CN1049984C - Process cartridge, image forming system mountable same therein and method for assembling cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

An image bearing member, process device acting on the image bearing member, a first frame, a second frame lockable and separable with respect to the first frame, a locking body and a locking member lockable to the locking body, provided to separably interlock the first and second frames, and a recessed portion and a projection fittable into the recessed portion which are provided to separably interlock the first and second frames. With above construction it is possible to provide a process cartridge, an image forming system, and a method for assembling a cleaning device, which can be easily assembled and can sufficiently cope a large when the number of re-cycles.

Description

Process cartridge, image forming system having the process cartridge and method for assembling cleaning device

The present invention relates to a process cartridge, an image forming system to which the process cartridge is mounted, and a method for assembling a cleaning device. Such imaging systems may be embodied, for example, as xerographic copiers, laser printers, facsimile machines, word processors, and the like.

In an imaging system such as a copier, a latent image is formed by intermittently exposing a uniformly charged image-bearing member, and the latent image is developed into a toner image with a toner, and the toner image is then Transfer to the recording paper, and form an image on the recording paper. In such image forming systems, whenever the toner is used up, it must be filled with new toner. The operation of filling the toner is not only troublesome, but also often causes environmental pollution. Furthermore, most users are inconvenienced since the various parts or components can only be maintained by experts in the process.

In order to eliminate the above-mentioned defects and inconvenience, for example, in a kind of imaging system disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,985,436, No. 4,500,195, No. 4,540,268 and No. 4,627,701, which has been put into the market and put into practical use, it passes the image-carrying part, the charger , the developing device and the cleaning device are assembled into a process cartridge that can be detachably assembled in the imaging system, so that the image forming system such as the developing cartridge that has run out of toner or the load that has expired Parts etc. can be easily replaced, thereby facilitating maintenance.

In the above-mentioned process box, the frame of the process box is divided into upper frame and lower frame two parts to improve its assembly capacity (Japanese patent application No. 2-301779, USSN 785401, EP-A91402953.3, Chinese patent application 91-19663 No. and Korean Patent Application No. 91-19663), and the above-mentioned upper frame and the lower frame are engaged with each other by screws, or by fitting the locking pawl formed on one frame of the frame to the other frame. The locking hole makes the upper frame and the lower frame lock each other.

However, the above connection techniques have the following disadvantages:

When the upper frame and the lower frame are joined only with screws, a large number of screws must be used in order to eliminate gaps or notches between the joined frames, thereby degrading its assembling ability and causing an increase in cost.

On the other hand, when adopting the connection mode of the locking pawl and the locking hole, if the upper frame and the lower frame have sufficient hardness, there is no problem. However, if the rigidity of the two frames is not enough, the relative displacement between the upper frame and the lower frame will easily occur. Furthermore, when the operator connects the upper frame and the lower frame, a gap may be created between the two frames and the locking pawl may be damaged.

Furthermore, when the number of times the same process cartridge is recycled increases, the locking force between the locking claw and the locking hole decreases or is lost.

Besides, if the above-mentioned assembly is mounted on the process cartridge in a press-fit manner, when the number of times the same process cartridge is recycled increases, gaps are generated at the junction.

In particular, it is highly desirable to recycle the process cartridge from the viewpoint of protecting the global environment, and thus, it is desired to provide a process cartridge that is more easily recyclable. "Recycling" of process cartridges here refers to the fact that used process cartridges are collected from the market and disassembled to replace only waste and/or bad (worn out) parts (other parts can be recycled use), and then assemble the process cartridge into a new process cartridge.

Incidentally, in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent No. 3,985,436, although it has been described that the relevant devices that have been used for a predetermined period of time have been collected to be reused (involving 16 columns 38-62 lines), there is no specific information about recycling. describe.

An object of the present invention is to provide a process cartridge; an image forming system in which the process cartridge can be loaded; and a method for assembling a cleaning device, and which can be recycled.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a process cartridge; an image forming system in which the process cartridge can be loaded; and a method for assembling a cleaning device, and which is suitable for multiple cycles.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a process cartridge; an image forming system in which the process cartridge is loaded; and a method for assembling a cleaning device, which can remarkably improve the assembling ability.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a process cartridge; an image forming system in which the process cartridge can be loaded; and a method for assembling a cleaning device, the process cartridge capable of remarkably improved detachability.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a process cartridge; an image forming system in which the process cartridge can be loaded; and a method for assembling a cleaning device, wherein the used process collected from the market The cartridges can be efficiently disassembled and recycled.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a process cartridge; an image forming system in which the process cartridge can be loaded; and a method for assembling a cleaning device, the process cartridge being sufficiently adaptable to multiple cycles.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a process cartridge; an image forming system in which the process cartridge can be loaded; and a method for assembling a cleaning device, the process cartridge can ensure that the upper frame and the lower frame are repeated securely locked to each other.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a process cartridge; an image forming system in which the process cartridge can be loaded; and a method for assembling a cleaning device in which related parts can be repeatedly mounted. In the attached picture,

