Detachable two-frame process cartridge for an image forming apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYoshiya Nomura, Tadayuki Tsuda, Shinichi Sasaki, Isao Ikemoto, Kazushi Watanabe, Hiroyuki Shirai, Toshiyuki Karkama
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes first and second frames. The first frame has an image bearing member and developing means for developing with a developer an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member. The second frame is separable from the first frame and arranged for covering an upper part of the image bearing member, the second frame having developer accommodating means for accommodating developer to be supplied to the developer means.
Claims56
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- process means for acting on said image bearing member;
- a first frame having an image bearing member, and developing means for developing with a developer an electrostatic latent image formed on said image bearing member;
- and
- a second frame, separable from said first frame, for covering an upper part of said image bearing member, said second frame having developer accommodating means fixed thereto, for accommodating developer to be supplied to said developing means.
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a first frame having an image bearing member, and developing means for developing with a developer an electrostatic latent image formed on said image bearing member;
- and
- a second frame separable from said first frame and for covering an upper part of said image bearing member, said second frame having developer accommodating means for accommodating developer to be supplied to said developing means, wherein said first frame is selectively engageable with at least two kinds of second frames having developer accommodating means with different developer accommodating capacities.
An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, and to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:
- mounting means for mounting the process cartridge, said process cartridge comprising a first frame having an image bearing member, and developing means for developing with a developer an electrostatic latent image formed on said image bearing member;
- and a second frame, separable from said first frame, for covering an upper part of said image bearing member, said second frame having developer accommodating means fixed thereto, for accommodating developer to be supplied to said developing means;
- and
- conveying means for conveying the recording material.
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a first frame having an image bearing member and process means for acting on said image bearing member;
- and
- a second frame separably engaging said first frame with an elastic sealing member therebetween;
- wherein, when said first frame and second frame are engaged, a unit process cartridge is formed.
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a first frame having an image bearing member and process means for acting on said image bearing member;
- and
- a second frame separably engaging said first frame with a sealing member therebetween;
- wherein, when said first frame and second frame are engaged, a unit cartridge is formed,
- wherein said first frame includes a cleaning blade as said process means, and said second frame includes a wall covering an accommodating portion for accommodating developer removed from said image bearing member by said cleaning blade, and
- wherein said accommodating portion is formed when said first frame and second frame are engaged.
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a first frame having an image bearing member and process means for acting on said image bearing member;
- and
- a second frame separably engaging said first frame with a sealing member therebetween;
- wherein, when said first frame and second frame are engaged, a unit cartridge is formed, and
- wherein said second frame has an exposure opening for permitting said image bearing member to be exposed to information light from said main assembly.
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a first frame having an image bearing member and process means for acting on said image bearing member;
- and
- a second frame separably engaging said first frame with a sealing member therebetween;
- wherein, when said first frame and second frame are engaged, a unit cartridge is formed, and
- wherein said first frame is selectively engageable with at least two kinds of second frames having developer accommodating means with different developer accommodating capacities.
An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, and to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:
- mounting means for mounting the process cartridge, said mounting means comprising a first frame having an image bearing member and process means for acting on said image bearing member;
- and a second frame separably engaging said first frame with an elastic sealing member therebetween;
- wherein a unit process cartridge is formed when said first frame and second frame are engaged;
- and
- conveying means for conveying the recording material.
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a first frame having an image bearing member and process means for acting on said image bearing member;
- and
- a second frame separably engageable with said first frame;
- wherein said first frame and second frame are separably engaged by locking means and an elastic member separably engageable therewith while being deformed, thus to establish a unit process cartridge, and
- wherein said second frame has an exposure opening for permitting said image bearing member to be exposed to information light from said main assembly.
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a first frame having an image bearing member and process means for acting on said image bearing member;
- and
- a second frame separably engageable with said first frame;
- wherein said first frame and second frame are separably engaged by a locking member and an elastic member engageable therewith to establish a unit cartridge, and
- wherein said first frame is selectively engageable with at least two kinds of second frames having developer accommodating means with different developer accommodating capacities.
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a first frame having an image bearing member and developing means;
- and
- a second frame, separable from said first frame, wherein a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be supplied to said developing means of said first frame is integrally formed with said second frame, and wherein, when said process cartridge is mounted to said main assembly, said first frame and second frame respectively take lower and upper positions relative to each other.
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a first frame having an image bearing member and developing means;
- and
- a second frame, separable from said first frame, wherein a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be supplied to said developing means of said first frame is integrally formed with said second frame, and wherein said second frame has an exposure opening for permitting said image bearing member to be exposed to information light from said main assembly.
A method for assembling a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- preparing a first frame having an image bearing member and developing means;
- preparing a second frame having a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be supplied to said developing means of said first frame;
- coupling the first frame and second frame with each other and
- providing an exposure opening in the second frame for permitting exposure of the image bearing member to information light from the main assembly when the process cartridge is mounted to the image forming apparatus.
A method for assembling a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- preparing a first frame having an image bearing member and developing means;
- preparing a second frame having a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be supplied to said developing means of said first frame;
- coupling the first frame and second frame with each other;
- and
- mounting said process cartridge to said main assembly, so that said first frame and second frame respectively take lower and upper positions relative to each other.
A method for assembling a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- preparing a first frame having an image bearing member and process means for acting on the image bearing member;
- preparing a second frame, separably engageable with said first frame;
- and
- coupling the first frame and second frame with each other with an elastic sealing member therebetween.
A method of filling a used process cartridge with developer, the cartridge including a first frame having an image bearing member and developing means;
- and a second frame, separable from said first frame, wherein a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be supplied to said developing means of said first frame is integrally formed with said second frame, said developer accommodating portion including an opening through which developer may be supplied from the developer accommodating portion of the second frame to the developer means of the first frame, the method comprising the steps of:
- separating the first frame and the second frame;
- sealing the opening of the developer accommodating portion with a sealing member, the sealing member being removable by an operator to permit supply of the developer from the developer accommodating portion to said developing means when the cartridge is loaded in an image processing apparatus;
- supplying developer to the developer accommodating portion;
- ;and
- coupling the first frame and the second frame after the supplying step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.