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US 6,714,751 B2Granted
Connecting pin for process cartridge, and process cartridge
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsAkira Higeta, Noboru Koumura, Ryozo Yanagisawa
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AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsAkira Higeta, Noboru Koumura, Ryozo Yanagisawa
Estimating the term…
A connecting pin pivotally connects together the first frame and the second frame of a process cartridge including the first frame supporting an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a second frame supporting a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, and detachably mountable to the main body of an image forming apparatus. The pin is formed of a metallic hollow material, having slits defined by opposed edges of the metal material, and has formed on the metallic hollow material a restraining portion having a leading end as a bending proximal base with respect to the direction of insertion of the connecting pin and an outwardly extending trailing end.
A connecting pin for a process cartridge, wherein the process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main body of an image forming apparatus and comprises a first frame configured and positioned to support an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a second frame supporting developing means for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, the first frame and the second frame being pivotally connected with each other, and wherein said connecting pin comprises a metal plate made into a hollow shape, and is provided with a slit defined by opposed edges of said metal plate, and has formed on a portion thereof a restraining portion having its trailing end jutting out with its leading end as a bending proximal base in an inserting direction.
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Having a submodular arrangement: pivotable subunit connection
Having a submodular arrangement: rotational subunit connection
Electrography
Term ended 23 Nov 2021 (estimated)
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process cartridge detachably mountable to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. This invention further relates to a connecting pin for pivotally connecting two frames in the construction of the process cartridge.
The electrophotographic image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium by the use of the electrophotographic image forming process. Examples of the image forming apparatus include electrophotographic copiers, electrophotographic printers (such as laser beam printers and LED printers), facsimile apparatuses and word processors.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main body of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a pictorial perspective view of the main body of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a process cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Some preferred embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the widthwise direction of a process cartridge B is a direction in which the process cartridge B is mounted to and dismounted from a main body 14 of an apparatus, and aligned with a transporting direction of a recording medium. Also, the lengthwise direction of the process cartridge B is a direction intersecting with (substantially orthogonal to) the direction in which the process cartridge B is mounted to and dismounted from the main body 14 of the apparatus, and is parallel to the surface of the recording medium and is a direction intersecting with (substantially orthogonal to) the transporting direction of the recording medium. Also, the right or left with respect to the process cartridge is the right or left as viewed from above the recording medium with respect to the transporting direction of the recording medium.
FIG. 1 is an illustration of the construction of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus (laser beam printer) to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a pictorial perspective view thereof. FIGS. 3 to 6 are drawings regarding a process cartridge to which the embodiment of the present invention is applied. Also, in the following description, the upper surface of the process cartridge B is a top surface thereof in a state in which the process cartridge B is mounted to the main body 14 of the apparatus, and the lower surface thereof is a bottom surface thereof in the above-described state.
Electrophotographic Image Forming Apparatus A and Process Cartridge B