PHOTOSENSITIVE UNIT AND DEVELOPER CARTRIDGE

• US 20070280733A1
• 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, SHIRAKI, Masatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/113
• 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 2221/1633 Details concerning the developing process
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1654 Locks and means for positioning or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1853 having a submodular arrangement

Abstract

A photosensitive unit is described. A photosensitive unit may include a developer cartridge including a developing agent carrier and a casing for supporting the developer carrier; a photosensitive body disposed so that the developing agent carrier is brought into contact therewith by pressing; and a cartridge attaching portion to which the developer cartridge is detachably attached. The casing includes an elastic member, a pressing member for pressing the elastic member so that the developing agent carrier is pressed toward the photosensitive body, and an fitting member provided on the pressing member. The cartridge attaching portion includes a fit portion which is fitted by the fitting member so that the pressing member presses the elastic member toward the developing agent carrier for maintaining the pressing state of the pressing member to the elastic member by the fitting.

Claims

1. A photosensitive unit comprising:

a developer cartridge comprising a developing agent carrier carrying a developing agent and a casing supporting the developing agent carrier and accommodating the developing agent;

a photosensitive body disposed so that the developing agent carrier is brought into contact therewith by pressing and developed with an electrostatic latent image by the developing agent fed from the developer carrier; and

a cartridge attaching portion to which the developer cartridge is detachably attached, wherein

the casing comprises an elastic member, a pressing member for pressing the elastic member toward the developing agent carrier so that the developing agent carrier is pressed toward the photosensitive body, and a fitting member provided on the pressing member, and

the cartridge attaching portion comprises a fit portion which is fitted with the fitting member so that the pressing member presses the elastic member toward the developing agent carrier for maintaining a pressing state of the pressing member to the elastic member by this fitting.

2. The photosensitive unit according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member can move along a pressing direction for pressing the elastic member toward the developing agent carrier and a pressing release direction for releasing the pressing of the elastic member to the developing agent carrier,

the fitting member is fitted to the fit portion by a movement of the pressing member toward the pressing direction and released from the fit portion by a movement of the pressing member toward the pressing release direction, and

the elastic member is disposed on a downstream side of the pressing direction with respect to the pressing member, and pressed by the pressing member through fitting the fitting member to the fit portion and released from the pressing by the pressing member through releasing the fitting member from the fit portion.

3. The photosensitive unit according to claim 2, wherein the fitting member is formed with an inclined surface which inclines to a plane including movement directions of the pressing member and a plane orthogonal to the plane, on at least either one of end portions in the movement directions.

4. The photosensitive unit according to claim 2, wherein the developing agent cartridge is detachably attached to the cartridge attaching portion in a direction intersecting with the movement directions of the pressing member, and

opposed surfaces of the fitting member and the fit portion which are opposed to each other are orthogonal to an opposed direction thereof in a detaching direction for detaching the developer cartridge from the cartridge attaching portion.

5. The photosensitive unit according to claim 4, wherein the opposed surface of the fitting member and the opposed surface of the fit portion respectively comprise a plurality of planes having different angles.

6. The photosensitive unit according to claim 2, wherein the cartridge attaching portion comprises a passage portion where the fitting member traverses when the fitting member is fitted to the fit portion or is released from the fit portion, and

the passage portion is formed with a guide groove guiding passage of the fitting member and formed along the movement directions of the pressing member.

7. The photosensitive unit according to claim 6, wherein the guide groove is formed with an inclined surface which inclined to a plane including the movement directions and a plane orthogonal to the plane on at least either one of end portions thereof in the movement directions.

8. The photosensitive unit according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member also serves as a grip which is held when the developer cartridge is attached or detached.

9. The photosensitive unit according to claim 1, wherein

the developing agent carrier is provided on one end portion of the casing,

the elastic member is provided on the other end portion in the casing which is opposite to the one end portion, and

the pressing member is provided on the other end portion so as to be pivotable around a pivoting axis which extends in a direction identical with an axial direction of the developing agent carrier, and brought into contact with the elastic member by pivot around the pivoting axis.

10. The photosensitive unit according to claim 9, wherein the pressing member is provided inward in the axial direction in the casing and comprises a transmitting portion brought into abutment against the elastic member for transmitting an external pressing force to the elastic member.

11. The photosensitive unit according to claim 9, wherein two elastic members are provided in a spaced relation in the axial direction of the developing agent carrier.

12. A developer cartridge detachably attachable to a photosensitive unit having a photosensitive body, comprising:

a developing agent carrier for carrying a developing agent which is fed to the photosensitive body;

a casing supporting the developing agent carrier and accommodating a developing agent;

an elastic member provided in the casing;

a pressing member provided in the casing for pressing the elastic member toward the developing agent carrier so that the developing agent carrier is pressed toward the photosensitive body; and

a fitting member provided on the pressing member, fitted to the photosensitive unit so that the pressing member presses the elastic member toward the developing agent carrier, and maintaining a pressing state of the pressing member to the elastic member by this fitting.

13. The developer cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the pressing member can move along a pressing direction for pressing the elastic member toward the developing agent carrier and a pressing release direction for releasing pressing of the elastic member to the developer carrier,

the fitting member is moved in a direction where the fitting member is fitted to the photosensitive unit by movement of the pressing member in the pressing direction and moved in a direction where the fitting member is released from the photosensitive unit by a movement of the pressing member in the pressing release direction, and

the elastic member is disposed on a downstream side in the pressing direction with respect to the pressing member, pressed by the pressing member through a movement of the fitting member to the photosensitive unit in the fitting direction and released from the pressing member through a movement of the fitting member from the photosensitive unit in a fitting releasing direction.

