KR102064638B1 - Cartridge and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A cartridge detachable to an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus is disclosed. The bearing member for pivotally supporting the rotating member has an engaged portion arranged at a portion on one end side of the cartridge in the rotational axis direction of the rotating member and engaged with the engaging portion provided in the apparatus main body. The engagement state between the engaging portion and the engaging portion is maintained until at least the coupling of the rotating member is coupled to the drive shaft provided in the apparatus body in the process of attaching the cartridge to the apparatus body. When the engaged portion and the engaged portion are engaged, the movement of the bearing member to at least the other end side in the rotational axis direction with respect to the apparatus main body is restricted.

Description

Cartridge and Image Forming Device {CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which a cartridge is detachably configured.

A known image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material using an electrophotographic system integrates an electrophotographic photosensitive member (photosensitive drum) and a process unit acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member into a process cartridge, and the integrated process cartridge is incorporated into the main body of the apparatus. A process cartridge system configured to be detachable with respect to is adopted. This process cartridge system enables users to perform apparatus maintenance by themselves, and therefore has excellent utility and is widely used in recent image forming apparatuses. An image forming apparatus employing such a process cartridge system requires a configuration in which a process cartridge attached to the apparatus main body is positioned with respect to the apparatus main body. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2012-155166 has a configuration for determining the position in the axial direction of the photosensitive drum by determining the position in the drum axial direction of the entire process cartridge in the process of attaching the process cartridge to the apparatus main body. It is starting.

However, in the configuration of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-155166, a plurality of different parts are interposed between the photosensitive drum and the portion positioned with respect to the apparatus body in the process cartridge. Therefore, the dimensional accuracy, the assembly precision, and the like of a plurality of different parts greatly influence the positioning accuracy in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of more accurately positioning in an axial direction of a rotating member such as a photosensitive drum.

Further, another object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge configured to be detachably attached to an apparatus body of an image forming apparatus, wherein the cartridge is

A rotating member including a coupling configured to be engageable with a drive shaft provided in the apparatus main body, the rotating member rotating under the driving force from the drive shaft;

A bearing member configured to pivotally support the rotating member,

The bearing member has an engaged portion that is positioned on one end side of the cartridge in the direction of the rotational axis of the rotating member and configured to engage with an engagement portion provided in the apparatus main body,

The engagement state between the engagement portion and the engagement portion is maintained at least until the coupling is coupled to the drive shaft in the process of attaching the cartridge to the apparatus body,

When the engaging portion and the engaging portion are brought into an engaged state, movement of the bearing member toward at least the other end side of the cartridge in the direction of the rotational axis is restricted.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus, wherein the cartridge provided with the rotating member is detachably attached to the apparatus main body having a drive shaft configured to transmit a driving force to the rotating member,

The apparatus main body includes a support member configured to rotatably support the drive shaft, the support member having an engaging portion configured to restrict movement of the rotation member in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotation member,

The cartridge includes a bearing member configured to pivotally support the rotating member and the engaged portion, wherein the engaged portion is positioned on one end side of the cartridge in the direction of the rotational axis of the rotating member and is connected to the engaging portion. Can be engaged

The engagement state between the engagement portion and the engaged portion is maintained until the rotating member is coupled to the drive shaft in the process of attaching the cartridge to the apparatus body,

When the engaging portion and the engaging portion are brought into an engaged state, movement of the bearing member toward at least the other end side of the cartridge in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotating member is restricted.

Further features of the present invention (with reference to the attached drawings) will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments.

1A and 1B are views for explaining the configuration of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment, respectively.
2 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus main body and the process cartridge according to the first embodiment.
3 is a cross-sectional view of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment.
4 is a perspective view of the open / close door of the image forming apparatus main body in an open state.
5 is a perspective view of a state in which the opening / closing door of the image forming apparatus main body is opened and the tray is pulled out.
6 is a perspective view of a state where a process cartridge is removed from an image forming apparatus main body.
7 is a perspective view of the positioning portion on the drive side of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment.
8 is a perspective view of the positioning portion on the non-drive side of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment.
9A and 9B are views for explaining the configuration of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment, respectively.
10 is an exploded perspective view of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment (non-driving side).
11 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment (non-driving side).
12 is an exploded perspective view of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment (drive side).
13 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment (drive side).
14A and 14B are top views of the engaging portion between the apparatus body and the process cartridge according to the first embodiment.
15A and 15B are side views of the engaging portion between the apparatus body and the process cartridge according to the first embodiment.
16A and 16B are top views of the engaging portion between the apparatus body and the process cartridge according to the first embodiment.

