Process cartridge and electrophotographic image forming apparatus

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a motor;
• (b) a driving rotatable member for receiving driving force from said motor;
• (c) a hole defined by twisted surfaces, said hole being substantially coaxial with said driving rotatable member;
• (d) a mounting member for detachably mounting a process cartridge, said process cartridge including:
• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• process means actable on said photosensitive drum;
• and
• a projection engageable with said twisted surfaces, said projection provided at a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, wherein when said projection is non-twisted, and when said main assembly driving rotatable member rotates with said hole and projection engaged with each other, rotational driving force is transmitted from said driving rotatable member to said photosensitive drum through engagement between the hole and said projection;
• and
• (e) a feeding member for feeding the recording material.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a motor;
• (b) a driving rotatable member for receiving driving force from said motor;
• (c) a twisted recess having a non-circular cross-section and substantially coaxial with a rotation axis of said driving rotatable member;
• (d) a mounting member for detachably mounting a process cartridge, said process cartridge including:
• a rotatable electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• process means actable on said photosensitive drum;
• a projection provided at a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, having a non-circular cross-section and substantially coaxial with a rotation axis of said photosensitive drum, wherein said projection is non-twisted, and said projection of said photosensitive drum has such a dimension and configuration that it can take a first relative rotational position with respect to said recess of said driving rotatable member in which relative rotational movement therebetween is permitted, and a second relative rotational position with respect to said recess of said driving rotatable member in which relative rotational movement is prevented in one rotational direction, while the rotation axis of said driving rotatable member and the rotation axis of said photosensitive drum are substantially aligned;
• and
• (e) a feeding member for feeding the recording material.

A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein said main assembly includes a motor, a driving rotatable member for receiving driving force from the motor, and a non-twisted projection, the projection being substantially coaxial with the driving rotatable member, said process cartridge comprising:

• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• process means actable on said photosensitive drum;
• and
• a hole defined by twisted surfaces, said hole being provided at a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, wherein, when the driving rotatable member rotates with the projection and hole engaged with each other, rotational driving force is transmitted from the driving rotatable member to said photosensitive drum through engagement between said hole and the projection.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a motor;
• (b) a driving rotatable member for receiving driving force from said motor;
• (c) a non-twisted projection, which is substantially coaxial with said driving rotatable member;
• (d) a mounting member for detachably mounting a process cartridge, said process cartridge including:
• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• process means actable on said photosensitive drum;
• and
• a hole defined by twisted surfaces, said hole being provided at a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, wherein when said driving rotatable member rotates with said projection and hole engaged with each other, rotational driving force is transmitted from said driving rotatable member to said photosensitive drum through engagement between said hole and said projection;
• and
• (e) a feeding member for feeding the recording material.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a motor;
• (b) a driving rotatable member for receiving driving force from said motor;
• (c) a non-twisted projection which is substantially coaxial with said driving rotatable member;
• (d) a mounting member for detachably mounting a process cartridge, said process cartridge including:
• a rotatable electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• process means actable on said photosensitive drum;
• and
• a recess defined by twisted surfaces, said recess being provided at a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, and being substantially coaxial with a rotation axis of said photosensitive drum, wherein said recess of said photosensitive drum has such a dimension and configuration that it can take a first relative rotational position with respect to said projection of said driving rotatable member in which relative rotational movement therebetween is permitted, and a second relative rotational position with respect to said projection of said driving rotatable member in which relative rotational movement is prevented in one rotational direction, while the rotation axis of said driving rotatable member and the rotation axis of said photosensitive drum are substantially aligned;
• and
• (e) a feeding member for feeding the recording material.

A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein the main assembly includes a motor, a driving rotatable member for receiving driving force from the motor, and a non-twisted hole, the hole being substantially coaxial with the driving rotatable member, said process cartridge comprising:

• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• process means actable on said photosensitive drum;
• and
• a twisted projection engageable with the hole, said projection being provided at a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, wherein when the driving rotatable member rotates with the hole and projection engaged with each other, rotational driving force is transmitted from the driving rotatable member to said photosensitive drum through engagement between the hole and said projection.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a motor;
• (b) a driving rotatable member for receiving driving force from said motor;
• (c) a non-twisted hole which is substantially coaxial with said driving rotatable member;
• (d) a mounting member for detachably mounting a process cartridge, said process cartridge including:
• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• process means actable on said photosensitive drum;
• and
• a twisted projection engageable with said hole, said projection being provided at a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, wherein when said driving rotatable member rotates with said hole and projection engaged with each other, rotational driving force is transmitted from said driving rotatable member to said photosensitive drum through engagement between said hole and said projection;
• and
• (e) a feeding member for feeding the recording material.

