Cartridge
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsSatoru Ishikawa, Keita Shimizu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cartridge may include a conveyor roller extending along a rotational axis and a bearing member for rotatably supporting the conveyor roller. The conveyor roller may include a larger-diameter portion for conveying a sheet, and a smaller-diameter portion. The bearing member may rotatably support the smaller-diameter portion of the conveyor roller, and engage the housing. In one or more arrangements, the entire smaller-diameter portion of the conveyor roller may be located at a more outward position, relative to a midpoint of the larger-diameter portion, than a portion of the bearing member supporting the smaller-diameter portion of the conveyor roller.
Claims20
A cartridge comprising:
- a housing;
- a sheet conveyor roller having a rotational axis, the sheet conveyor roller comprising:
- a first portion configured to convey a sheet;
- and
- a second portion having a smaller diameter than the first portion, wherein the second portion extends from the first portion to an end of the sheet conveyor roller in a first direction in which the rotational axis of the sheet conveyor roller extends;
- and
- a bearing member configured to rotatably support the sheet conveyor roller, and comprising:
- a support portion configured to rotatably support the second portion;
- and
- an engagement portion configured to engage with the housing,
- wherein, when the bearing member supports the sheet conveyor roller, an entirety of the second portion is located at a more outward position, relative to a midpoint of the sheet conveyor roller, than the engagement portion of the bearing member in the first direction in which the second portion extends from the first portion.
A cartridge comprising:
- a housing;
- a metal roller longitudinally extending along a rotational axis, and comprising:
- a sheet conveying portion;
- and
- a protruding portion having a smaller diameter than the sheet conveying portion, the protruding portion extending from a longitudinal end of the sheet conveying portion;
- and
- a bearing member configured to rotatably support the metal roller, and comprising:
- a support portion configured to rotatably support the protruding portion of the roller;
- and
- an engagement portion configured to engage with the housing,
- wherein, when the bearing member supports the metal roller, an entirety of the protruding portion of the metal roller is located at a more outward position, relative to a longitudinal midpoint of the metal roller, than the engagement portion of the bearing member in a first direction in which the rotational axis extends.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.