ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND PROCESS CARTRIDGE

• US 20030223772A1
• Filed: 07/30/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kubota, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,661,977 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/114
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1832 Shielding members, shutter, e.g. light, heat shielding, prevention of toner scattering

Abstract

A wrong insertion preventing mechanism of simple construction is realized without requiring any sensor for discriminating the incompatibility of a process cartridge to the main body of an image forming apparatus. When an improper cartridge which does not match in function with the main body of the apparatus is wrongly inserted, a cam portion for opening and closing a shutter comes into engagement with a wrong insertion preventing engagement portion in the opening portion of the main body of the apparatus and the shutter is opened, whereby the wrong insertion of the cartridge is blocked. In the case of a proper cartridge, it is inserted without the shutter being opened in the opening portion of the main body of the apparatus, and with the operation of closing an openable and closable member, the cartridge is inserted into the inner part of the main body of the apparatus together with a moving guide and the shutter is opened at a proper position.

Claims

1. (Currently Amended) An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, comprising:

a cartridge mounting portion configured and positioned to for detachably mounting mount thereon a process cartridge, said the process cartridge including;

an electrophotographic photosensitive member;

process means for acting on said the electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a shutter having a photosensitive member protecting portion configured and positioned to protect for protecting said the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and movable between a protecting position for protecting said the electrophotographic photosensitive member and a retracted position retracted from said the protecting position to expose said the electrophotographic photosensitive member; and

a shutter moving portion configured and positioned to move for moving said the shutter from said the protecting position to said the retracted position;

guide means for guiding said the process cartridge when said the process cartridge is to be mounted on said mounting portion;

shutter opening means for coming into engagement with said the shutter moving portion to open said the shutter from said the protecting position to said the retracted position when said the process cartridge is guided by said guide means and is moved along a movement path toward said mounting portion;

a wrong insertion preventing engagement portion configured and positioned to come for coming into engagement with said the shutter moving portion to open said the shutter, on an upstream side of an engagement position in which said the shutter moving portion and said shutter opening means are engaged with each other, in a mounting direction in which said the process cartridge is mounted on said mounting portion when a process cartridge which does not match in function with a main body of said apparatus is inserted into the main body of said apparatus; and

a main body shutter abutting portion configured and positioned to abut for abutting against said the shutter moved toward said the retracted position by the shutter moving portion being engaged with said wrong insertion preventing engagement portion, to restrict the insertion of said the process cartridge.

2. (Currently Amended) An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wrong insertion preventing engagement portion is a peripheral edge portion located above an opening portion, provided in the main body of said apparatus, through which opening portion said the process cartridge is inserted into the main body of said apparatus.

3. ( Currently Amended) An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said main body shutter abutting portion is a portion of an outer wall of an optical unit containing an optical system configured and positioned to apply for applying information light to said the electrophotographic photosensitive member, or/and a portion of a fixed stand of said optical unit.

10. (Currently Amended) An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 4, wherein said process means includes at least one of charging means, cleaning means, and developing means.

4. (Currently Amended) An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image using an electrophotographic process, comprising:

a process cartridge including an electrophotographic photosensitive member, process means for acting on said electrophotographic photosensitive member, an openable and closable shutter having a photosensitive member protecting portion configured and positioned to protect for protecting said electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a shutter moving portion configured and positioned to open and close for opening and closing said shutter;

an a main body of said image forming apparatus;

mounting guide means for mounting said process cartridge on the said main body of said image forming apparatus;

shutter opening means for coming into engagement with said shutter moving portion to open said shutter at a predetermined engagement position on a movement path when said process cartridge is mounted on the said main body of said image forming apparatus by said mounting guide means; and

wrong insertion preventing guide means for changing designed to change when a process cartridge which does not match in function with the said main body of said image forming apparatus is inserted, the movement path on an upstream side of said the predetermined engagement position on the movement path, and bring the bringing said shutter moving portion into engagement with a peripheral region to open the said shutter.