A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein the main assembly includes a motor, a driving rotatable member for receiving driving force from the motor, and a hole defined by twisted surfaces, the hole being substantially coaxial with said driving rotatable member, said process cartridge comprising:

• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a charging member for charging said photosensitive drum;
• a developing member for developing a latent image formed on said photosensitive drum;
• a cleaning member for removing toner remaining on said photosensitive drum;
• and
• a projection engageable with the twisted surfaces, said projection being provided at a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, wherein said projection is non-twisted, and when the driving rotatable member rotates with the hole and the projection engaged with each other, rotational driving force is transmitted from the driving rotatable member to said photosensitive drum through engagement between the hole and said projection, and
• wherein said projection is contacted to an entrance of the hole to transmit the driving force, and said projection is not contacted to an inclined surface of the hole, and wherein said projection has a substantially prism shape.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, to which a process cartridge is detachably mountable, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a motor;
• (b) a driving rotatable member for receiving driving force from said motor;
• (c) a hole defined by twisted surfaces, said hole being substantially coaxial with said driving rotatable member;
• (d) a mounting member for detachably mounting a process cartridge, said process cartridge including:
• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a charging member for charging said photosensitive drum;
• a developing member for developing a latent image formed on said photosensitive drum;
• a cleaning member for removing toner remaining on said photosensitive drum;
• and
• a projection engageable with the twisted surfaces, said projection being provided at a longitudinal end of said photosensitive drum, wherein said projection is non-twisted, and when the driving rotatable member rotates with the hole and projection engaged with each other, rotational driving force is transmitted from the driving rotatable member to said photosensitive drum through engagement between the hole and said projection, and
• wherein said projection is contacted to an entrance of the hole to transmit the driving force, and said projection is not contacted to an inclined surface of the hole, and wherein said projection has a substantially prism shape;
• and
• (e) a feeding member for feeding the recording material.

A driving force transmitting part for transmitting a driving force to an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and to a developing roller for developing a latent image formed on the photosensitive drum, wherein the photosensitive drum and the developing roller are contained in a process cartridge which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus which includes a motor, a main assembly gear for transmitting a driving force from the motor, and a twisted hole formed in the main assembly gear at a central portion thereof and having a substantially triangular cross section, said driving force transmitting part comprising:

• a drum gear for transmitting the driving force received from said main assembly to the developing roller when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly;
• a shaft provided at a central portion of said drum gear;
• and
• a non-twisted projection in the form of a substantially triangular prism provided at an end of said shaft and which is engageable with the twisted hole of the main assembly to receive the driving force from the main assembly when the process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly.

An electrophotographic photosensitive drum for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the apparatus including a motor, a driving rotatable member for transmitting a driving force from the motor, and a twisted hole formed in the driving rotatable member at a central portion thereof and having a non-circular cross section with a plurality of corner portions, said electrophotographic photosensitive drum comprising:

• a cylindrical member having a photosensitive layer on a circumferential surface thereof;
• and
• a non-twisted projection provided at an end of said cylindrical member, said projection having a non-circular cross section with a plurality of corner portions and being engageable with the twisted hole for receiving the driving force from said driving rotatable member,
• wherein when said electrophotographic photosensitive drum is mounted to a main assembly of the image forming apparatus, said projection is engaged with the twisted hole to receive the driving force for rotating said electrophotographic photosensitive drum.

An electrophotographic photosensitive drum for a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the main assembly including a motor, a main assembly gear for transmitting a driving force from the motor, and a twisted hole formed in the main assembly gear at a central portion thereof and having a substantially triangular cross section, said electrophotographic photosensitive drum comprising:

• a. a cylindrical member having a photosensitive layer on a circumferential surface thereof;
• and
• b. a driving force transmitting part mounted to an end of said cylindrical member, said transmitting part including:
• a drum gear for transmitting the driving force from the main assembly to a developing roller when said electrophotographic photosensitive drum is mounted to the main assembly;
• a shaft provided at a center of said drum gear;
• and
• a non-twisted projection in the form of a substantially triangular prism provided at an end of said shaft, for engaging with the twisted hole to receive the driving force from the main assembly when said electrophotographic photosensitive drum is mounted to the main assembly,
• wherein said driving force transmitting part receives the driving force from the main assembly through engagement between the twisted hole and said projection and transmits the driving force to said electrophotographic photosensitive drum through said shaft and to the developing roller through said drum gear.

A driving force transmitting part for transmitting a driving force to an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and to a developing roller for developing a latent image formed on the photosensitive drum, wherein said driving force transmitting part is mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus which includes a motor, a main assembly gear for transmitting a driving force from the motor, and a hole defined by twisted surfaces, the hole being substantially coaxial with said main assembly gear, said driving force transmitting part comprising:

• a drum gear for transmitting the driving force received from the main assembly to the developing roller when said driving force transmitting part is mounted to the main assembly;
• a shaft provided at a central portion of said drum gear;
• and
• a projection engageable with the twisted surfaces, said projection being provided at an end of said shaft, wherein said projection is non-twisted, and when the main assembly gear rotates with the hole and said projection engaged with each other, rotational driving force is transmitted from the main assembly gear to said photosensitive drum through engagement between the hole and said projection.

An electrophotographic photosensitive drum for a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the main assembly including a motor, a main assembly gear for transmitting a driving force from the motor, and a hole defined by twisted surfaces, the hole being substantially coaxial with the main assembly gear, said electrophotographic photosensitive drum comprising:

• a. a cylindrical member having a photosensitive layer on a circumferential surface thereof;
• and
• b. a driving force transmitting part mounted to an end of said cylindrical member, said transmitting part including:
• a drum gear for transmitting the driving force from the main assembly to a developing roller when said electrophotographic photosensitive drum is mounted to the main assembly;
• a shaft provided at a center of said drum gear;
• and
• a projection engageable with the twisted surfaces, said projection being provided at an end of said shaft, wherein said projection is non-twisted, and when the main assembly gear rotates with the hole and said projection engaged with each other, rotational driving force is transmitted from the main assembly gear to the photosensitive drum through engagement between the hole and said projection.