Transmission/coupling device and image forming apparatus having same

An image-forming apparatus comprising:

• at least one latent image carrier;
• and
• a transmission/coupling device for carrying out coupling/decoupling between the image carrier and a drive means corresponding thereto, wherein
• the transmission/coupling device comprises
• (a) a taper section formed at an end of a shaft of the latent image carrier,
• (b) a first coupling member mounted to the shaft and having an engagement section,
• (c) a second coupling member mounted to an output shaft of the drive means and having a cylindrical bore on a rotary axis thereof and a mating engagement section,
• wherein, upon coupling, a line contact is formed between the taper section of the shaft and the cylindrical bore of the second coupling member, said line contact defining an engagement circle, and
• the engagement section of the first coupling member is engaged with the mating engagement section of the second coupling member to define at least one power transmission point;
• the power transmission point being in a bisector plane including the engagement circle.

An image-forming apparatus comprising;

• at least one latent image carrier;
• and
• a transmission/coupling device for carrying out coupling/decoupling between the latent image carrier and a drive means corresponding thereto, wherein
• the transmission/coupling device comprises
• (a) a first coupling member mounted to a shaft of the latent image carrier and having a taper section on a rotary axis thereof and an engagement section, and
• (b) a second coupling member mounted to an output shaft of the drive means and having a cylindrical bore on a rotary axis thereof and a mating engagement section,
• wherein, upon coupling, a line contact is formed between the taper section of the first coupling member and the cylindrical bore of the second coupling member, said line contact defining an engagement circle, and
• the engagement section of the first coupling member is engaged with the mating engagement section of the second coupling member to define at least one power transmission point;
• the power transmission point being in a bisector plane including the engagement circle.

An image-forming apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of latent image carriers on which latent images are formed with different colors;
• and
• a plurality of transmission/coupling devices for carrying out coupling/decoupling between the latent image carriers and drive means corresponding thereto, respectively, so that a multicolor image is formed on a transfer medium, wherein
• each of the transmission/coupling devices comprises
• (a) a taper section formed at one end of a shaft of the latent image carrier,
• (b) a first coupling member mounted to the shaft and having an engagement section, and
• (c) a second coupling member mounted to an output shaft of the drive means and having a cylindrical bore on the rotary axis thereof and a mating engagement section,
• wherein, upon coupling, a line contact is formed between the taper section of the shaft and the cylindrical bore of the second coupling member, the line contact defining an engagement circle, and
• the engagement section of the first coupling member is engaged with the mating engagement section of the second coupling member to define at least one power transmission point;
• the power transmission point being in a bisector plane including the engagement circle.

An image-forming apparatus comprising;

• a plurality of latent image carriers on which latent images are formed with different colors;
• and
• a plurality of transmission/coupling devices for carrying out coupling/decoupling between the latent image carriers and drive means corresponding thereto, respectively, so that a multicolor image is formed on a transfer medium, wherein
• each of the transmission/coupling devices comprises
• (a) a first coupling member mounted to a shaft of the latent image carrier and having a taper section on a rotary axis thereof and an engagement section, and
• (b) a second coupling member mounted to an output shaft of the drive means and having a cylindrical bore on a rotary axis thereof and a mating engagement section,
• wherein, upon coupling, a line contact is formed between the taper section of the first coupling member and the cylindrical bore of the second coupling member, the line contact defining an engagement circle, and
• the engagement section of the first coupling member is engaged with the mating engagement section of the second coupling member to define at least one power transmission point;
• the power transmission point being in a bisector plane including the engagement circle.