Image-forming apparatus provided with urging member for urging process cartridge

• US 9,904,241 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2017
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Sato, Shougo
• Primary Examiner(s): BRASE, SANDRA L
• Application Number:
  US15/589,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20170242394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0879 for dispensing developer from a developer cartridge not directly attached to the development unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/10 Collecting or recycling waste developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1814 Details of parts of process cartridge, e.g. for charging, transfer, cleaning, developing G03G21/1835 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/185 the process cartridge being mounted parallel to the axis of the photosensitive member
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0132 vertical medium transport path at the secondary transfer

Abstract

An image-forming apparatus includes: a main body; a toner cartridge having a first opening; a process cartridge having a photosensitive drum and a second opening; a positioning part; a transfer unit; and an urging member. The toner cartridge and process cartridge are attachable to and detachable from the main body in an axial direction of the photosensitive drum. The positioning part and transfer unit are positioned above the process cartridge attached to the main body. The positioning part fixes the attached process cartridge in position relative to the main body. The urging member urges the attached process cartridge toward the positioning part and urges the process cartridge such that such that the toner can be supplied from the toner cartridge to the process cartridge through the first opening and the second opening when the toner cartridge and the process cartridge are attached to the main body.

Claims

1. An image-forming apparatus comprising:

a main body;

a toner cartridge attachable to the main body in a first direction, the toner cartridge accommodating toner and having a first opening;

a waste toner container attachable to the main body in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;

a process cartridge including a photosensitive drum, the process cartridge being attachable to the main body in an axial direction along an axis of the photosensitive drum, the process cartridge having a second opening, the process cartridge further comprising;

a cleaning member configured to remove toner from the photosensitive drum; and

a discharge tube having a third opening, the discharge tube being configured to discharge the toner removed by the cleaning member toward the waste toner container through the third opening;

a positioning part positioned above the process cartridge in a state where the process cartridge is attached to the main body, the positioning part being configured to fix the process cartridge in position relative to the main body in the state where the process cartridge is attached to the main body;

a transfer belt positioned above the process cartridge in the state where the process cartridge is attached to the main body; and

an urging member urging the process cartridge toward the positioning part in the state where the process cartridge is attached to the main body, the urging member being configured to urge the process cartridge to allow the second opening of the process cartridge to communicate with the first opening of the toner cartridge in a state where the toner cartridge is attached to the main body and in the state where the process cartridge is attached to the main body.

2. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the process cartridge includes:

a drum unit including the photosensitive drum; and

a developing unit including a developing roller, the developing unit being movable relative to the drum unit,

wherein the drum unit includes a first side plate and a second side plate apart from the first side plate in the axial direction, the photosensitive drum being supported by the first side plate and the second side plate, and

wherein the second side plate includes a surface, the urging member urging the surface toward the positioning part in the state where the process cartridge is attached to the main body.

3. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the main body includes a coupling,

wherein the second side plate of the drum unit includes a support part including a cylindrical part having a general cylindrical shape, the cylindrical part protruding from an outer surface of the second side plate and supporting an end of the photosensitive drum, the end of the photosensitive drum having a coupling recess, the coupling of the main body being inserted into the coupling recess in the state where the process cartridge is attached to the main body, and

wherein the support part of the drum unit includes the surface of the second side plate, the surface being positioned below the coupling recess.

4. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the developing unit is movable about a rotational shaft extending in the axial direction relative to the drum unit.

5. The image-forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process cartridge includes a surface that contacts the urging member in the state where the process cartridge is attached to the main body, the surface of the process cartridge being positioned between the second opening of the process cartridge and the third opening of the process cartridge in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction and a vertical direction.

6. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main body includes:

a coupling;

another opening, the process cartridge being attachable to the main body through the other opening; and

a cover movable between a closed position where the cover closes the other opening and an open position where the cover opens the other opening, and

wherein the main body includes a side plate, the process cartridge being positioned between the cover and the side plate of the main body in the axial direction in the state where process cartridge is attached to the main body, the coupling being disposed on the side plate of the main body.

7. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning part comprises a first positioning part and a second positioning part, the transfer belt being positioned between the first positioning part and the second positioning part in the axial direction in the state where the process cartridge is attached to the main body,

wherein the main body includes another opening and a cover movable between a closed position where the cover closes the other opening and an open position where the cover opens the other opening, the second positioning part being positioned between the cover and the first positioning part in the axial direction, and

wherein the waste toner container is positioned between the second positioning part and the cover in the axial direction.

8. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the urging member has an engaging surface, the process cartridge moving from an outside position where the process cartridge is outside the main body to an inside position where the process cartridge is inside the main body in the axial direction during attachment of the process cartridge to the main body, and

wherein the engaging surface contacts the process cartridge during attachment of the process cartridge to the main body, the engaging surface sloping upward toward downstream in a direction in which the process cartridge moves from the outside position to the inside position.

9. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the urging member includes a tension spring.

10. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toner cartridge is positioned above the process cartridge in the state where the toner cartridge is attached to the main body and in the state where the process cartridge is attached to the main body.

11. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the main body includes a receiving part receiving the toner cartridge in the state where the toner cartridge is attached to the main body, the receiving part including a bottom wall having a fourth opening communicating with the toner cartridge in the state where the toner cartridge is attached to the main body,

wherein the main body includes an input tube, the input tube including a top end communicating with the fourth opening of the receiving part and a bottom end having a fifth opening, the fifth opening communicating with the second opening of the process cartridge in the state where the process cartridge is attached to the main body.

12. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sheet tray attachable to the main body in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the sheet tray being positioned below the process cartridge in the state where the process cartridge is attached to the main body and in a state where the sheet tray is attached to the main body, the sheet tray moving from an inside position where the sheet tray is inside the main body to an outside position where the sheet tray is outside the main body in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction during detachment of the sheet tray from the main body;

a secondary transfer roller;

a first roller configured to convey a sheet from the sheet tray toward a position between the transfer belt and the secondary transfer roller;

a discharge tray positioned above the transfer belt; and

a discharge roller configured to discharge the sheet conveyed from the position between the transfer belt and the secondary transfer roller toward the discharge tray in a direction in which the sheet tray moves from the inside position to the outside position.

13. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image-reading unit configured to read image data on an original document, the image-reading unit being positioned above the main body.

14. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the image-reading unit includes:

a platen on which the original document is to be placed; and

a pressure cover supported to the platen, the pressure cover being pivotally movable with respect to the platen.