Image forming apparatus and process cartridge detachably mountable to same
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHisayoshi Kojima, Masaki Ohtake, Toshiki Nagase, Mitsugu Inomata
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a plurality of developing devices for supplying a developer to the image bearing member, the developing devices each having a first electric contact; a second electric contact for establishing electric connection with the apparatus when the cartridge is mounted in the image forming apparatus; and a selector for selecting one of the first electric contacts, the selector being effective to electrically connecting the selected first electric contact and the second contact.
Claims32
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:
- a photosensitive member;
- first developing means for developing a latent image formed on said photosensitive member;
- second developing means for developing, in a color different from that developed by said first developing means, a latent image formed on said photosensitive member;
- a common electric contact for establishing an electric connection with an electric contact of the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly;
- a first electric contact, connected to said first developing means, for supplying a voltage to said first developing means;
- a second electric contact, connected to said second developing means, for supplying a voltage to said second developing means;
- and
- selecting means, mounted coaxially with said photosensitive member, for selectively establishing by rotational contact an electric connection between said common electric contact and one of said first electric contact and said second electric contact.
An image forming apparatus having a main assembly to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said image forming apparatus comprising:
- a mounting portion for mounting to said image forming apparatus a process cartridge that includes a photosensitive member;
- first developing means for developing a latent image formed on the photosensitive member;
- second developing means for developing, in a color different from that developed by the first developing means, a latent image formed on the photosensitive member;
- a common electric contact for establishing an electric connection with an electric contact of the main assembly when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly;
- a first electric contact, connected to the first developing means, for supplying a voltage to the first developing means;
- a second electric contact, connected to the second developing means, for supplying a voltage to the second developing means;
- and selecting means, mounted coaxially with the photosensitive member, for selectively establishing by rotational contact an electric connection between the common electric contact and one of the first electric contact and the second electric contact;
- a main assembly contact for establishing an electric connection with the common electric contact of the process cartridge when the process cartridge is mounted to said mounting portion;
- and
- a voltage source connected to said main assembly contact.
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:
- a photosensitive member;
- a first developer including a first developing roller disposed adjacent to said photosensitive member to develop in a first color a latent image formed on said photosensitive member;
- a second developer including a second developing roller disposed adjacent to said photosensitive member to develop, in a second color different from said first color, a latent image formed on said photosensitive member;
- a third developer including a third developing roller disposed adjacent to said photosensitive member to develop, in a third color different from said first and second colors, a latent image formed on said photosensitive member;
- a first electric contact, connected to said first developer, for supplying a voltage to said first developer;
- a second electric contact, connected to said second developer, for supplying a voltage to said second developer;
- a third electric contact, connected to said third developer, for supplying a voltage to said third developer;
- a movable common electric contact for establishing an electric connection between one of said first, second, and third electric contacts and an electric contact of the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly;
- and
- a selector, mounted coaxially with said photosensitive member, for selecting one of said first, second, and third electric contacts to establish by rotational contact an electric connection between said common electric contact and said selected electric contact.
An image forming apparatus having a main assembly to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said image forming apparatus comprising:
- a mounting portion for mounting to said image forming apparatus a process cartridge that includes a photosensitive member;
- a first developer including a first developing roller disposed adjacent to the photosensitive member to develop a latent image formed on the photosensitive member;
- a second developer including a second developing roller disposed adjacent to the photosensitive member to develop, in a second color different from the first color, a latent image formed on the photosensitive member;
- a third developer including a third developing roller disposed adjacent to the photosensitive member to develop, in a third color different from the first and second colors, a latent image formed on the photosensitive member;
- a first electric contact, connected to the first developer, for supplying a voltage to the first developer;
- a second electric contact, connected to the second developer, for supplying a voltage to the second developer;
- a third electric contact, connected to the third developer, for supplying a voltage to the third developer;
- a movable common electric contact for establishing an electric connection between one of the first, second, and third electric contacts and an electric contact of said main assembly when the process cartridge is mounted to said main assembly;
- and a selector, mounted coaxially with said photosensitive member, for selecting one of the first, second, and third electric contacts to establish by rotational contact an electric connection between the common electric contact and the selected electric contact;
- a main assembly contact for establishing an electric connection with the common electric contact of the process cartridge when the process cartridge is mounted to said mounting portion;
- and
- a voltage source connected to said main assembly contact.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.