14. The developer cartridge according to claim 13, wherein the fitting member is formed with an inclined surface inclined with respect to a plane including movement directions of the pressing member and a plane orthogonal to the plane on at least either one of end portions in the movement directions.

15. The developer cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the fitting member has an end face in a detaching direction of the developer cartridge from the photosensitive unit formed in a flat shape along a direction parallel with an axial direction of the developing agent carrier.

16. The developer cartridge according to claim 15, wherein the end face comprises a plurality of planes each having a different angle.

17. The developer cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the pressing member also serves as a grip which is held when the developer cartridge is attached or detached.

18. The developer cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the developing agent carrier is provided on one end portion in the casing,

the elastic member is provided on the other end portion which is opposite to the one end portion in the casing, and

the pressing member is provided on the other end portion so as to be pivotable around a pivoting axis which extends in a direction identical with an axial direction of the developing agent carrier, and is brought into contact with the elastic member by pivot around the pivoting axis.

19. The developer cartridge according to claim 18, wherein the pressing member is provided inward in the axial direction in the casing and comprises a transmitting portion brought into abutment against the elastic member for transmitting an external pressing force to the elastic member.

20. The developer cartridge according to claim 18, wherein two elastic members are provided in a spaced relation in the axial direction of the developing agent carrier.

21. A developer cartridge comprising:

a casing for accommodating a developing agent;

a developing agent carrier provided on one end portion in the casing for carrying the developing agent;

an elastic member provided on the other end portion which is opposite to the one end portion in the casing;

a pressing member provided on the other end portion in the casing for pressing the elastic member toward the developing agent carrier; and

a fitting member provided on the pressing member so as to protrude outward in an axial direction of the developing agent carrier and fitted to an other member to maintain a pressing state of the pressing member to the elastic member.

22. The developer cartridge according to claim 21, wherein the pressing member can move along a pressing direction for pressing the elastic member toward the developing agent carrier and a pressing release direction for releasing pressing of the elastic member to the developer carrier, and

the elastic member is disposed on a downstream side in the pressing direction with respect to the pressing member, and pressed by the pressing member through movement of the pressing member toward the pressing direction and released from pressing by the pressing member through movement of the pressing member toward the pressing release direction.

23. The developer cartridge according to claim 22, wherein the fitting member is formed with an inclined face inclined with respect to a plane including movement directions of the pressing member and a plane orthogonal to the plane on at least either one of end portions in the movement directions.

24. The developer cartridge according to claim 22, wherein the fitting member has at least one portion of an end face in a direction intersecting with the movement directions formed in a flat shape along a direction which is parallel to the axial direction of the developing agent carrier.

25. The developer cartridge according to claim 24, wherein the end face has a plurality of planes each having a different angle.

26. A developer cartridge comprising:

a developing roller carrying a developing agent;

a developer frame accommodating the developing agent, formed with an opening on one end side, and rotatably supporting the developing roller in the vicinity of the opening;

an elastic member provided on other end side in the developer frame;

a grip provided to be pivotable between a position where the elastic member is pressed and a position where the elastic member is not pressed with a portion of the developer frame as a spindle, wherein

the grip comprises a pressing plate which can be opposed to the other end side of the developer frame, a supporting plate extending from both end edges of the pressing plate in a longitudinal direction of the developing roller toward the one end side, and a projection protruding from an outside surface in a longitudinal direction of the developing roller in the vicinity of the one end side of the supporting plate.

27. The developer cartridge according to claim 26, wherein the supporting plate is formed in a generally fan-shape tapering from the other end side to the one end side.

28. The developer cartridge according to claim 26, wherein the projection is formed in a generally truncated three-sided pyramid shape as seen from the side tapering from the other end side to the one end side.

29. The developer cartridge according to claim 26, wherein the projection is formed with an inclined surface inclined to a plane including the movement direction and a plane orthogonal to the plane at least either one of end portions in a movement direction of the grip.

30. The developer cartridge according to claim 29, wherein the projection is provided with an end face in which at least one portion of the end surface in a direction intersecting with the movement direction is formed flat along a direction in parallel with an axial direction of the developing roller,

the end surface comprises a plurality of planes with different angles.

31. A developer cartridge comprising:

a developing roller carrying a developing agent;

a developer frame accommodating the developing agent, formed with an opening on one end side, and rotatably supporting the developing roller in the vicinity of the opening; and

a grip provided on other end side in the developer frame, wherein

the grip comprises a pressing plate which can be opposed to the other end side of the developer frame, a supporting plate extending from both end edges of the pressing plate in a longitudinal direction of the developing roller toward the one end side, a projection protruding from an outside surface in a longitudinal direction of the developing roller in the vicinity of the one end side of the supporting plate, and an elastic member formed in the pressing plate so that the elastic member can be opposed to the other end side of the developer frame, and

the grip is provided to be pivotable between a position where the elastic member presses the other end side of the developer frame and a position where the elastic member does not press the other end side of the developer frame with a portion of the developer frame as a spindle.

32. A developer cartridge comprising:

a developing roller carrying a developing agent;

a developer frame accommodating the developing agent, formed with an opening on one end side, and rotatably supporting the developing roller in the vicinity of the opening; and

a grip provided on other end side in the developer frame to be pivotable between a position close to the other end side of the developer frame and a position spaced from the other end side of the developer frame with a portion of the developer frame as a spindle, wherein

the grip comprises a pressing plate which can be opposed to the other end side of the developer frame, an elastic member extending from both end edges of the pressing plate in a longitudinal direction of the developing roller toward the one end side, and a projection protruding outward in a longitudinal direction of the developing roller in the vicinity of the one end side of the elastic member.