US 2011/0236060 A1Published application

Process cartridge

AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorTakeyuki TAKAGI

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Abstract

A process cartridge includes: a drum cartridge; a developing cartridge, which holds a developing roller at a first end portion thereof, and which is detachably mounted to the drum cartridge; a lock member, which is provided to the drum cartridge, and which is displaceable between a lock position and a lock release position; an operation member that displaces the lock member to the lock release position; a lifting member that lifts a second end portion of the developing cartridge from the drum cartridge as the lock member is displaced to the lock release position; a developing-side holding part that extends in a direction orthogonal to the lifting direction of the second end portion from the drum cartridge; and a drum-side holding part that extends in parallel with the developing-side holding part while being opposed to the developing-side holding part in the lifting direction when the developing cartridge is mounted.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A process cartridge comprising:

a drum cartridge that holds a photosensitive drum;
a developing cartridge, which holds a developing roller at a first end portion thereof, and which is detachably mounted to the drum cartridge;
a lock member, which is provided to the drum cartridge, and which is displaceable between:
a lock position at which the developing cartridge is prevented from being detached from the drum cartridge;
and
a lock release position at which detachment of the developing cartridge from the drum cartridge is permitted;
an operation member that is operated to displace the lock member from the lock position to the lock release position;
and
a lifting member that lifts a second end portion opposite to the first end portion of the developing cartridge from the drum cartridge as the lock member is displaced from the lock position to the lock release position,
wherein the developing cartridge comprises a developing-side holding part, which is provided to the second end portion of the developing cartridge, and which extends in a direction orthogonal to the lifting direction of the second end portion of the developing cartridge from the drum cartridge, and
wherein the drum cartridge comprises a drum-side holding part that extends in parallel with the developing-side holding part while being opposed to the developing-side holding part in the lifting direction when the developing cartridge is mounted to the drum cartridge.

8 more elements

A process cartridge comprising:

a drum cartridge that holds a photosensitive drum;
a developing cartridge, which holds a developing roller at a first end portion thereof, and which is detachably mounted to the drum cartridge;
a swinging member provided near the developing cartridge, the swinging member comprising:
a main body part;
a swinging shaft, which extends orthogonally from a surface of the main body part and is inserted into a hole formed in a side of the process cartridge;
a plate-shaped part, which extends downward from main body part in a direction parallel to the surface of the main body to form a first face continuous with the surface of the main body part, the first face facing the side of the process cartridge;
a lock member, which forms a substantially L-shape by extending in a direction away from the side of the process cartridge in a direction orthogonal to a second face of the plate-shaped part, the second face of the plate-shaped part being disposed on a side of the plate-shaped part that is opposite from the first face of the plate-shaped member, which was continuous with the surface of the main body part and which faces the side of the process cartridge,
wherein the lock member is displaceable between:
a lock position at which the developing cartridge is prevented from being detached from the drum cartridge;
and
a lock release position at which detachment of the developing cartridge from the drum cartridge is permitted;
an operation member, which extends from a side of the main body part opposite the developing cartridge in a direction away from the developing cartridge,
wherein the operation member is operated to displace the lock member from the lock position to the lock release position, and
wherein the operation member includes a pushing part, which is located at an end portion of operation member, and which extends away from the operation member in two directions orthogonal to the direction of extension of the operation member to form a rectangular shape;
a lifting member, which is located on a side of the main body part opposite from the operation member, and which has a curved surface extending convexly toward a curved part formed on a second end portion of the developing cartridge, the second end portion being on an opposite side of the developing cartridge from the first end portion of the developing cartridge,
wherein the lifting member lifts the second end portion from the drum cartridge as the lock member is displaced from the lock position to the lock release position;
and
a flexible piece, which has a rod shape and which extends in a direction downward, and away from the developing cartridge,
wherein the flexible piece is connected to a lower portion of the plate-shaped part on a side furthest from the developing cartridge;
wherein the developing cartridge comprises a developing-side holding part, which is provided to the second end portion of the developing cartridge, and which extends in a direction orthogonal to the lifting direction of the second end portion of the developing cartridge from the drum cartridge, and
wherein the drum cartridge comprises a drum-side holding part that extends in parallel with the developing-side holding part while being opposed to the developing-side holding part in the lifting direction when the developing cartridge is mounted to the drum cartridge.

18 more elements

A process cartridge comprising:

a drum cartridge that holds a photosensitive drum;
a developing cartridge, which holds a developing roller at a first end portion thereof, and which is detachably mounted to the drum cartridge,
wherein the developing cartridge comprises an engagement part, which protrudes from the developing cartridge toward a side of the process cartridge, the engagement part comprising:
a flat plate portion, which extends in a horizontal direction to form a rectangular shape, and
a circular arc portion that extends downwardly from a first end of the flat plate portion, the first end of the flat plate portion being closer to the first end portion of the developing cartridge than a second end of the flat plate portion,
wherein the circular arc portion curves toward the second end of the flat plate portion;
a swinging member provided near the developing cartridge, the swinging member comprising:
a main body part;
a swinging shaft, which extends orthogonally from a surface of the main body part and is inserted into a hole formed in a side of the process cartridge;
a plate-shaped part, which extends downward from main body part in a direction parallel to the surface of the main body to form a first face continuous with the surface of the main body part, the first face facing the side of the process cartridge;
a lock member, which forms a substantially L-shape by extending in a direction away from the side of the process cartridge in a direction orthogonal to a second face of the plate-shaped part, the second face of the plate-shaped part being disposed on a side of the plate-shaped part that is opposite from the first face of the plate-shaped member, which was continuous with the surface of the main body part and which faces the side of the process cartridge,
wherein the lock member is displaceable between:
a lock position at which the lock member engages the circular arc portion of engagement part of the developing cartridge to prevent the developing cartridge from being detached from the drum cartridge;
and
a lock release position at which the lock member is disengaged from the circular arc portion to permit detachment of the developing cartridge from the drum cartridge;
an operation member, which extends from a side of the main body part opposite the developing cartridge in a direction away from the developing cartridge,
wherein the operation member is operated to displace the lock member from the lock position to the lock release position, and
wherein the operation member includes a pushing part, which is located at an end portion of operation member, and which extends away from the operation member in two directions orthogonal to the direction of extension of the operation member to form a rectangular shape;
a lifting member, which is located on a side of the main body part opposite from the operation member, and which has a curved surface extending convexly toward a curved part formed on a second end portion of the developing cartridge, the second end portion being on an opposite side of the developing cartridge from the first end portion of the developing cartridge,
wherein the lifting member lifts the second end portion from the drum cartridge as the lock member is displaced from the lock position to the lock release position;
and
a flexible piece, which has a rod shape and which extends in a direction downward, and away from the developing cartridge,
wherein the flexible piece is connected to a lower portion of the plate-shaped part on a side furthest from the developing cartridge, a lock member, which is provided to the drum cartridge, and which is displaceable between:
wherein the developing cartridge comprises a developing-side holding part, which is provided to the second end portion of the developing cartridge, and which extends in a direction orthogonal to the lifting direction of the second end portion of the developing cartridge from the drum cartridge, and
wherein the drum cartridge comprises a drum-side holding part that extends in parallel with the developing-side holding part while being opposed to the developing-side holding part in the lifting direction when the developing cartridge is mounted to the drum cartridge.

22 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.