The following provides a detailed illustrative description of embodiments of the present invention based on the examples in connection with the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes and relative arrangements of the component parts described in the embodiments may be appropriately modified depending on the configuration and various conditions of the apparatus to which the present invention is applied. That is, there is no intention to limit the scope of the present invention to the following embodiment. Each embodiment of the present invention described below may be executed alone or as a plurality of embodiments or a combination of features thereof when necessary or when a combination of elements or features from separate embodiments into a single embodiment is advantageous. Can be.

(First embodiment)

In the electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the process cartridge is freely detachable from the apparatus main body. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus (hereinafter referred to as an image forming apparatus) forms an image on a recording medium (recording material) using an electrophotographic image forming system. Examples of the image forming apparatus include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (such as an LED printer and a laser beam printer), a facsimile machine and a word processor.

Here, the process cartridge is one in which an electrophotographic photosensitive drum (hereinafter referred to as photosensitive drum) and a process unit acting on the photosensitive drum are integrated into a cartridge and detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus. The configuration example of the process cartridge includes the integration of the photosensitive drum and at least one of the developing unit, the charging unit, and the cleaning unit as the process unit into the cartridge.

In the following description, the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum is defined as the longitudinal direction. In the longitudinal direction, the side on which the photosensitive drum receives the driving force from the main body of the image forming apparatus is defined as the driving side (one end side), and the opposite side is defined as the non-driving side (the other end side).

2 and 3, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus and the image forming process will be described. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus main body (hereinafter referred to as apparatus main body A) and a process cartridge (hereinafter referred to as cartridge B) of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cartridge B. FIG. Here, the apparatus main body A is a part which does not contain the cartridge B among the structures of the image forming apparatus.

(Overall Configuration of Image Forming Device)

The image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2 is a laser beam printer using an electrophotographic technique in which the cartridge B can be freely attached to and detached from the apparatus main body A. FIG. In the apparatus main body A, the exposure apparatus 3 (laser scanner unit) which forms a latent image in the photosensitive drum 62 of the cartridge B attached to the apparatus main body A is arrange | positioned. Moreover, the sheet | seat tray in which the recording medium P (henceforth a sheet | seat material P) as an image formation object was accommodated in the apparatus main body A below the cartridge B attached to the apparatus main body A ( 4) is arranged. Moreover, in the apparatus main body A, along the conveyance direction D of the sheet | seat material P, the pickup roller 5a, the feeding roller pair 5b, the conveying roller pair 5c, the transfer guide 6, and the transfer The roller 7, the conveyance guide 8, the fixing apparatus 9, the discharge roller pair 10, the discharge tray 11, etc. are continuously arranged. Note that the fixing device 9 is constituted by the heating roller 9a and the pressing roller 9b.

(Image forming process)

