US 2009/0290905 A1Published application

Image forming apparatus and process cartridge

AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsTatsubumi Mizuno, Kazufumi Muto

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording material, detachably mounts a process cartridge including a photosensitive drum, and includes first and second positioning portions respectively positioning the drum upstream and downstream with respect to a cartridge mounting direction, a coupling engaging a drum coupling and transmitting a driving force to the drum, and a support supporting the cartridge at a first position for positioning the drum to the first and second positioning portions and at a second position spacing the drum away from the first and second positioning portions to permit cartridge mounting and dismounting. The support includes a guide engaging the cartridge, and a third positioning portion limiting cartridge rotation relative to the first and second positioning portions when the coupling transmits a driving force to the drum coupling and for positioning the cartridge lower portion at an upstream position with respect to the mounting direction.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, wherein a process cartridge including a photosensitive drum and process means actable on said photosensitive drum is detachably mountable to a main assembly of said image forming apparatus in a direction of an axis of said photosensitive drum, said image forming apparatus comprising:

a first positioning portion, provided above said process cartridge, for positioning, with respect to a direction crossing with the axis of said photosensitive drum, said photosensitive drum at an upstream position with respect to a mounting direction in which said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the apparatus;
a second positioning portion, provided above said process cartridge at a downstream position with respect to the mounting direction, for positioning said photosensitive drum with respect to a direction crossing with the axis of said photosensitive drum;
a main assembly coupling, provided at a downstream position with respect to the mounting direction, for engaging with a drum coupling provided at an end of said photosensitive drum transmitting a driving force to said photosensitive drum;
and
a supporting member for supporting said process cartridge at a first position for positioning said photosensitive drum to said first positioning portion and second positioning portion and at a second position for spacing said photosensitive drum away from the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion to permit mounting and dismounting said process cartridge relative to said main assembly of said apparatus, said supporting member including a guide portion for engaging with a portion-to-be-guided provided at a lower portion of said process cartridge to guide said process cartridge along the mounting direction, and a third positioning portion for limiting rotation of said process cartridge relative to the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion when said main assembly coupling transmits a driving force to said drum coupling and for positioning the lower portion of said process cartridge at an upstream position with respect to the mounting direction.

2 more elements

A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, the main assembly including a main assembly coupling, a first positioning portion, a second positioning portion, a supporting member movable between the first position and the second position and provided below the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion, the supporting member including a guide portion and a third positioning portion, comprising:

a photosensitive drum;
process means actable on said photosensitive drum;
a drum coupling, provided at an end of said photosensitive drum, for engagement with the main assembly coupling at a downstream position with respect to a mounting direction in which said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly and which is substantially parallel with a direction of an axis of said photosensitive drum;
a first portion-to-be-positioned, provided at an upper portion of said process cartridge, to be positioned with respect to a direction crossing with the axis of said photosensitive drum by contacting to the first positioning portion at a position upstream with respect to the mounting direction when the supporting member supporting said process cartridge is at the first position;
a second portion-to-be-positioned, provided at an upper portion of said process cartridge, to be positioned with respect to a direction crossing with the axis of said photosensitive drum by contacting to the second positioning portion at a position downstream with respect to the mounting direction when the supporting member supporting said process cartridge is at the first position;
a portion-to-be-guided engageable with the guide portion to be guided in a direction of the axis of said photosensitive drum when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly;
and
a third portion-to-be-positioned, provided at a lower portion of said process cartridge, for being limited by the third positioning portion to prevent rotation of said process cartridge relative to the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion at an upstream position with respect to the mounting direction when the main assembly coupling transmits a driving force to said drum coupling.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.