# US 11,029,639 B2 · Process cartridge

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- Number: US 11,029,639 B2
- Document ID: US11029639B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/844,176
- Filed: 2020-04-09
- Published: 2020-07-23
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-09-04
- Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Shougo Sato
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029639B2

## CPC

- G03G 21/1814: {Details of parts of process cartridge, e.g. for charging, transfer, cleaning, developing (G03G21/1835 takes precedence)}
- G03G 15/0806: {on a donor element, e.g. belt, roller (complete developer unit G03G15/0896)}
- G03G 21/0005: {for removing solid developer or debris from the electrographic recording medium}
- G03G 21/0011: {using a blade; Details of cleaning blades, e.g. blade shape, layer forming}
- G03G 21/105: {Arrangements for conveying toner waste}
- G03G 21/12: Toner waste containers
- G03G 21/1821: {means for connecting the different parts of the process cartridge, e.g. attachment, positioning of parts with each other, pressure/distance regulation (G03G21/1825 takes precedence)}
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

A process cartridge includes: a drum cartridge including a photosensitive drum; and a toner cartridge which is mountable on the drum cartridge and stores toner, wherein the drum cartridge includes: a cleaner configured to collect waste toner on the photosensitive drum; a waste toner conveyance tube configured to convey the waste toner collected by the cleaner; and a developing unit which includes a developing roller configured to supply toner to the photosensitive drum and is swingable about a swing axis with respect to the photosensitive drum, and wherein the toner cartridge has a waste toner storing chamber for storing the waste toner conveyed by the waste toner conveyance tube.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, the image forming apparatus comprising:
a process cartridge attachable to and detachable from the image forming apparatus in a first direction; and
a toner cartridge having a toner chamber for storing toner and a waste toner chamber for storing waste toner,
wherein the process cartridge comprises:
a photosensitive drum rotatable about a drum axis extending in a second direction;
a developing unit having a developing chamber configured to store toner to be supplied to the photosensitive drum, the developing unit comprising:
a developing roller for supplying toner to a peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum; and
a toner receiving portion comprising an arc shape wall, the arc shape wall having a toner receiving opening fluidly communicable with the developing chamber;
a cleaner for collecting waste toner from the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum;
a waste toner conveyance tube configured to convey the waste toner collected by the cleaner, the waste toner conveyance tube extending in the first direction and having a waste toner exhausting opening; and
a waste toner shutter movable along the waste toner conveyance tube in the first direction between:
a first closed position at which the waste toner shutter closes the waste toner exhausting opening; and
a first opened position at which the waste toner exhausting opening is opened, and
wherein the toner cartridge comprises:
a toner supplying portion comprising a cylindrical wall extending in the second direction, the cylindrical wall having a toner supply opening fluidly communicable with the toner chamber; and
a toner shutter rotatable along a surface of the cylindrical wall between:
a second closed position at which the toner shutter closes the toner supply opening; and
a second opened position at which the toner supply opening is opened,
wherein the developing roller is located at a position between the waste toner chamber and the photosensitive drum in the first direction, and
wherein a first height between a top end and a bottom end of the developing roller overlaps with a second height between a top end and a bottom end of the waste toner chamber in a horizontal direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein, when the toner cartridge is attached to the process cartridge, the waste toner shutter is at the first opened position and the toner shutter is at the second opened position.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein, when the toner cartridge is detached from the process cartridge, the waste toner shutter is at the first closed position and the toner shutter is at the second closed position.

### Claim 4

An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, the image forming apparatus comprising:
a process cartridge attachable to and detachable from the image forming apparatus in a first direction; and
a toner cartridge having a toner chamber for storing toner and a waste toner chamber for storing waste toner,
wherein the process cartridge comprises:
a photosensitive drum rotatable about a drum axis extending in a second direction;
a developing unit having a developing chamber configured to store toner for supplying to the photosensitive drum, the developing unit comprising:
a developing roller for supplying toner to a peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum; and
a toner receiving portion comprising an arc shape wall, the arc shape wall having a toner receiving opening fluidly communicable with the developing chamber;
a cleaner for collecting waste toner from the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum;
a waste toner conveyance tube configured to convey the waste toner collected by the cleaner, the waste toner conveyance tube extending in the first direction and having a waste toner exhausting opening; and
a waste toner shutter movable along the waste toner conveyance tube in the first direction between:
a first closed position at which the waste toner shutter closes the waste toner exhausting opening; and
a first opened position at which the waste toner exhausting opening is opened, and
wherein the toner cartridge comprises:
a toner supplying portion comprising a cylindrical wall extending in the second direction, the cylindrical wall having a toner supply opening fluidly communicable with the toner chamber; and
a toner shutter rotatable along a surface of the cylindrical wall between:
a second closed position at which the toner shutter closes the toner supply opening; and
a second opened position at which the toner supply opening is opened,
wherein the waste toner chamber is located at a first side opposite, with respect to the developing roller and in the first direction, a second side where the photosensitive drum is located, and
wherein a first height between a top end and a bottom end of the developing roller overlaps with a second height between a top end and a bottom end of the waste toner chamber in a horizontal direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 4,
wherein, when the toner cartridge is attached to the process cartridge, the waste toner shutter is at the first opened position and the toner shutter is at the second opened position.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 4,
wherein, when the toner cartridge is detached from the process cartridge, the waste toner shutter is at the first closed position and the toner shutter is at the second closed position.