Developing apparatus having reciprocating cleaning device for photodetector

A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a) an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• and
• b) a developing device for developing a latent image on said electrophotographic photosensitive member, including:
• a toner container for containing toner to be used by said developing device for developing the latent image;
• a light transmitting member for transmitting light for detecting that an amount of the toner in said toner container is smaller than a predetermined level;
• a cleaning member, disposed in said toner container, for cleaning an inside surface of said light transmitting member;
• a toner stirring member, disposed in said toner container, for stirring the toner contained in said toner container:
• a driving member for receiving a driving forge from the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to said image forming apparatus;
• a stirring member reciprocating means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said toner stirring member;
• and
• cleaning member reciprocation means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said cleaning member with a degree of displacement larger than that of said stirring member.

An image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, comprising:

• a) mounting means for mounting a process cartridge, said process cartridge including:
• an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• a developing member for developing a latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• a toner container for containing toner to be used by said developing member for developing the latent image;
• a light transmitting member for transmitting light for detecting that an amount of the toner in said toner container is smaller than a predetermined level;
• a cleaning member, disposed in said toner container, for cleaning an inside surface of said light transmitting member;
• a toner stirring member, disposed in said toner container, for stirring the toner contained in said toner container;
• a driving member for receiving a driving force from a main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to said image forming apparatus;
• a stirring member reciprocating means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said toner stirring member;
• and
• cleaning member reciprocation means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said cleaning member with a degree of displacement larger than that of said stirring member;
• and
• b) detecting means for detecting that the amount of the toner in said toner container is smaller than the predetermined level.

A developing apparatus, useable with an image forming apparatus, for developing a latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member, said apparatus comprising:

• a developing member for developing the latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• a toner container for containing toner to be used by said developing member to develop the latent image;
• a light transmitting member for transmitting light for detecting that an amount of the toner in said toner container is smaller than a predetermined level;
• a reciprocable stirring member, disposed in said toner container, for stirring the toner in said toner container;
• a cleaning member, disposed in said toner container, for cleaning an inside surface of said light transmitting member;
• a driving member for receiving a driving force from the image forming apparatus when said developing apparatus is mounted to said image forming apparatus;
• a stirring member reciprocating means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said reciprocable stirring member;
• and
• cleaning member reciprocation means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said cleaning member with a degree of displacement larger than that of said stirring member.

An image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, comprising:

• a) mounting means for mounting a process cartridge, said process cartridge including:
• an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• a developing member for developing a latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• a toner container for containing toner to be used by said developing member for developing the latent image;
• a light transmitting member for transmitting light for detecting that an amount of the toner in said toner container is smaller than a predetermined level;
• a reciprocable stirring member, disposed in said toner container, for stirring the toner in said toner container;
• a cleaning member, disposed in said toner container, for cleaning an inside surface of said light transmitting member;
• a driving member for receiving a driving force from the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to said image forming apparatus;
• a stirring member reciprocating means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said reciprocable stirring member;
• and
• cleaning member reciprocation means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said cleaning member with a degree of displacement larger than that of said stirring member;
• and
• b) detecting means for detecting that the amount of the toner in said toner container is smaller than the predetermined level.

A developing apparatus, useable with an image forming apparatus, for developing a latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member, said apparatus comprising:

• a developing member for developing the latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• a toner container for containing toner to be used by said developing member to develop the latent image;
• a first light transmitting member, provided in said toner container, for transmitting light emitted from a light emitting means into said toner container;
• a second light transmitting member, provided in said toner container, for transmitting the light through said toner container to outside thereof;
• a reciprocable stirring member, disposed in said toner container, for stirring the toner in said toner container;
• a first cleaning member, disposed in said toner container and supported on an end of a supporting member, for cleaning an inside surface of said first light transmitting member;
• a second cleaning member, supported on another end of said supporting member, for cleaning said second light transmitting member;
• a driving member for receiving a driving force from the image forming apparatus when said developing apparatus is mounted to said image forming apparatus;
• a stirring member reciprocating means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said reciprocable stirring member;
• and
• cleaning member reciprocation means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said first cleaning member and said second cleaning member with a degree of displacement larger than that of said stirring member.

