# US 11,079,716 B2 · Image forming apparatus

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- Number: US 11,079,716 B2
- Document ID: US11079716B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/360,393
- Filed: 2019-03-21
- Published: 2019-10-03
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-29
- Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Koji Abe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079716B2

## CPC

- G03G 21/1825: {Pivotable subunit connection}
- G03G 15/087: {Developer cartridges having a longitudinal rotational axis, around which at least one part is rotated when mounting or using the cartridge}
- G03G 21/1633: {using doors or covers (G03G21/1638 takes precedence)}
- G03G 21/1647: {Mechanical connection means}
- G03G 21/1676: {for the developer unit}
- 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 21/1842: {for guiding and mounting the process cartridge, positioning, alignment, locks (G03G21/1864 and G03G21/1871 take precedence)}
- G03G 2221/1654: Locks and means for positioning or alignment
- G03G 2221/1853: having a submodular arrangement
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: a housing; a cover; a developing cartridge; and a drum cartridge including a drum frame, a photosensitive drum, a pressing member configured to press the developing roller to the photosensitive drum in a state where the developing cartridge is mounted to the drum frame, and a lock lever, the drum cartridge being mountable to an inside of the housing in a state where the developing cartridge is mounted to the drum cartridge, wherein in a state where the cover moves from the closed position to the opened position, the lock lever moves from a locked position at which the developing cartridge is prevented from being demounted from the drum frame to a non-locked position at which the developing cartridge is allowed to be demountable from the drum frame.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image forming apparatus comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a cover configured to cover the opening and being movable between a closed position at which the cover covers the opening and an opened position at which the opening is opened;
a developing cartridge including a developing roller and a developing frame having a toner accommodation chamber configured to accommodate therein toner; and
a drum cartridge including a drum frame, to which the developing cartridge is detachably mountable, a photosensitive drum, a pressing member configured to press the developing roller to the photosensitive drum in a state where the developing cartridge is mounted to the drum frame, and a lock lever configured to lock the developing cartridge to the drum frame and releasing the lock based on a manual operation, the drum cartridge being mountable to an inside of the housing in a state where the developing cartridge is mounted to the drum cartridge,
wherein in a state where the cover moves from the closed position to the opened position, the lock lever moves from a locked position at which the developing cartridge is prevented from being demounted from the drum frame to a non-locked position at which the developing cartridge is allowed to be demountable from the drum frame, and
wherein the lock lever is swingable about a second swinging axis between the locked position and the non-locked position, and lifts the developing cartridge from the drum frame when the lock lever swingably moves from the locked position to the non-locked position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:
an arm arranged to be engageable with the lock lever;
wherein the cover opens the opening by swinging about a first swinging axis, and
wherein the arm is coupled to the cover and moves the lock lever from the locked position to the non-locked position in a state where the cover moves from the closed position to the opened position.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,
wherein the lock lever has a protrusion configured to engage with the arm, and
wherein the protrusion protrudes from the drum frame in an axial direction of the developing roller and is arranged between the arm and the opening.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising:
a slide guide configured to guide sliding of the arm; and
a link configured to couple the arm to the cover,
wherein the link is rotatably coupled to the arm and the cover.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the developing cartridge has a convex portion protruding toward the opening in a state where the developing cartridge is mounted to the drum frame of the drum cartridge mounted to the inside of the housing, and
wherein the lock lever has a concave portion configured to engage with the convex portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the developing frame has a press receiving part that is to be pressed by the pressing member, and
wherein the pressing member has a pressing surface, which presses the press receiving part when the pressing member is located at a pressing position at which the developing cartridge is mounted to the drum frame, and a support surface that, when the developing cartridge is lifted from the drum frame, supports the press receiving part and keeps the lifted developing cartridge at a non-pressing position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising:
a contact protrusion coupled to the cover, the contact protrusion configured to contact the developing cartridge when the cover moves from the opened position to the closed position, and configured to move the developing cartridge from the non-pressing position to the pressing position.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the drum cartridge includes an urging member configured to urge the lock lever from the non-locked position toward the locked position.

### Claim 9

An image forming apparatus comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a cover configured to cover the opening and being movable between a closed position at which the cover covers the opening and an opened position at which the opening is opened;
a developing cartridge including a developing roller and a developing frame having a toner accommodation chamber configured to accommodate therein toner;
a drum cartridge including a drum frame, to which the developing cartridge is detachably mountable, a photosensitive drum, a pressing member configured to press the developing roller to the photosensitive drum in a state where the developing cartridge is mounted to the drum frame, and a lock lever configured to lock the developing cartridge to the drum frame and releasing the lock based on a manual operation, the drum cartridge being mountable to an inside of the housing in a state where the developing cartridge is mounted to the drum cartridge;
an arm arranged to be engageable with the lock lever;
a slide guide configured to guide sliding of the arm; and
a link configured to couple the arm to the cover,
wherein the link is rotatably coupled to the arm and the cover,
wherein in a state where the cover moves from the closed position to the opened position, the lock lever moves from a locked position at which the developing cartridge is prevented from being demounted from the drum frame to a non-locked position at which the developing cartridge is allowed to be demountable from the drum frame,
wherein the cover opens the opening by swinging about a first swinging axis, and
wherein the arm is coupled to the cover and moves the lock lever from the locked position to the non-locked position in a state where the cover moves from the closed position to the opened position.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 9,
wherein the lock lever is swingable about a second swinging axis between the locked position and the non-locked position, and lifts the developing cartridge from the drum frame when the lock lever swingably moves from the locked position to the non-locked position.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 9,
wherein the lock lever has a protrusion configured to engage with the arm, and
wherein the protrusion protrudes from the drum frame in an axial direction of the developing roller and is arranged between the arm and the opening.