5. (Currently Amended) A process cartridge detachably mountable on a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:

an electrophotographic photosensitive member;

process means for acting on said electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a shutter having a photosensitive member protecting portion configured and positioned to protect for protecting said electrophotographic photosensitive member, and movable between a protecting position for protecting said electrophotographic photosensitive member and a retracted position retracted from the protecting position to expose said electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a shutter moving portion configured and positioned to come into engagement with shutter opening means provided in the main body of the apparatus to move said shutter from said the protecting position to said the retracted position when said process cartridge is mounted on the main body of said the apparatus, and coming into engagement with a wrong insertion preventing engagement portion provided in the main body of the apparatus to move said shutter from said the protecting position to said the retracted position, on an upstream side of an engagement position in which said shutter moving portion and said the shutter opening means are engaged with each other, in a mounting direction in which said process cartridge is mounted on the main body of the apparatus when the said process cartridge is inserted into the main body of an apparatus which does not match in function with said process cartridge; and

a cartridge shutter abutting portion provided on said shutter and configured and positioned to abut for abutting against a main body shutter abutting portion provided in the main body of the apparatus to restrict the insertion of said process cartridge into the main body of the apparatus when said shutter is moved toward said the retracted position by said shutter moving portion being engaged with the wrong insertion preventing engagement portion.

6. (Currently Amended) A process cartridge according to claim 5, wherein said shutter moving portion is a cam portion configured and positioned to engage for engaging with the shutter opening means of the main body of the apparatus.

7. (Currently Amended) A process cartridge according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said shutter moving portion is configured and positioned to engage designed to be engaged with an interfering means device disposed in an opening portion of the main body of the image forming apparatus which does not match in function with said process cartridge.

8. (Currently Amended) A process cartridge according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said shutter moving portion is configured and positioned designed to interfere with a peripheral edge portion of an opening portion of the main body of the image forming apparatus which does not match in function with said process cartridge.

11. (Currently Amended) A process cartridge according to claim 5 or 9, wherein said process means includes at least one of charging means, cleaning means, and developing means.

9. (Currently Amended) A process cartridge to be mounted on an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:

an electrophotographic photosensitive member;

process means for acting on said electrophotographic photosensitive member;

an openable and closable shutter provided with a photosensitive member protecting portion and configured and positioned to protect for protecting said electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a shutter moving portion configured and positioned to come for coming into engagement with shutter opening means disposed in a predetermined engagement position on a movement path when said process cartridge is mounted on a main body of the image forming apparatus to open said shutter; and

a wrong insertion preventing guide portion configured and positioned designed to change the movement path of said process cartridge to make said process cartridge interfere with a peripheral region to open said shutter when said process cartridge is inserted into the main body of an image forming apparatus which does not match in function with said process cartridge.

12. (Currently Amended) A process cartridge detachably mountable on a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:

an electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a charging roller configured and positioned to charge for charging said electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a developing roller configured and positioned to develop for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a shutter having a photosensitive member protecting portion for protecting said electrophotographic photosensitive member, and movable between a protecting position for protecting said electrophotographic photosensitive member and a retracted position retracted from said the protecting position to expose said electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a shutter moving portion configured and positioned to come for coming into engagement with shutter opening means provided in the main body of the apparatus to move said shutter from said the protecting position to said the retracted position when said process cartridge is mounted on the main body of the apparatus, and coming into engagement with a wrong insertion preventing engagement portion provided in the main body of the apparatus to move said shutter from said the protecting position to said the retracted position, on an upstream side of an engagement position in which said shutter moving portion and said the shutter opening means are engaged with each other, in a mounting direction in which said process cartridge is mounted on the main body of the apparatus when the said process cartridge is inserted into the main body of an apparatus which does not match in function with said process cartridge; and

a cartridge shutter abutting portion provided on said shutter and configured and positioned to abut for abutting against a main body shutter abutting portion provided in the main body of the apparatus to restrict the insertion of said process cartridge into the main body of the apparatus when said shutter is moved toward said the retracted position by said shutter moving portion being engaged with the wrong insertion preventing engagement portion.

13. (Currently Amended) An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, comprising:

a cartridge mounting portion configured and positioned to for detachably mounting mount thereon a process cartridge, said the process cartridge including;

an electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a charging roller configured and positioned to charge for charging said the electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a developing roller configured and positioned to develop for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said the electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a shutter having a photosensitive member protecting portion configured and positioned to protect for protecting said electrophotographic photosensitive member, and movable between a protecting position for protecting said the electrophotographic photosensitive member and a retracted position retracted from said the protecting position to expose said the electrophotographic photosensitive member; and

a shutter moving portion configured and positioned to move for moving said the shutter from the protecting position to said the retracted position;

guide means for guiding said process cartridge when said process cartridge is to be mounted on said mounting portion;

shutter opening means for coming into engagement with said the shutter moving portion to open said the shutter from said the protecting position to said the retracted position when said process cartridge is guided by said guide means and is moved along a movement path toward said mounting portion;

a wrong insertion preventing engagement portion configured and positioned to come for coming into engagement with said the shutter moving portion to open said the shutter, on an upstream side of an engagement position in which said the shutter moving portion and said shutter opening means are engaged with each other, in a mounting direction in which said process cartridge is mounted on said mounting portion when a process cartridge which does not match in function with a main body of said apparatus is inserted into the main body of said apparatus; and

a main body shutter abutting portion for abutting against said the shutter moved toward said the retracted position by said the shutter moving portion being engaged with said wrong insertion preventing engagement portion, to restrict the insertion of said process cartridge.

