PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20080159774A1
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Noguchi, Tomio, Nittani, Susumu, Toba, Shinjiro, Tanabe, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 7,715,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/90
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1842 for guiding and mounting the process cartridge, positioning, alignment, locks G03G21/1864 and G03G21/1871 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/166 Electrical connectors

Abstract

A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus of an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus including a main assembly urging member and a main assembly positioning portion, the cartridge includes a photosensitive drum; a portion-to-be-positioned for positioning the cartridge by engaging with the main assembly positioning portion when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus; a first portion-to-be-urged for being urged to a first urging portion of the main assembly urging member to urge the portion-to-be-positioned to the main assembly positioning portion when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus; a second portion-to-be-urged for being urged to a second urging portion of the main assembly urging member to urge the portion-to-be-positioned to the main assembly positioning portion when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus; a cartridge electrical contact, provided between the first portion-to-be-urged and the second portion-to-be-urged with respect to a horizontal direction crossing with an axis of the drum, for connecting electrically to a main assembly electrical contact portion provided in the main assembly urging member, when the cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus.

Claims

1. A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus of an image forming apparatus, said image forming apparatus including a main assembly urging member and a main assembly positioning portion, said process cartridge comprising:

a photosensitive drum;

a portion-to-be-positioned for positioning said process cartridge by engaging with the main assembly positioning portion when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus;

a first portion-to-be-urged for being urged to a first urging portion of the main assembly urging member to urge said portion-to-be-positioned to the main assembly positioning portion when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus;

a second portion-to-be-urged for being urged to a second urging portion of the main assembly urging member to urge said portion-to-be-positioned to the main assembly positioning portion when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus;

a cartridge electrical contact, provided between said first portion-to-be-urged and said second portion-to-be-urged with respect to a horizontal direction crossing with an axis of said photosensitive drum, for connecting electrically to a main assembly electrical contact portion provided in the main assembly urging member, when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus.

2. A process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein in a state in which said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus, said portion-to-be-positioned is disposed at a lower position of said process cartridge, and said first portion-to-be-urged, said second portion-to-be-urged and said cartridge electrical contact are disposed at an upper position.

3. A process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said portion-to-be-positioned is supported by the main assembly positioning portion at two points, and a substrate having said cartridge electrical contact is disposed on a madiator of the two points.

4. A process cartridge according to claim 3, wherein said portion-to-be-positioned is a shaft receiving portion for supporting said photosensitive drum which has the axis on the madiator.

5. A process cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a projection including a first positioning portion for positioning the main assembly urging member with respect to an axial direction of said photosensitive drum and a second positioning portion for positioning the main assembly urging member with respect to a horizontal direction crossing with the axial direction of said photosensitive drum.

6. A process cartridge according to claim 5, wherein said projection is provided at each side of a substrate having said cartridge electrical contact with respect to the horizontal direction.

7. A process cartridge according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said first positioning portion and said second positioning portion have enough heights to position the main assembly urging member before said main assembly electrical contact portion contacts said cartridge electrical contact.

8. An image forming apparatus, to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, for forming an image on a recording material, said image forming apparatus comprising:

(i) a main assembly urging member including a first urging portion, a second urging portion, and a main assembly electrical contact portion;

(ii) a main assembly positioning portion for positioning said process cartridge when said process cartridge is mounted to a main assembly of said image forming apparatus;

(iii) a photosensitive drum;

a mounting member for detachably mounting said process cartridge, said process cartridge including, a portion-to-be-positioned for positioning said process cartridge by engaging with said main assembly positioning portion when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of said image forming apparatus;

a first portion-to-be-urged for being urged to a first urging portion of the main assembly urging member to urge said portion-to-be-positioned to the main assembly positioning portion when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus,

a second portion-to-be-urged for being urged to a second urging portion of the main assembly urging member to urge said portion-to-be-positioned to the main assembly positioning portion when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus,

a cartridge electrical contact, provided between said first portion-to-be-urged and said second portion-to-be-urged with respect to a horizontal direction crossing with an axis of said photosensitive drum, for connecting electrically to a main assembly electrical contact portion provided in the main assembly urging member, when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a drawer member movable between a mounting position which is inside of the main assembly of the apparatus and a drawn position which is drawn from the mounting position and at which said process cartridge is mountable.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said drawer member is capable of mounting a plurality of such process cartridges.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein, said drawer member is movable relative to the main assembly of the apparatus substantially in a horizontal direction which is crossing with said photosensitive drum.