Cartridge
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsAkinobu Hirayama, Takahito Ueno, Toshiaki Takeuchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotational force is transmitted to a main assembly side feeding member for feeding the toner into a main assembly side toner accommodating portion from a coupling member provided on a cartridge. The cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a discharge opening configured to discharge the toner removed from the photosensitive drum toward the main assembly side feeding member, and a coupling member configured to transmit the rotational force to the main assembly side feeding member. The coupling member is movable between a first position for transmitting the rotational force to the main assembly side feeding member and a second position retracted from the first position.
Claims30
A process cartridge comprising:
- a frame including a first chamber and a second chamber;
- a photosensitive drum supported by the frame, the photosensitive drum being rotatable about an axis thereof, and a part of the photosensitive drum being positioned in the first chamber;
- toner contained in the second chamber;
- a developing roller configured to develop a latent image formed on the photosensitive drum with the toner contained in the second chamber;
- a first coupling member including a projection that is exposed to outside of the process cartridge;
- and
- a second coupling member provided adjacent to an opening in the process cartridge, the second coupling member including (i) a shaft and (ii) a projection at an end of the second coupling member, the second coupling member being movable between a first position and a second position, with the projection of the second coupling member being closer to the axis of the photosensitive drum when the second coupling member is in the second position,
- wherein the first coupling member is operatively connected to the developing roller and the second coupling member such that a rotational force can be transmitted from the first coupling member to the developing roller and the second coupling member, and
- wherein the first chamber is in fluid communication with the opening, with the second coupling member forming at least a part of a passageway through which the toner can move from the first chamber to the opening.
A cartridge comprising:
- a frame;
- a rotatable member supported by the frame;
- a first coupling member operatively connected to the rotatable member such that the first coupling member is capable of transmitting a rotational force to the rotatable member, the first coupling member including a projection that is exposed to outside of the cartridge;
- and
- a toner feeding screw rotatably supported by the frame, the toner feeding screw being configured to move toner in the cartridge;
- and
- a second coupling member including a projection at an end of the second coupling member,
- wherein the first coupling member is operatively connected to the toner feeding screw and the second coupling member such that a rotational force can be transmitted from the first coupling member to toner feeding screw and the second coupling member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.