Developer feeding member, developing apparatus, process cartridge and developer feeding member mounting method

• US 20060051135A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Miyabe, Shigeo, Sato, Masaaki, Matsuzaki, Hiroomi, Toba, Shinjiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,224,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/258
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0875 cartridges having a box like shape
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0877 Arrangements for metering and dispensing developer from a developer cartridge into the development unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0819 two or more agitators
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/085 Stirring member in developer container
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0897 Cleaning of the light transmissive window
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1876 for production purposes, e.g. manufacture or mass production

Abstract

A developer feeding member for use with an electrophotographic image forming apparatus to feed a developer accommodated in a developer accommodating portion, includes a shaft for receiving a driving force to rotate when the shaft is mounted in the developer accommodating portion; a flexible sheet for feeding the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion when the flexible sheet is mounted in the developer accommodating portion; a mounting member for mounting the flexible sheet on the shaft such that flexible sheet is movable relative to the shaft in a longitudinal direction, in a widthwise direction and in a thickness direction.

Claims

1. A developer feeding member for use with an electrophotographic image forming apparatus to feed a developer accommodated in a developer accommodating portion, comprising:

a shaft for receiving a driving force to rotate when said shaft is mounted in said developer accommodating portion;

a flexible sheet for feeding the developer accommodated in said developer accommodating portion when said flexible sheet is mounted in said developer accommodating portion;

a mounting member for mounting said flexible sheet on said shaft such that flexible sheet is movable relative to said shaft in a longitudinal direction, in a widthwise direction and in a thickness direction.

2. A developer feeding member according to claim 1, wherein said flexible sheet is provided with an engaging hole, and said mounting member is an engaging claw engageable with said engaging hole.

3. A developer feeding member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said developer accommodating portion is effective to accommodate the developer for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member and/or a developer removed from said electrophotographic photosensitive member by a cleaning means, said developer feeding member feeds the developer for use for said development and/or the developer removed by said cleaning means.

4. A developing apparatus for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member, said developing device comprising:

a developing roller for developing the electrostatic latent image with a developer;

a developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer;

a developer feeding member for feeding the developer accommodated in said developer accommodating portion, said developer feeding member including, a flexible sheet for feeding the developer accommodated in said developer accommodating portion;

a shaft for receiving a driving force to rotate;

a mounting member for mounting said flexible sheet on said shaft such that flexible sheet is movable relative to said shaft in a longitudinal direction, in a widthwise direction and in a thickness direction.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein at least one of longitudinal ends of said flexible sheet is rotatable in contact with a side wall of said developer accommodating portion which is substantially perpendicular to said shaft to scrape the developer deposited on the side wall by said one longitudinal end of said flexible sheet.

6. A process cartridge detachably mountable ta electrophotographic image forming apparatus, comprising:

an electrophotographic photosensitive member;

a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive member with the developer;

a developer accommodating portion for accommodating the developer;

a developer feeding member for feeding the developer accommodated in said developer accommodating portion, said developer feeding member including,

a flexible sheet for feeding the developer accommodated in said developer accommodating portion;

a shaft for receiving a driving force to rotate;

a mounting member for mounting said flexible sheet on said shaft such that flexible sheet is movable relative to said shaft in a longitudinal direction, in a widthwise direction and in a thickness direction.

7. A developer feeding member mounting method for mounting, in a developer accommodating portion, a shaft rotatable relative to a developer accommodating portion, and a flexible sheet for engagement with said shaft to feed a developer in a developer accommodating portion by rotation, said method comprising:

a shaft mounting step of mounting the shaft in developer accommodating portion;

a sheet inserting step of inserting a flexible sheet in a slit provided in the shaft which has been mounted in the developer accommodating portion;

an engaging step of engaging an engaging claw provided in the slit with an engaging hole provided in the flexible sheet to prevent disengagement of the flexible sheet from the shaft.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein a retaining portion for preventing disengagement of the flexible sheet from the shaft is provided in the slit, and said sheet inserting step includes inserting the flexible sheet into the slit along a first inclined surface of said engaging claw and a second inclined surface of said retaining portion.