Next, an outline of the image forming process will be described. Based on the print start signal, the photosensitive drum 62 (hereinafter referred to as drum 62) is rotationally driven at the main speed (process speed) defined in the direction indicated by the arrow R. As shown in FIG. The charging roller 66 to which the bias voltage is applied contacts the outer circumferential surface of the drum 62 and uniformly charges the outer circumferential surface of the drum 62. The exposure apparatus 3 outputs the laser light L corresponding to the image information. The laser beam L passes through the laser aperture 71h provided in the cleaning frame 71 of the cartridge B and scans and exposes the outer circumferential surface of the drum 62. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image information is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the drum 62.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, in the developing unit 20 as the developing apparatus, the toner T in the toner chamber 29 as the developer accommodating portion is the first conveying member 43 and the second conveying member ( 44 and the third conveying member 50 are stirred and conveyed, and supplied to the toner supply chamber 28. The toner T is supported on the surface of the developing roller 32 by the magnetic force of the magnet roller 34 (fixed magnet). The toner T is triboelectrically charged by the developing blade 42 and the layer thickness of the toner T is regulated on the peripheral surface of the developing roller 32. The toner T is transferred to the drum 62 according to the latent electrostatic image and visualized as a toner image.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, in synchronization with the output timing of the laser beam L, the apparatus main body A is provided by the pickup roller 5a, the feeding roller pair 5b, and the conveying roller pair 5c. One of the sheet | seat material P accommodated in the lower part of the is sent out from the sheet tray 4. And the sheet | seat material P is conveyed to the transfer position between the drum 62 and the transfer roller 7 via the transfer guide 6. In this transfer position, the toner image is continuously transferred from the drum 62 to the sheet material P. FIG. The sheet material P on which the toner image is transferred is separated from the drum 62 and conveyed to the fixing apparatus 9 along the conveyance guide 8. Subsequently, the sheet member P passes through the nip between the heating roller 9a and the pressure roller 9b constituting the fixing device 9. After the pressure / heat fixing treatment is performed at this nip, the toner image is fixed to the sheet material P. The sheet material P, which has undergone the toner fixing process, is conveyed to the discharge roller pair 10 and discharged to the discharge tray 11.

On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 3, after transfer, the toner remaining on the peripheral surface of the drum 62 is removed by the cleaning blade 77, and the drum 62 is used again in the image forming process. The toner removed from the drum 62 is stored in the waste toner chamber 71b of the cleaning unit 60.

In the above description, the charging roller 66, the developing roller 32, the transfer roller 7, and the cleaning blade 77 constitute a process unit that acts on the drum 62.

(The putting on and taking off of a cartridge)

With reference to FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6, the attachment / detachment of the cartridge B with respect to the apparatus main body A is demonstrated. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the apparatus main body A in which the opening / closing door 13 is opened to attach and detach the cartridge B. As shown in FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the apparatus main body A and the cartridge B in a state where the opening / closing door 13 is opened and the cartridge tray 18 is pulled out in order to attach and detach the cartridge B. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the cartridge B removed with the open / close door 13 opened and the tray 18 pulled out.

The opening / closing door 13 is rotatably attached to the apparatus main body A, and when this opening / closing door 13 is opened, the cartridge insertion opening 17 is shown. In the cartridge inlet 17, a tray 18 is provided for attaching the cartridge B to the apparatus main body A. As shown in FIG. When the tray 18 is pulled out to the prescribed position, the cartridge B becomes detachable along the detachable direction E with respect to the tray 18. Then, the cartridge B is attached to the apparatus main body A along the guide rail (not shown) in the direction indicated by the arrow C in FIG.

(Cartridge support)

1A, 1B, 4, 7, and 8, the supporting configuration of the cartridge B in the apparatus main body A will be described. 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams each illustrating a configuration of a cartridge B according to the first embodiment. 1A shows the configuration of the cartridge B and the cartridge B involved in positioning in the apparatus main body A in the process of attaching the cartridge B to the apparatus main body A (positioning on the driving side). It is a figure seen from side. Fig. 1B is a view from the arrow direction of the ZZ line in Fig. 1A, that is, a configuration related to the positioning of the cartridge B relative to the apparatus main body A (that is, only the periphery of the positioning portion on the drive side) of the cartridge B The figure seen from the direction opposite to the mounting direction C of (). 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a positioning unit on the drive side of the cartridge B according to the first embodiment. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a positioning portion on the non-drive side of the cartridge B according to the first embodiment.

As shown in Fig. 4, the apparatus main body A is provided with a drive side plate 15 and a non-drive side plate 16, which are used to support the cartridge B. As shown in Figs. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the drive side 1st support part 1a and the drive side 2nd support part 1b are provided in the drive shaft support member 1 of the drive side plate 15 as a part which supports the cartridge B. As shown in FIG. ), And a rotational support 15a is provided. In the drive shaft supporting member 1, the driving side first supporting portion 1a, the driving side second supporting portion 1b, the engaging portion 1c, and the cutout portion 1d are formed integrally with each other. 8, the non-drive side plate 16 is provided with the non-drive side 1st support part 16a, the non-drive side 2nd support part 16b, and the rotation support part 16c.

