Image forming apparatus and process cartridge
AssigneeCanon Kabushik Kaisha
InventorsHiraku Sasaki, Yasushi Shimizu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To provide an image forming apparatus in which variations in the contact pressure produced between a photosensitive drum and a developing roller is suppressed, whereby image quality can be improved. A development unit and a drum unit are rotatably connected to each other with a link member interposed therebetween. Gears for transmitting a driving force are supported at two rotation support points of the link member, whereby the driving force is transmitted to the development unit.
Claims15
A process cartridge mountable into and demountable from an image-forming-apparatus body, the process cartridge comprising:
- an image bearing member;
- a first frame member by which the image bearing member is rotatably supported;
- a developer bearing member that is pressed against the image bearing member and with which an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member is developed;
- a second frame member by which the developer bearing member is rotatably supported;
- a link member rotatably connected to the first frame member and the second frame member at a first axis and a second axis located at a position different from a position at which the first axis is located on a plane perpendicular to an axis of the developer bearing member, respectively, and connecting the first frame member and the second frame member to each other in such a manner as to be movable with a two-joint link mechanism;
- an urging member urging the first frame member and the second frame member such that the image bearing member and the developer bearing member are pressed against each other;
- a first gear rotatably provided at the first axis and receiving a driving force from a drive source provided on the apparatus body;
- and
- a second gear rotatably provided at the second axis and transmitting the driving force from the first gear to the developer bearing member.
An image forming apparatus forming an image on a recording medium, the apparatus comprising:
- an image bearing member;
- processing means acting on the image bearing member;
- a first frame member by which one of the image bearing member and the processing means is rotatably supported;
- a second frame member by which the other of the image bearing member and the processing means is rotatably supported;
- a link member rotatably connected to the first frame member and the second frame member at a first axis and a second axis located at a position different from a position at which the first axis is located on a plane perpendicular to an axis of the developer bearing member, respectively, and connecting the first frame member and the second frame member to each other in such a manner as to be movable with a two-joint link mechanism;
- an urging member urging the first frame member and the second frame member such that the image bearing member and the processing means are pressed against each other;
- a first gear rotatably provided at the first axis and receiving a driving force from a drive source;
- and
- a second gear rotatably provided at the second axis and transmitting the driving force from the first gear to the processing means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.