US 2014/0270845 A1Published application

Cartridge detachably mountable to main assembly of electrophotographic image forming apparatus, assembling method for drive transmitting device for photosensitive drum, and electrophotographic image forming apparatus

AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsTakuya Kawakami, Noriyuki Komatsu, Sho Shirakata, Isao Koishi

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Abstract

With a structure in which a coupling member includes a sphere providing a center of inclination (pivoting), a rotational force transmitted member has an opening have a diameter smaller than that of the sphere, and the coupling member is prevented from disengaging from rotational force transmitted member by contact of inner edge of the opening to the sphere, the inner edge of the opening may limit an inclinable (pivotable) angle range of the coupling member. In a state that a pin that is a shaft portion is inserted in a hole that is a through-hole provided in a coupling member, opposite end portions of the pin are supported by a driving side flange, which is a rotational force transmitted member. The coupling member, the driving side flange, and the pin are connected in this manner, and the pin contacts the inside of the hole without limiting the inclinable (pivotable) angle range, by which the coupling member is prevented from disengaging from the driving side flange.

Claims45

Dependent claims

A cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a main assembly side rotatable engaging portion, wherein said cartridge is demountable to an outside of said apparatus main assembly after movement in a predetermined direction substantially perpendicular to a rotational axis of the main assembly side engaging portion, said cartridge comprising:

(i) a rotatable member which is rotatable carrying a developer;
(ii) a rotatable rotational force transmitted member which includes an accommodating portion at inside thereof and to which a rotational force to be transmitted to the rotatable member is transmitted;
(iii) a rotatable coupling member including,
(iii-i) a free end portion having a rotational force receiving portion configured to receive the rotational force from the main assembly side engaging portion,
(iii-ii) a connecting portion which is connected with said rotational force transmitted member and at least a part which is accommodated in said accommodating portion so that a rotational axis of said coupling member is pivotable relative to a rotational axis of said rotational force transmitted member to permit said rotational force receiving portion to disengage from the main assembly side engaging portion with a movement of said cartridge in the predetermined direction,
(iii-iii) a through-hole penetrating said connecting portion;
and
(iv) a shaft portion capable of receiving the rotational force from said coupling member and penetrating said through-hole and supported by said rotational force transmitted member at opposite end portions thereof so that said coupling member is prevented from disengaging from said rotational force transmitted member while permitting the pivoting of said coupling member.

5 more elements

An assembling method for a drive transmission device for a photosensitive drum, said drive transmission device including a rotatable coupling member, a rotatable rotation transmitted member having an inside accommodating portion, and a shaft portion, said coupling member including a rotational force receiving portion provided at one end portion thereof with respect to a rotational axis of said coupling member, a through-hole provided at the other end portion thereof with respect to the rotational axis, and another through-hole penetrating along the rotational axis of said coupling member to said through-hole from a rotational force receiving portion side, said method comprising:

(i) a shaft portion inserting step of inserting said shaft portion into said through-hole;
(ii) a shaft portion supporting step of supporting said shaft portion by urging said shaft portion toward inside of said through-hole by a jig penetrating said another through-hole from a rotational force receiving portion side;
and
(iii) a coupling member inserting step of inserting one end portion of said coupling member into said accommodating portion together with said shaft portion.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/291,918Filed 30 May 2014
Priority: JP 2011-2669896 Dec 2011
Published: 18 Sep 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G03G 21/1671
Means for handling parts of the apparatus in the apparatus: for the photosensitive element
G03G 21/1647
For connecting the different parts of the apparatus: mechanical connection means
G03G 21/186
For transmitting mechanical drive power to the process cartridge, drive mechanisms, gears, couplings, braking mechanisms: axial couplings
Y10T 29/49826
Method of mechanical manufacture: assembling or joining