On the other hand, as the supported portion of the cartridge B, the first supported portion 73b and the second supported portion 73d of the drum bearing 73, the driving side boss 71a of the cleaning frame 71, and the non-driven side The protrusion 71f and the non-drive side boss 71g are provided. Further, the first supported portion 73b is supported by the driving side first support portion 1a, the second supported portion 73d is supported by the driving side second support portion 1b, and the driving side boss 71a is supported. Is supported by the rotary support 15c. In addition, the non-drive side protrusion 71f is supported by the non-drive side first support 16a and the non-drive side second support 16b, and the non-drive side boss 71g is supported by the rotation support 16c.

1A, 1B, and 7, when the regulated portion 61 provided in the drum bearing 73 is fitted into the restricting portion 2 provided in the apparatus main body A, the cartridge ( The position in the drum axial direction of B) is determined, and the cartridge B is positioned within the apparatus main body A. FIG.

(Configuration of the whole cartridge)

3, 9A, 9B, 10, 11, 12, and 13, the entire configuration of the cartridge B will be described. 9A and 9B are schematic views illustrating the configuration of the cartridge B, respectively, and Fig. 9A is a sectional view seen from the arrow direction of the G-G line in Fig. 9B, and Fig. 9B is a side view of the cartridge B as seen from the driving side. 10, 11, 12, and 13 are schematic perspective views illustrating the configuration of the cartridge B, respectively. FIG.11 and FIG.13 is the figure which looked at the part enclosed by the broken line in FIG.10 and FIG.12 from the bottom, respectively. Although each component is comprised so that it may be engaged by a screw in this embodiment, it should be noted that such a coupling structure is a conventional well-known technique. The coupling configuration is not limited to this feature, and any coupling configuration other than this configuration can be used, and the detailed description thereof is omitted.

The cartridge B has a cleaning unit 60 and a developing unit 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning unit 60 includes a drum 62, a charging roller 66, a cleaning member 77, a drum 62, a charging roller 66, and a cleaning member 77. ) And a cover member 72 fixed to the cleaning frame 71 by welding or the like. In the cleaning unit 60, each of the charging roller 66 and the cleaning member 77 is disposed in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the drum 62. The cleaning member 77 has a rubber blade 77a which is a blade-shaped elastic member formed of rubber as an elastic material, and has a supporting member 77b for supporting the rubber blade. The rubber blade 77a is in contact with the drum 62 in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the drum 62. That is, the rubber blade 77a is in contact with the drum 62 so that its tip portion faces the upstream side in the rotational direction of the drum 62.

9A is a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the cleaning unit 60 along the line G-G in FIG. 9B. 3, 9A, and 9B, the waste toner chamber 71b of the cleaning unit 60 is formed by the cleaning frame 71 and the cover member 72. As shown in FIG. The waste toner removed from the surface of the drum 62 by the cleaning member 77 is conveyed by the first screw 86, the second screw 87, and the third screw 88 as the waste toner conveying member. The waste toner chamber 71b is stored in the waste toner chamber 71b. In addition, the first screw 86 rotates when a driving force is transmitted from the coupling 21 shown in FIG. 13 by a gear (not shown). The second screw 87 rotates under the driving force from the first screw 86, and the third screw 88 rotates under the driving force from the second screw 87. The first screw 86 is disposed near the drum 62, the second screw 87 is disposed at the longitudinal end of the cleaning frame 71, and the third screw 88 is the waste toner chamber 71b. ) Is placed. Here, the axis of rotation of the first screw 86 and the third screw 88 is parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum 62, and the axis of rotation of the second screw 87 is orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the drum 62. have. In addition, a drum contact sheet 65 for preventing the waste toner from leaking out of the cleaning frame body 71 is provided at the edge of the cleaning frame body 71 so as to contact the drum 62.

When the drum 62 receives a driving force from a main body driving motor (not shown) which is a driving source, the drum 62 is rotationally driven in the direction indicated by the arrow R in the figure in accordance with an image forming operation. The charging roller 66 is connected to the cleaning unit 60 via the charging roller bearing 67 at both ends of the cleaning frame 71 in the longitudinal direction (substantially parallel to the rotation axis direction of the drum 62). Rotatably attached. The charging roller 66 is pressed against the drum 62 because the charging roller bearing 67 is pressed toward the drum 62 by the pressing member 68. The charging roller 66 is driven to rotate with the drum 62.

