in the protruding direction of the engaging portion 37 by the elastic restoring force that the abutting portion 36 tries to return to the original position, and one engaging portion 37 is the engaging groove portion. 20 and the other engagement portion 37 may come out of the engagement groove portion 20. Alternatively, when the engagement portion 37 is twisted in the engagement groove portion 20, the pressing member 3 </ b> A may rotate about an arbitrary point in the flat plate as a rotation axis. In that case, the contact part 36 cannot press the coupling 30 appropriately. To prevent these, the abutting portion 39 is provided in the presser member 3A.

  The pressing member 3A is engaged only with the developing unit 12. As a result, no load is applied to the connecting member 13 that adjusts the gap G between the photosensitive drum 111 and the developing sleeve 121, and the relative position between the photosensitive unit 11 and the developing unit 12 does not change even when the pressing member 3 is attached. The pressing member 3 </ b> A is formed in an outer shape that is not in contact with the photosensitive unit 11 in a state of being attached to the developing unit 12.

  Further, the holding member 33 is provided with a tying portion 33. Similarly to the first embodiment, the tie portion 33 is tied with the other end of the string 4 (see FIG. 1) whose one end is fixed to the protective cover 2 together with the desiccant 5. Thus, the string 4 can be attached to the pressing member 3A. The tie portion 33 is preferably provided at a location where the distance from each of the pair of engaging portions 37 is substantially equal in the contact portion 36.

  When the string 4 is pulled in the direction opposite to the attaching direction, the pressing member 3A is moved from the developing container 122 in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing sleeve 121 with the abutting portion 36 as the apex, as shown in FIG. It bows like a bow away. Then, the angle of engagement between the engaging portion 37 and the engaged portion 21 becomes shallow. When the string 4 is further pulled from this state, the engagement between the engaging portion 37 and the engaged portion 21 is released, so that the pressing member 3A is detached from the developing container 122. In this way, the presser member 3 can be detached from the process cartridge 1 simply by pulling the string 4.

  As described above, although the process cartridge 1A of the second embodiment has a simpler configuration than that of the first embodiment, the same effects as those of the process cartridge 1 of the first embodiment can be obtained. That is, even if the developer container 122 and the developing sleeve 121 are subjected to vibration or impact during transportation, the developing container 122 and the developing sleeve 121 move together without moving relative to each other. And the regulating member 50 are not easily broken. Further, since no load is applied to the connecting member 13 that adjusts the gap G between the photosensitive drum 111 and the developing sleeve 121, the interval between the photosensitive drum 111 and the developing sleeve 121 does not change even if the pressing member 3A is attached.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 (1A) ... Process cartridge, 3 (3A) ... Pressing member (pressing member), 4 ... Pulling member (string), 11 ... 1st unit (photosensitive unit), 12 ... 2nd unit (developing unit), 13 ... Connecting member, 20 ... hole (engagement groove), 21 ... engaged portion, 30 ... connecting member (coupling), 31 (36) ... contact portion, 32 (37) ... engaging portion, 32a ... engagement 33: through-hole (joining part), 39 ... abutting part, 50 ... regulating member, 60 ... arm part (arm part), 111 ... image carrier (photosensitive drum), 121 ... developer carrier (development) Sleeve), 122 ... developer container

Claims (8)

A process cartridge that is detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus,
A first unit for supporting the image carrier;
A developing container for accommodating a developer, said developing agent carrier that is supported lifting rotatably in the developing container, the movement of the developer carrying member to the one end of the rotational axis direction of said developer carrying member A second unit having a regulation unit for regulating ,
A connecting member that connects the first unit and the second unit in a state where the interval between the image carrier and the developer carrier is a predetermined interval ;
Before SL pressing member for pressing the elastically deformable the developer carrier from the other end side of the rotational axis direction in a state attached to the second unit to the one end side, only the second unit prior to use Is detachably provided,
A process cartridge characterized by that. The pressing member includes an engaging portion that can be engaged with the second unit, and an abutting portion that is formed integrally with the engaging portion and abuts against the other end portion of the developer carrier.
At least one of the engaging portion and the abutting portion is elastically deformed when attached to the second unit, and the developer carrying member is moved toward the one end portion by the elastic restoring force of the elastically deformed portion. Produces a pressing force to press,
The process cartridge according to claim 1. The pressing member has a pair of arms protruding from the abutting portion in an attaching direction to be attached to the second unit, and provided with the engaging portion at a tip portion,
The pair of engaging portions is elastically deformed so that the pair of arm portions expands so as to return to the original interval before being attached to the second unit while being attached to the second unit. Engaged with the second unit,
The process cartridge according to claim 2. The second unit includes a hole part into which the pair of engagement parts can enter, and a pair that protrudes in a direction intersecting the attachment direction on the opening side of the hole part and engages with the pair of engagement parts, respectively. And an engaged portion of
The pair of engaging portions protrudes from the distal end portions of the pair of arm portions in a direction intersecting the mounting direction, and enters the hole portion on the downstream side of the pair of engaged portions in the mounting direction. It has an inclined surface that engages with a part on the upstream side in the mounting direction, and the inclined surface is formed so as to be inclined in a protruding direction toward the downstream side in the mounting direction.
The process cartridge according to claim 3. The pressing member is a single plate-like member in which a pair of the engaging portion and the contact portion are integrally formed,
The plate-like member is elastically curved in a state of being attached to the second unit, and generates a pressing force that presses the developer carrier toward the one end side by an elastic restoring force of the curved portion;
The process cartridge according to claim 2. The second unit includes a hole part into which the pair of engagement parts can enter, and a pair that protrudes in a direction intersecting the attachment direction on the opening side of the hole part and engages with the pair of engagement parts, respectively. And an engaged portion of
The pressing member abuts against a part of the second unit in a state where the pair of engaging portions and the pair of engaging portions respectively enter the hole portions by a predetermined amount, and the pair of engaging portions respectively Having a butting portion that restricts entry into the hole more than a predetermined amount,
The process cartridge according to claim 5. A tension member attached to the pressing member for pulling the pressing member in a direction opposite to the mounting direction;
The process cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the process cartridge is characterized in that: The developer carrier has a connection member that can be connected to the drive transmission portion of the apparatus main body at the other end.
The pressing member presses the developer carrier to the one end side through the connection member.
The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the process cartridge is characterized in that:

Images