A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a) an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• and
• b) a developing device for developing a latent image on said electrophotographic photosensitive member, including:
• a toner container for containing toner to be used by said developing device for developing the latent image;
• a first light transmitting member, provided in said toner container, for transmitting light emitted from light emitting means into said toner container;
• a second light transmitting member, provided in said toner container, for transmitting the light through said toner container to outside thereof;
• a reciprocable stirring member, disposed in said toner container, for stirring the toner in said toner container;
• a first cleaning member, supported on an end of a supporting member, for cleaning said first light transmitting member;
• a second cleaning member, supported on another end of a supporting member, for cleaning said second light transmitting member;
• a driving member for receiving a driving force from the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to said image forming apparatus;
• stirring member reciprocating means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said reciprocable stirring member;
• and
• cleaning member reciprocation means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said first cleaning member and said second cleaning member with a degree of displacement larger than that of said stirring member.

An image forming apparatus to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, comprising:

• a) mounting means for mounting a process cartridge, said process cartridge including:
• an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• a developing member for developing a latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• a toner container for containing toner to be used by said developing member for developing the latent image;
• a first light transmitting member, provided in said toner container, for transmitting light emitted from light emitting means into said toner container;
• a second light transmitting member, provided in said toner container, for transmitting the light through said toner container to outside thereof;
• a reciprocable stirring member, disposed in said toner container, for stirring the toner in said toner container;
• a first cleaning member, disposed in said toner container and supported on an end of supporting member, for cleaning an inside surface of said first light transmitting member;
• a second cleaning member, disposed in said toner container and supported on another end of a supporting member, for cleaning an inside surface of said second light transmitting member;
• a driving member for receiving a driving force from a main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to said image forming apparatus;
• a stirring member reciprocating means for receiving the driving force from said
• driving member to reciprocate said reciprocable stirring member;
• and
• cleaning member reciprocation means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said first cleaning member and said second cleaning member with a degree of displacement larger than that of said stirring member;
• and
• b) detecting means for detecting that the amount of the toner in said toner container is smaller than the predetermined level.

A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a) an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• and
• b) a developing device for developing a latent image on said electrophotographic photosensitive member, including:
• a toner container for containing toner to be used by said developing device for developing the latent image;
• a first light transmitting member, provided in said toner container, for transmitting light emitted from a light emitting element into said toner container;
• a second light transmitting member, provided in said toner container, for transmitting the light through said toner container to outside thereof;
• a reciprocable stirring member, disposed in said toner container, for stirring the toner in said toner container;
• a first cleaning element, supported on an end of a supporting member, for cleaning said first light transmitting member;
• a second cleaning element, supported on another end of said supporting member, for cleaning said second light transmitting member;
• a driving member for receiving a driving force from the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to said image forming apparatus;
• a stirring member reciprocating device for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said reciprocable stirring member;
• a cleaning member reciprocation device for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said first cleaning element and said second cleaning element with a degree of displacement larger than that of said stirring member, wherein said stirring member reciprocation device comprises a transmission for transmitting a reciprocating force of said stirring member to said supporting member, said transmission being engaged with said supporting member at a position deviated from a rotational shaft of said supporting member, wherein the deviation is smaller than a distance between an axis of the rotational shaft and an end of one of the first and second cleaning elements;
• a stopper for stopping the reciprocal motion;
• and
• a bearing for said supporting member integral with said stopper, said bearing supporting said first and second cleaning elements;
• and
• c) a charging device for charging said electrophotographic photosensitive member.

A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a) an electrophotographic photosensitive member;
• and
• b) a developing device for developing a latent image on said electrophotographic photosensitive member, including:
• a toner container for containing toner to be used by said developing device for developing the latent image;
• a light transmitting member for transmitting light for detecting that an amount of the toner in said toner container is smaller than a predetermined level;
• a reciprocable toner stirring member, disposed in said toner container, for stirring the toner contained in said toner container;
• a cleaning member, disposed in said toner container, for cleaning an inside surface of said light transmitting member;
• a driving member for receiving a driving force from the main assembly when said process cartridge is mounted to said image forming apparatus;
• a stirring member reciprocating means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said toner stirring member;
• and
• cleaning member reciprocation means for receiving the driving force from said driving member to reciprocate said cleaning member with a degree of displacement larger than that of said stirring member.