As shown in FIG. 3, the developing unit 20 includes a developing roller 32, a developing container 23 supporting the developing roller 32, a developing blade 42, and the like. The magnet roller 34 is provided in the developing roller 32. In the developing unit 20, a developing blade 42 for regulating the toner layer on the developing roller 32 is disposed. As shown in Figs. 10 and 12, the developing roller 32 is provided with gap retaining members 38 at both ends thereof. When the space keeping member 38 and the drum 62 contact each other, the developing roller 32 is maintained with a small gap between the developing roller 32 and the drum 62.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, a developing roller contact sheet 33 for preventing toner from leaking from the developing unit 20 is provided at the edge portion of the bottom member 22 so as to contact the developing roller 32. do. In addition, the toner chamber 29 formed by the developing container 23 and the bottom member 22 is provided with a first conveying member 43, a second conveying member 44, and a third conveying member 50. . The first conveying member 43, the second conveying member 44, and the third conveying member 50 supply the toner to the toner supply chamber 28 while stirring the toner contained in the toner chamber 29.

An opening 29a (part shown by broken line) is provided between the toner chamber 29 and the toner supply chamber 28. The opening 29a is sealed by the sealing member 45 until the cartridge B is used. The sealing member 45 is a sheet-like member made of polyethylene or the like material. One end of the sealing member 45 is welded to the developing container 23 around the opening 29a, and the other end thereof is fixed to the first conveying member 43. And when the 1st conveyance member 43 rotates when the cartridge B is used for the first time, the sealing member 45 will be wound up by the 1st conveyance member 43, with the part welded to the developing container 23 peeling off. The opening 29a is opened.

As shown in Figs. 10 and 12, the cartridge B is constituted by a combination of the cleaning unit 60 and the developing unit 20. Figs. The cleaning unit 60 includes a drum bearing (bearing member) 73 and a drum shaft 78 for rotating and supporting the cleaning frame 71, the lid member 72, the drum 62, and the drum 62. This is provided. As shown in FIG. 13, on the drive side, the drive side drum flange 63 of the drum 62 provided on the drive side is rotatably supported by the hole 73a of the drum bearing 73. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, on the non-drive side, the drum shaft 78 press-fitted into the hole portion 71c provided in the cleaning frame body 71 is a hole portion (not shown) of the non-drive side drum flange 64. Is rotatably supported.

3, 10, and 12, the developing unit 20 includes the bottom member 22, the developing container 23, the driving side developing side member 26, and the developing blade 42. And a developing roller 32 or the like. Further, the developing roller 32 is rotatably attached to the developing container 23 by bearing members 27 and 37 provided at both ends thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, the cleaning unit 60 and the developing unit 20 are rotatably coupled to each other by the coupling pins 69 to constitute the cartridge B. As shown in FIG. Specifically, at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the developing unit 20, the developing container 23 is provided with a first developing support hole 23a and a second developing support hole 23b. Further, at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning unit 60, the cleaning frame 71 is provided with a first hanging hole 71i and a second hanging hole 71j. When the coupling pin 69 press-fitted into the first suspension hole 71i and the second suspension hole 71j is fitted to the first development support hole 23a and the second development support hole 23b, the cleaning unit 60 ) And the developing unit 20 are rotatably coupled to each other.

Further, the first hole 46Ra of the driving side pressing member 46R is caught by the boss 73c of the drum bearing 73, and the second hole 46Rb is the boss of the driving side developing side member 26. 26a). Further, the first hole 46Fa of the non-driving side pressing member 46F is caught by the boss 71k of the cleaning frame body 71, and the second hole 46Fb is boss 37a of the bearing member 37. Is hanging on. In the present embodiment, the driving side pressing member 46R and the non-driving side pressing member 46F are formed by a tension spring. When the developing unit 20 is pressed against the cleaning unit 60 by the pressing force of the spring, the developing roller 32 is configured to be reliably pressed in the direction of the drum 62. And the developing roller 32 is hold | maintained at the predetermined space | interval from the drum 62 by the space holding member 38 provided in the both ends of the developing roller 32. As shown in FIG.