14. (Currently Amended) A process cartridge detachably mountable on a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:

an electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a charging roller configured and positioned to charge for charging said electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a developing roller configured and positioned to develop for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a shutter having a photosensitive member protecting portion configured and positioned to protect for protecting said electrophotographic photosensitive member, and movable between a protecting position for protecting said electrophotographic photosensitive member and a retracted position retracted from said the protecting position to expose said electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a shutter moving portion for coming into engagement with shutter opening means provided in the main body of the apparatus to move said shutter from said the protecting position to said the retracted position when said process cartridge is mounted on the main body of the apparatus, and coming into engagement with a wrong insertion preventing engagement portion provided in the main body of the apparatus to move said shutter from said the protecting position to said the retracted position, on an upstream side of an engagement position in which said shutter moving portion and said the shutter opening means are engaged with each other, in a mounting direction in which said process cartridge is mounted on the main body of the apparatus when the said process cartridge is inserted into the main body of an apparatus which does not match in function with said process cartridge, wherein said shutter moving portion is designed to be engaged with interfering means disposed in an opening portion of the main body of the apparatus which does not match in function with said process cartridge; and

a cartridge shutter abutting portion provided on said shutter and configured and positioned to abut for abutting against a main body shutter abutting portion provided in the main body of the apparatus to restrict the insertion of said process cartridge into the main body of the apparatus when said shutter is moved toward said the retracted position by said shutter moving portion being engaged with the wrong insertion preventing engagement portion.

15. (Currently Amended) An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, comprising:

a cartridge mounting portion configured and positioned to for detachably mounting mount thereon a process cartridge, said the process cartridge including;

an electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a charging roller configured and positioned to charge for charging said the electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a developing roller configured and positioned to develop for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a shutter having a photosensitive member protecting portion configured and positioned to protect for protecting said the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and movable between a protecting position for protecting said the electrophotographic photosensitive member and a retracted position retracted from said the protecting position to expose said the electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a shutter moving portion configured and positioned to come for coming into engagement with shutter opening means provided in the a main body of said apparatus to move said the shutter from said the protecting position to said the retracted position when said the process cartridge is mounted on the main body of said apparatus, and to come coming into engagement with a wrong insertion preventing engagement portion provided in the main body of said apparatus to move said the shutter from said the protecting position to said the retracted position, on an upstream side of an engagement position in which said the shutter moving portion and said the shutter opening means are engaged with each other, in a mounting direction in which said the process cartridge is mounted on the main body of said apparatus when the process cartridge is inserted into the main body of an apparatus which does not match in function with the process cartridge, wherein said the shutter moving portion is designed to be engaged with shutter opening means disposed in an opening portion of the main body of said apparatus which does not match in function with said the process cartridge; and

a cartridge shutter abutting portion provided on said the shutter and configured and positioned to abut for abutting against a main body shutter abutting portion provided in the main body of said apparatus to restrict the insertion of said the process cartridge into the main body of said apparatus when said the shutter is moved toward said the retracted position by said the shutter moving portion being engaged with said the wrong insertion preventing engagement portion;

guide means for guiding said the process cartridge when said the process cartridge is to be mounted on said mounting portion;

said shutter opening means for coming into engagement with said the shutter moving portion to open said the shutter from said the protecting position to said the retracted position when said the process cartridge is guided by said guide means and is moved along a movement path toward said mounting portion;

said wrong insertion preventing engagement portion configured and positioned to come for coming into engagement with said the shutter moving portion to open said the shutter, on the upstream side of the engagement position in which said the shutter moving portion and said shutter opening means are engaged with each other, in the mounting direction in which said the process cartridge is mounted on said mounting portion when a process cartridge which does not match in function with the main body of said apparatus is inserted into the main body of said apparatus; and

said main body shutter abutting portion configured and positioned to abut for abutting against said the shutter moved toward said the retracted position by said the shutter moving portion being engaged with said wrong insertion preventing engagement portion, to restrict the insertion of said the process cartridge.