PHOTOSENSITIVE UNIT AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20070280730A1
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: OKABE, Yasushi, ISHII, Makoto, KAMIMURA, Naoya, SHIRAKI, Masatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,835,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/111
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1623 Means to access the interior of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1825 Pivotable subunit connection
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1853 the process cartridge being mounted perpendicular to the axis of the photosensitive member
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1651 for connecting the different parts
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1869 Cartridge holders, e.g. intermediate frames for placing cartridge parts therein

Abstract

A photosensitive unit is described. The photosensitive unit may include a developer cartridge including a developing agent carrier and a casing, a photosensitive member, and a side wall. The casing is provided with a pivoting member including a pressuring portion applied with an external pressing force and a fitting projection fitted to the side wall. The pivoting member is configured to be pivoted along a pressing direction for pressing the developing agent carrier toward the photosensitive member when a pressing force is applied to the pressuring portion, or along a pressure releasing direction opposite to the pressing direction. The side wall is formed with a fit portion to which the fitting projection is loosely fitted so that a movement of the fitting projection along a pivoting direction of the pivoting member is allowed.

Claims

1. A photosensitive unit comprising:

a developer cartridge comprising a developing agent carrier that carries a developing agent and a casing that supports the developing agent carrier and accommodates the developing agent;

a photosensitive member disposed so that the developing agent carrier is press-contacted to the photosensitive member, and in which an electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing agent supplied from the developing agent carrier; and

a side wall to which the developer cartridge is detachably attached, wherein

the casing is provided with a pivoting member comprising a pressuring portion applied with an external pressing force and a fitting projection fitted to the side wall, and the pivoting member is configured to be pivoted along a pressing direction for pressing the developing agent carrier toward the photosensitive member when a pressing force is applied to the pressuring portion, or along a pressure releasing direction opposite to the pressing direction, and

the side wall is formed with a fit portion to which the fitting projection is loosely fitted so that a movement of the fitting projection along a pivoting direction of the pivoting member is allowed.

2. The photosensitive unit according to claim 1, wherein the fitting projection is configured to move between a pressing position at which the pressing force is applied to the pressuring portion, and a pressure releasing position at which the pressing force is released, while the fitting projection is loosely fitted to the fit portion, and

a first gap is formed between the fitting projection that is located at the pressure releasing position and a downstream end portion of the fit portion in the pressing direction.

3. The photosensitive unit according to claim 1, wherein the casing is provided with a spacing portion for spacing the developing agent carrier apart from the photosensitive member in a spacing direction which intersects the pivoting direction when an external pressing force is applied, and

the fitting projection is loosely fitted to the fit portion so that a movement of the fitting projection is allowed along the spacing direction or an intersecting direction which is a space releasing direction opposite to the spacing direction.

4. The photosensitive unit according to claim 3, wherein the fitting projection is configured to move between a spacing position at which a pressing force is applied to the spacing portion, and a space releasing position at which the pressing force is released, while the fitting projection is loosely fitted to the fit portion, and

a second gap is formed between the fitting projection that is located at the space releasing position and a downstream end portion of the fit portion in the spacing direction.

5. The photosensitive unit according to claim 4, wherein the pressure releasing position is identical with the space releasing position.

6. The photosensitive unit according to claim 1, wherein the fitting projection is formed with an inclined surface which inclines with respect to a first plane including the pivoting direction and a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, on at least either one of end portions in the pivoting direction.

7. The photosensitive unit according to claim 6, wherein the fitting projection is formed with the inclined surface on each of both end portions thereof in the pivoting direction.

8. The photosensitive unit according to claim 1, wherein the developer cartridge is configured to be detached and attached with respect to the side wall in a direction intersecting the pivoting direction, and

opposed surfaces of respective end portions of the fitting projection and the fit portion opposed with each other, is orthogonal to an opposed direction thereof, in a detaching direction for detaching the developer cartridge with respect to the side wall.

9. The photosensitive unit according to claim 1, wherein the side wall is formed with a guide groove along the pivoting direction for guiding the passage of the fitting projection.