(Drive force transmission configuration from the device body to the cartridge)

7, 14A and 14B, the structure which inputs a driving force from the apparatus main body A to the cartridge B is demonstrated. 14A and 14B are schematic views (top view) illustrating the configuration of the engaging portion between the apparatus body A and the cartridge B according to the first embodiment, respectively, and FIG. 14A is a state before the coupling is engaged. 14B shows the state after the coupling is coupled.

As shown in FIG. 7, the side of the cartridge B is provided with a drum coupling 70 and a developing coupling 21 which receive a driving force from the apparatus main body A. As shown in FIG. Here, the drum coupling 70 is provided to the cleaning unit 60, and the developing coupling 21 is provided to the developing unit 20. Both the drum coupling 70 and the developing coupling 21 are configured to be inclined with respect to the cartridge B (with respect to the rotational axis of the drum 62 and the developing roller 32). The drum coupling 70 and the developing coupling 21 are inclined with respect to the rotational axis of the drum 62 and the developing roller 32 by the attachment / detachment operation of the cartridge B, respectively, of the apparatus main body A. Engagement / disengagement with the first drive shaft 14 and the second drive shaft 19 is performed.

As shown in Fig. 14A, when the cartridge B is not attached, the drum coupling 70 and the developing coupling 21 have their tip portions inserted by the torsion coil springs 24 and 75 in the insertion direction C. It is pressurized so that it may become in inclination state toward the downstream of the. As shown in FIG. 14B, when the cartridge B is attached to the apparatus main body A, the drum coupling 70 and the developing coupling 21 are respectively the first drive shaft 14 and the second drive shaft 19. Is associated with In the course of this engagement, the drum coupling 70 and the developing coupling 21 are oriented in the direction along the rotation axis of the drum 62 and the developing roller 32 (ie, the drum coupling 70 and The developing coupling 21 is released from the inclined state, so that the drum coupling 70 and the developing coupling 21 can receive a driving force from the apparatus main body A. FIG. That is, when the protrusion of the first drive shaft 14 protruding in the radial direction is caught in the cutout formed at the concave edge of the drum coupling 70, the first drive shaft 14 and the drum coupling 70 are engaged. do. Rotation of the first drive shaft 14 is transmitted to the drum coupling 70 to rotate the drum 62. The developing coupling 21 and the second drive shaft 19 are also configured in the same manner. Note that the coupling configuration in which the drum 62, the developing roller 32, and the drive shaft can be coupled to each other is not limited to the configuration shown here, but other conventional well-known configurations can be used.

(Axial Positioning Configuration of the Drum with respect to the Drive Shaft of the Device Body)

1A, 1B, 7, 7, 13, 15A, 15B, 16A, and 16B, the axial positioning of the drum 62 with respect to the first drive shaft 14 of the apparatus body A is shown. The configuration will be described. 15A and 15B are schematic views (side views) for explaining the configuration of the engaging portion between the apparatus main body A and the cartridge B according to the first embodiment, respectively, and FIG. 15A shows a state before the coupling is engaged. 15B shows a state after the coupling is coupled. 16A and 16B are schematic views (top view) illustrating the configuration of the engaging portion between the apparatus main body A and the cartridge B according to the first embodiment, respectively, and FIG. 16A is a state before the coupling is engaged. 16B shows a state after the coupling is coupled.

1A, 1B, and 7, the first drive shaft 14 of the apparatus body A is rotatably supported by the drive shaft support member 1 provided on the drive side plate 15, The drive shaft support member 1 is provided with an engaging portion 1c. That is, the engagement part 1c is arrange | positioned in the part of the drive side (one end side) of the apparatus main body A in the longitudinal direction. The engagement part 1c is equipped with the 1st contact surface 1c1 and the 2nd contact surface 1c2 which are surfaces orthogonal to a longitudinal direction. The drum 62 of the cartridge B is a drum unit integrated with the drum coupling 70, which is rotatably supported by the drum bearing 73, and the engagement portion 74 is provided in the drum bearing 73. . That is, the engaging portion 74 is disposed in the portion of the drive side (one end side) of the cartridge B in the longitudinal direction.

