Process cartridge remanufacturing method, disassembling method and assembling method, positioning and connecting apparatus and process cartridge
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKazumi Sekine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A disassembling method is disclosed for a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge includes covering members connected to a drum supporting frame and a developer container at ends of the drum supporting frame and the developer accommodating container with respect to a longitudinal direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum. The disassembling method includes a step of cutting the cover member adjacent to a connecting portion between the cover member and the drum supporting frame and a connecting portion between the cover member and the developer accommodating container along an outer wall of the covering member.
Claims23
A disassembling method for a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein the process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a drum supporting frame configured and positioned to rotatably support the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developer accommodating container configured to accommodate a developer to be supplied to the developing rollers, a developing device frame configured and positioned to support the developing roller, and covering members connected to the drum supporting frame and the developer accommodating container at ends of the drum supporting frame and the developer accommodating container with respect to a longitudinal direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, said disassembling method comprising:
- a step of cutting said covering members adjacent to a connecting portion between the covering members and the drum supporting frame and a connecting portion between the covering members and the developer accommodating container along an outer wall of the covering members, wherein the developing device frame of the process cartridge supports the developing roller, and the developing device frame has an arm portion projected toward the drum supporting frame at one longitudinal end of the developing roller and is rotatably connected to the drum supporting frame by a pin member adjacent to a free end portion of the arm portion;
- and
- a step of removing the pin member after said covering members cutting step.
A disassembling method for a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein the process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a drum supporting frame configured and positioned to rotatably support a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, an exposure opening extending in the longitudinal direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum to permit light from exposure means provided in the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus to be incident on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developer accommodating container configured to accommodate a developer to be supplied to the developing roller, a developing device frame configured and positioned to support the developing roller, and covering members connected to the drum supporting frame and the developer accommodating container at ends of the drum supporting frame and the developer accommodating container with respect to a longitudinal direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, an image transfer opening configured and positioned to transfer onto a recording material a visualized image provided by the developing roller from an electrostatic latent image on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum, said disassembling method comprising:
- a step of cutting a portion of the process cartridge between one longitudinal end portion of the exposure opening and one longitudinal end portion of the image transfer opening adjacent the one longitudinal end portion of the exposure opening, along an outer wall of the process cartridge.
A process cartridge remanufacturing method for remanufacturing a process cartridge which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and which includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a frame configured and positioned to cover the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and the process means, said method comprising:
- (a) a step of mounting at least one pair of positioning members on the frame;
- (b) a step of cutting a portion of the process cartridge between the one pair of positioning members into divided parts;
- and
- (c) a step of connecting the divided parts by a connecting member while the parts are positioned with respect to the pair of positioning members.
A process cartridge disassemblying method for remanufacturing a process cartridge which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and which includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a frame covering the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and the process means, said method comprising:
- (a) a step of mounting at least one pair of positioning members on the frame;
- (b) a step of cutting a portion of the process cartridge between the pair of positioning members into divided parts;
- and
- (c) a step of connecting the divided parts by a connecting member while the parts are positioned with respect to the pair of positioning members.
An assembling method for a process cartridge which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and which includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a frame covering the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and the process means, said method comprising:
- (a) a step of preparing a process cartridge which has been divided into parts by mounting at least one pair of positioning members on the frame and cutting the process cartridge at a portion thereof between the positioning members constituting the pair;
- and
- (b) a step of connecting the divided parts by a connecting member while the parts are positioned with respect to the pair of positioning members.
A positioning and connection apparatus for connecting frames provided by cutting a process cartridge which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and which includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a frame covering the process means, said apparatus comprising:
- a pair of positioning members mounted on the frame prior to cutting the frame;
- a coupling member mounted to said pair of positioning members to connect said cut frame;
- and
- positioning means for determining the relative position between said pair of positioning members and said coupling member.
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:
- an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
- process means actable on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
- a frame configured and positioned to cover said process means,
- a first frame portion of said frame;
- a second frame portion of said frame;
- and
- at least one pair of positioning members, wherein one of said positioning members is mounted to said first frame portion, and another one of said positioning members is mounted to said second frame portion;
- wherein said first frame portion and said second frame portion are connected to each other by said at least one pair of positioning members extending between said first frame portion and said second frame portion and a coupling member connecting said positioning members constituting the pair, with each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.