10. The photosensitive unit according to claim 9, wherein the guide groove is formed with an inclined surface which inclines with respect to a first plane including the pivoting direction and a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, on at least either one of end portions in the pivoting direction.

11. The photosensitive unit according to claim 10, wherein the guide groove is formed with the inclined surface on both end portions thereof in the pivoting direction.

12. The photosensitive unit according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the photosensitive members, a plurality of the side walls, and a plurality of the developer cartridges are together configured to be attached to and detached from an image forming apparatus body in a slidable manner.

13. An image forming apparatus comprising a photosensitive unit, and an image forming apparatus body which the photosensitive unit is configured to be detached from and attached to in a slidable manner, wherein

the photosensitive unit comprises:

a plurality of developer cartridges comprising a developing agent carrier that carries a developing agent and a casing that supports the developing agent carrier and accommodates the developing agent;

a plurality of photosensitive members disposed so that the developing agent carrier is press-contacted to the photosensitive member, and in which an electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing agent supplied from the developing agent carrier; and

a plurality of side walls to which the developer cartridge is detachably attached, wherein

the respective casing is provided with a pivoting member comprising a pressuring portion applied with an external pressing force and a fitting projection fitted to the side wall, and the pivoting member is configured to be pivoted along a pressing direction for pressing the developing agent carrier toward the photosensitive member when a pressing force is applied to the pressuring portion, or along a pressure releasing direction opposite to the pressing direction, and

the respective side wall is formed with a fit portion to which the fitting projection is loosely fitted so that a movement of the fitting projection along a pivoting direction of the pivoting member is allowed, and

the image forming apparatus body comprises a pressing force generating unit applying a pressing force to the pressuring portion.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the image forming apparatus body comprises an intervening portion which contacts the pivoting member and pivots the pivoting member so that the fitting projection is loosely fitted to the fit portion when the photosensitive unit is attached to the image forming apparatus body.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the image forming apparatus body comprises a main body wall on the upstream end portion thereof in a direction for attaching the photosensitive unit to the image forming apparatus body, and

the intervening portion is disposed on an outside surface of the main body wall.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the fitting projection is configured to move between a pressing position at which the pressing force is applied to the pressuring portion, and a pressure releasing position at which the pressing force is released, while the fitting projection is loosely fitted to the fit portion, and

a first gap is formed between the fitting projection that is located at the pressure releasing position and a downstream end portion of the fit portion in the pressing direction.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the casing is provided with a spacing portion for spacing the developing agent carrier apart from the photosensitive member in a spacing direction which intersects the pivoting direction when an external pressing force is applied,

the pressing force generating unit is configured to apply a pressing force to the spacing portion, and

the fitting projection is loosely fitted to the fit portion so that a movement of the fitting projection is allowed along the spacing direction or an intersecting direction which is a space releasing direction opposite to the spacing direction.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the fitting projection is configured to move between a spacing position at which a pressing force is applied to the spacing portion, and a space releasing position at which the pressing force is released, while the fitting projection is loosely fitted to the fit portion, and

a second gap is formed between the fitting projection that is located at the space releasing position and a downstream end portion of the fit portion in the spacing direction.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the pressure releasing position is identical with the space releasing position.

20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the fitting projection is formed with an inclined surface which inclines with respect to a first plane including the pivoting direction and a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, on at least either one of end portions in the pivoting direction.

21. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the developer cartridge is configured to be detached and attached with respect to the side wall in a direction intersecting the pivoting direction, and

opposed surfaces of respective end portions of the fitting projection and the fit portion opposed with each other, is orthogonal to an opposed direction thereof, in a detaching direction for detaching the developer cartridge with respect to the side wall.

22. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the side wall is formed with a guide groove along the pivoting direction for guiding the passage of the fitting projection.

23. The image forming apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the guide groove is formed with an inclined surface which inclines with respect to a first plane including the pivoting direction and a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, on at least either one of end portions in the pivoting direction.