As shown in FIG. 15A, when the cartridge B is attached in the direction indicated by the arrow C, the engaged portion 74 of the drum bearing 73 is engaged with the engaging portion 1c of the drive shaft support member 1. That is, in the process of attaching the cartridge B, the engaged portion 74 and the engaging portion 1c come into contact with each other, whereby the position in the axial direction of the drum 62 of the cartridge B is determined. That is, the drum rotated and supported by the drum bearing 73 when the engaging portion 74 is engaged with the engaging portion 1c so that the direction of movement of the rotation axis with respect to the apparatus main body A of the drum bearing 73 is restricted. The rotation axis of 62 is positioned with respect to the apparatus main body A. FIG. Specifically, in the engaged state where the engaged portion 74 is engaged with the engaging portion 1c, the movement of the drum bearing 73 to at least the non-drive side in the longitudinal direction is restricted. That is, when the to-be-engaged part 74 contacts the 1st contact surface 1c1 (refer FIG. 1B) of the engaging part 1c, the movement of the drum bearing 73 to the non-drive side in a longitudinal direction is restrict | limited. According to this embodiment, in the engaged state, the movement to the drive side of the drum bearing 73 in the longitudinal direction is further restricted. That is, when the to-be-engaged part 74 contacts the 2nd contact surface 1c2 (refer FIG. 1B) of the engaging part 1c, the movement of the drum bearing 73 to the drive side in a longitudinal direction is restrict | limited. This positioning state (engagement state) is maintained until at least the drum coupling 70 is engaged with the first drive shaft 14 in the process of attaching the cartridge B to the apparatus main body A. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 13, the drum 62 is provided via the drum coupling 70, the drive side drum flange 63, and the drum bearing 73, while the drive shaft 14 supports the drive shaft. Since it is provided only through the member 1, the component tolerance between the drum 62 and the drive shaft 14 is reduced. As shown in FIG. 15B, the engaging portion 1c is provided with a cutout portion 1d on the downstream side in the attachment direction of the cartridge B. As shown in FIG. Thus, in the process of further attaching the cartridge B to the apparatus main body A, the engaging portion 1c and the engaged portion 74 do not come into contact with each other, so that the drum 62 and the cartridge B are in the drum axial directions. Positioning is released. That is, the engagement state between the engaging portion 74 and the engaging portion 1c is released before the cartridge B reaches the attachment completion position in the apparatus main body A. FIG.

16A and 16B, after the positioning of the cartridge B in the drum axial direction is released, the to-be-regulated portion 61 provided in the drum bearing 73 (second) as described above. The engagement portion is inserted into the recessed portion (second engagement portion) of the restricting portion 2 provided in the apparatus main body A in the insertion direction C. As shown in FIG. Moreover, when the cartridge B reaches the attachment completion position in the apparatus main body A, the 1st supported part 73b (contact part) of the drum bearing 73 is the drive side 1st of the drive shaft support member 1, The support 1a is brought into contact with the insertion direction C. Thereby, the position of the cartridge B in the drum axial direction and the position of the cartridge B in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction at the time of image formation are determined. At this time, the drum coupling 70 and the developing coupling 21 are engaged with the first driving shaft 14 and the second driving shaft 19, respectively, so that the drum coupling 70 and the developing coupling 21 are the main body of the apparatus. It becomes a state which can receive a driving force from (A).

As described above, at least the engagement of the drum coupling 70 and the first drive shaft 14 is completed in the process of attaching the cartridge B by the engagement between the engaging portion 74 and the engaging portion 1c. Until this, positioning of the drum 62 in the rotational axis direction is temporarily performed. Subsequently, after the engagement state between the drum coupling 70 and the first drive shaft 14 is formed, after the restriction in the axial direction is temporarily released, the apparatus main body A of the cartridge B in the attachment completion position Final positioning is done for. In other words, by releasing the regulation, it is possible to suppress that the dimensional variation in the regulation configuration for temporary positioning affects the final positioning. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to absorb to some extent variations in dimensional accuracy, assembly accuracy, etc. between the component parts of the engaging portion and the component parts for final positioning of the cartridge B.

