# US 10,310,437 B2 · Drum unit and image forming apparatus

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- Number: US 10,310,437 B2
- Document ID: US10310437B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/968,060
- Filed: 2018-05-01
- Published: 2018-11-22
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-19
- Assignees: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
- Applicants: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
- Inventors: Hiroaki Ohashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310437B2

## CPC

- G03G 15/751: {relating to drum (G03G15/757 takes precedence)}
- H05B 3/40: Heating elements having the shape of rods or tubes (H05B3/62, H05B3/68, H05B3/78 take precedence)
- G03G 21/203: {Humidity}
- H05B 3/0014: {Devices wherein the heating current flows through particular resistances}
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

A drum unit includes a photosensitive drum and a heater. The photosensitive drum rotates around a rotation axis extending along a rotation axis direction. The heater is installed inside the photosensitive drum and heats the photosensitive drum. The heater includes a heater substrate and a plurality of resistance elements. The heater substrate extends along the rotation axis direction. The plurality of resistance elements are aligned in the rotation axis direction and are mounted on the heater substrate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A drum unit comprising:
a photosensitive drum rotating around a rotation axis extending along a rotation axis direction; and
a heater installed inside the photosensitive drum and heating the photosensitive drum, wherein
the heater includes:
a heater substrate extending along the rotation axis direction; and
a plurality of resistance elements aligned in the rotation axis direction and mounted on the heater substrate,
the drum unit further comprising:
a flange attached to an end portion of the photosensitive drum at an outside in the rotation axis direction; and
a supporter extending along the rotation axis direction and penetrating through the flange, wherein
the heater is supported by the supporter,
the drum unit further comprising:
a connector arranged at an outside of the photosensitive drum; and
a wire connecting the heater to the connector, wherein
the supporter is formed in a tubular shape,
the wire passes through an inside of the supporter,
the heater is supported by the supporter in a cantilever manner,
the drum unit further comprising a cylindrical heater cover covering an outer circumference of the heater,
on an end portion at an inside in the rotation axis direction of an outer circumferential face of the supporter, an annular fitting groove is provided, and an end portion at the outside in the rotation axis direction of the heater cover is fitted into the fitting groove, and
at an end portion at the inside in the rotation axis direction of the supporter, a pair of split grooves are provided at both sides of the fitting groove, and an end portion at the outside in the rotation axis direction of the heater substrate is inserted into the pair of split grooves.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The drum unit according to claim 1, further comprising a cap attached to an end portion of the supporter at the outside in the rotation axis direction, wherein
the supporter has a slit extending along the rotation axis direction, and
the wire passes through the slit at an inside of the cap in the rotation axis direction and is pulled out to an outside of the supporter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The drum unit according to claim 1, further comprising:
a frame supporting the supporter; and
a metal plate integrated with the supporter, wherein
the metal plate is fixed to the frame.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The drum unit according to claim 1, wherein
the photosensitive drum is formed by an amorphous silicon photoreceptor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The drum unit according to claim 1, wherein
the heater cover has a plurality of communication holes through which an inside of the heater cover and an outside of the heater cover communicate with each other, and
the plurality of communication holes are provided at intervals in the rotation axis direction and a circumferential direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

An image forming apparatus comprising:
the drum unit according to claim 1; and
an apparatus main body to which the drum unit is attached.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The drum unit according to claim 1, wherein
the heater cover includes:
a main body part configured to cover an outer circumference of the heater; and
a closing part configured to close an end portion in the rotation axis direction of the main body part.