Cartridge Having Coupling Member and Detection Body

• US 20130051833A1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Itabashi, Nao, Kamimura, Naoya
• Granted Patent: US 8,995,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/90
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/065 Arrangements for controlling the potential of the developing electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0889 for agitation or stirring
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1676 for the developer unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1864 associated with a positioning function
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1896 mechanical or optical identification means, e.g. protrusions, bar codes

Abstract

In a cartridge, a housing has a developer accommodating portion and includes a first side wall and a second side wall. A coupling member is disposed at a position opposite to the developer accommodating portion with respect to the first side wall. A detection body is disposed at a position opposite to the developer accommodating portion with respect to the second side wall. A first driving force transmission member is positioned at the same side with the coupling member with respect to the first side wall, and transmits driving force from the coupling member to a rotating member. A second driving force transmission member is positioned at the same side with the detection body with respect to the second side wall, and transmits driving force from the rotating member to the detection body.

Claims

1. A cartridge, comprising:

a housing that has a developer accommodating portion configured to accommodate developer therein and that includes a first side wall and a second side wall, the first side wall and the second side wall being spaced apart from each other in a predetermined direction and opposing with each other in the predetermined direction, a from-first-to-second direction being defined along the predetermined direction as being directed from the first side wall to the second side wall;

a coupling member configured to receive driving force from outside, the coupling member is disposed at a position opposite to the developer accommodating portion with respect to the first side wall;

a detection body for being detected by an external detecting unit, the detection body is disposed at a position opposite to the developer accommodating portion with respect to the second side wall;

a rotating member that is configured to rotate around a rotational axis extending in the predetermined direction, at least part of the rotating member being disposed between the first and second side walls;

a first driving force transmission member configured to rotate together with the rotating member around the rotational axis, positioned at the same side with the coupling member with respect to the first side wall, and configured to transmit the driving force from the coupling member to the rotating member; and

a second driving force transmission member configured to rotate together with the rotating member around the rotational axis, positioned at the same side with the detection body with respect to the second side wall, and configured to transmit the driving force from the rotating member to the detection body.

2. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection body is at least partly overlapped with the coupling member when the detection body and the coupling member are projected in the predetermined direction.

3. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotating member includes an agitating member that is configured to agitate developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion.

4. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a developing roller that is configured to carry developer thereon; and

a developing electrode that is positioned at the same side with the detection body with respect to the second side wall and that is configured to be electrically connected with the developing roller,

wherein the developing electrode including an electric-power receiving protrusion protruding from the developing electrode in a direction away from the second side wall along the predetermined direction, the electric-power receiving protrusion being configured to be supplied with electric power from outside,

wherein the detection body is formed of an insulating material and is rotatably supported by the electric-power receiving protrusion.

5. The cartridge as claimed in claim 4, wherein the electric-power receiving protrusion is at least partly overlapped with the coupling member when the electric-power receiving protrusion and the coupling member are projected in the predetermined direction.

6. The cartridge as claimed in claim 4, wherein the detection body including:

a first opening that extends in a rotating direction of the detection body and that exposes part of the electric-power receiving protrusion; and

a covering portion that is configured to cover part of the electric-power receiving protrusion.

7. The cartridge as claimed in claim 6, wherein the covering portion includes:

a first covering portion that is disposed in a midway of the first opening in the rotating direction of the detection body and that is configured to cover the electric-power receiving protrusion from outside in a perpendicular direction that is perpendicular to the predetermined direction; and

a second covering portion that is configured to cover the electric-power receiving protrusion from outside in the predetermined direction.

8. The cartridge as claimed in claim 7, wherein the covering portion includes a plurality of the first covering portions.

9. The cartridge as claimed in claim 8, wherein the number of the first covering portions corresponds to information on the cartridge.

10. The cartridge as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first covering portion continuously covers a half or more part of an entire length of the electric-power receiving protrusion in the rotating direction.

11. The cartridge as claimed in claim 10, wherein a length of the first covering portion in the rotating direction corresponds to information on the cartridge.

12. The cartridge as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first covering portion includes:

a first inclined surface; and

a second inclined surface,

the first inclined surface being provided on an upstream side of the second inclined surface in the rotating direction, and being inclined to separate away from a rotational axis of the detection body toward a downstream side in the rotating direction,

the second inclined surface being continuous with a downstream side of the first inclined surface in the rotating direction and being inclined to approach the rotational axis of the detection body toward a downstream side in the rotating direction.

13. The cartridge as claimed in claim 7, wherein the electric-power receiving protrusion has a terminal end in the from-first-to-second direction, and the second covering portion includes a fitting portion fitted with the terminal end of the electric-power receiving protrusion.

14. The cartridge as claimed in claim 13, wherein the electric-power receiving protrusion is in a tubular shape, and the fitting portion fitted into an inside of the terminal end of the electric-power receiving protrusion.

15. The cartridge as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a projection protruding from the second side wall in the from-first-to-second direction to the outside of the housing and being configured to be fitted in the electric-power receiving protrusion.

16. The cartridge as claimed in claim 6, wherein the detection body is configured to move relative to the electric-power receiving protrusion from a first position through a second position to a third position, the first, second, and third positions being different from one another,

the detection body located at the first position allowing the electric-power receiving protrusion to be supplied with electric power via the first opening,

the detection body located at the second position preventing the electric-power receiving protrusion from being supplied with electric power by the covering portion,

the detection body located at the third position allowing the electric-power receiving protrusion to be supplied with electric power via the first opening.

17. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotating member includes a developing roller that is configured to carry developer thereon.

18. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotating member includes a supplying roller that is configured to supply developer to a developing roller that is configured to carry developer thereon.

19. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection body includes a tooth-missing gear having a teeth portion and a tooth-missing portion, the teeth portion being configured to receive the driving force, the tooth-missing portion being configured not to receive the driving force.

20. The cartridge as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a cover that covers at least the tooth-missing gear, the cover being formed with a second opening exposing part of the detection body.

21. The cartridge as claimed in claim 20, wherein the cover has an outer side end surface in the from-first-to-second direction, the detection body has an outer side end surface in the from-first-to-second direction, and wherein the outer side end surface of the cover overlaps with the outer side end surface of the detection body when the cover and the detection body are projected in a perpendicular direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

22. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first driving force transmission member includes a first gear that is configured to receive the driving force from the coupling member, and the second driving force transmission member includes a second gear that is configured to output the driving force to the detection body,

wherein a number of teeth provided on the first gear and a number of teeth provided on the second gear are different from each other.

23. The cartridge as claimed in claim 22, wherein the number of teeth provided on the first gear is greater than the number of teeth provided on the second gear.