Although the present embodiment describes two drive input mechanisms of the drum coupling 70 and the developing coupling 21, it is noted that the above mechanism is not limited to this and any other drive input mechanism may be employed. Although this embodiment demonstrated the case where the axial positioning structure of the temporary rotating member at the time of the cartridge attachment which concerns on this invention was applied to the coupling structure of the photosensitive drum 62, You may apply, and may apply to other similar structures.

In the manner described above, in the process of attaching the cartridge B to the apparatus main body A, the position in the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 62 in the apparatus main body A can be determined more accurately.

While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass the structures and functions equivalent to all such modifications.

Claims (14)

A cartridge configured to be detachably attached to the apparatus body of the image forming apparatus,
A rotating member including a coupling configured to be engageable with a drive shaft provided in the apparatus main body, the rotating member rotating under the driving force from the drive shaft;
A bearing member configured to support the rotating member so that the rotating member can rotate,
The bearing member has an engaged portion that is positioned on one end side of the cartridge in the direction of the rotational axis of the rotating member and configured to engage with an engagement portion provided in the apparatus main body,
The engagement state between the engagement portion and the engagement portion is maintained at least until the coupling is coupled to the drive shaft in the process of attaching the cartridge to the apparatus body,
When the engaging portion and the engaging portion are brought into an engaged state, movement of the bearing member toward at least the other end side of the cartridge in the direction of the rotational axis is restricted,
And the engaging portion and the engaging portion are configured such that, in use, the engagement state between the engaging portion and the engaging portion is released before the cartridge reaches the attachment complete position in the apparatus main body. delete The method of claim 1,
The bearing member is engaged with a second engagement portion provided in the apparatus body so that movement of the cartridge in the direction of the rotational axis relative to the apparatus body is regulated at the attachment completion position in the apparatus body. The cartridge further comprises an engaging portion. The method of claim 3,
And the engaging portion and the engaging portion are configured such that, in use, the engagement state between the engaging portion and the engaging portion is released before the second engaging portion is engaged with the second engaging portion. The method of claim 1,
The bearing member has a contact portion in contact with a member having the engaging portion in the apparatus body in the direction of inserting the cartridge into the apparatus body at the time of attachment, at the attachment completion position for attaching the cartridge to the apparatus body. Further comprising, cartridge. The method according to any one of claims 1 and 3 to 5,
And the rotating member is a photosensitive drum. The method of claim 1,
And the rotating member is a charging roller. An image forming apparatus comprising a cartridge having a rotating member and a device body having a drive shaft configured to transmit a driving force to the rotating member, the apparatus body being detachably attached thereto;
The apparatus main body includes a support member having an engaging portion configured to support the drive shaft so that the drive shaft can rotate, and configured to restrict movement of the rotation member in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotation member,
The cartridge includes a bearing member configured to support the rotation member so that the rotation member can rotate, and the engagement portion is at one end side of the cartridge in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotation member. Positioned and engageable with the engagement portion,
The engagement state between the engagement portion and the engaged portion is maintained until the rotating member is coupled to the drive shaft in the process of attaching the cartridge to the apparatus body,
When the engagement portion and the engagement portion are brought into an engaged state, the movement of the bearing member toward at least the other end side of the cartridge in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotation member is restricted,
And the engaging portion is configured such that, in use, the engaged state between the engaging portion and the engaging portion is released before the cartridge reaches the attachment completion position in the apparatus main body. delete The method of claim 8,
The bearing member is engaged with a second engagement portion provided in the apparatus body so that movement of the cartridge in the rotational axis direction of the rotating member is restricted at the attachment completion position for attaching the cartridge to the apparatus body. An image forming apparatus having two engaging portions. The method of claim 10,
And the engagement portion is configured such that, in use, the engagement state between the engagement portion and the engagement portion is released before the second engagement portion is engaged with the second engagement portion. The method of claim 8,
And the bearing member has a contact portion in contact with the support member in a direction of inserting the cartridge into the apparatus main body at the time of attachment, at the attachment completion position of attaching the cartridge to the apparatus main body. The method according to any one of claims 8 and 10 to 12,
And the rotating member is a photosensitive drum. The method of claim 8,
And the rotating member is a charging roller.

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