Fig. 1 is a front sectional view of a copying machine in which a process cartridge according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is installed.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the copying machine in a state where the paper feed tray is opened.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the copying machine in a state where the paper feed tray is closed.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the process cartridge.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the process cartridge.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the process cartridge in an inverted state.

Fig. 7 is an exploded sectional view of the process cartridge when the upper and lower frames are separated.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the internal construction of the lower frame.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the internal construction of the upper frame.

Figure 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the photosensitive drum of the process cartridge.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining measurement of charging noise.

Fig. 12 is a graph of charging noise measurements in relation to filler position.

Figure 13 is a perspective view of the photosensitive drum ground connection.

Figure 14 is a perspective view of a photosensitive drum ground connection according to another embodiment.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which the ground connection for the photosensitive drum is not branched.

Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of an unbranched ground connection for a photosensitive drum.

Fig. 17 is an elevational view showing the assembled structure of the charging roller.

FIG. 18A is a perspective view of the exposure shutter, and FIG. 18B is a partial sectional view of the exposure shutter.

Figure 19 is a sectional view showing a non-magnetic toner adding device with a stirring impeller.

Fig. 20 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the positional relationship between the photosensitive drum (9) and the developing tube (12d) and the structure for pressurizing the developing tube.

Fig. 21A is a sectional view along the line of Fig. 20A-A, and Fig. 21B is a sectional view along the line of Fig. 20B-B.

Fig. 22 is a sectional view for explaining the pressing force acting on the developing tube.

Figure 23 is a perspective view of the above squeeze paper in a curled state.

Fig. 24A is a perspective view showing a state in which the double-sided tape protrudes with the bottom edge of the squeeze paper, and Figs. 24B and 24C are views showing a state in which an adhesive member is pasted on the protruding double-sided tape.

Fig. 25A is a perspective view showing the state where the lower part of the bent extruded paper is stuck to the surface of the curved joint, and Fig. 25B is a perspective view showing the state where the upper part of the extruded paper is stretched due to the loosening of the bent part of the joint .

Figure 26 is a perspective view of a squeeze paper according to another embodiment in which the width of the squeeze paper linearly tapers from its two sides toward the center.

Fig. 27 is a perspective view for explaining that the surface of the squeezed paper attachment is curved by being squeezed.

Fig. 28 is a diagram showing a state in which a recording medium is conveyed through the bottom surface of the lower frame.

Fig. 29 is a sectional view showing the state of the photosensitive drum finally assembled.

Fig. 30 is a sectional view showing the state of the bonded developing sheet and cleaning sheet.

Figure 31 is an exploded view for explaining assembly of the process cartridge.

Figure 32 is a view for explaining the position of the guide when the photosensitive drum of the process cartridge is assembled.

Figure 33 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of the photosensitive drum guide installed at both ends of the supporting member.

Figure 34 is a perspective view for explaining the state of engagement of the photosensitive drum and the supporting member of the developing tube.

Figure 35 is a sectional view of a photosensitive drum and a developing tube mounted with a supporting member.

Fig. 36 is a perspective view for explaining the cover film and the draw tape.

Fig. 37 is a perspective view showing the state when the drawstring is protruded from a holding member.

Fig. 38 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an operator holds the process cartridge.

Fig. 39A is a flow chart showing the process cartridge assembly and installation sequence, and Fig. 39B is a flow chart showing the process cartridge detachment and cleaning sequence.

Figure 40 is a perspective view showing the state of the image forming system in which the process cartridge has been installed.

Figure 41 is a perspective view showing the state in which the process cartridge image forming system of Figure 24 has been installed.

Fig. 42 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of three connecting members in the image forming system.

Fig. 43 is a cross-sectional view of the construction of the above three connectors.

Fig. 44 is a cross-sectional view for explaining relative position positioning between the lower frame and the lens.

Fig. 45 is a sectional view for explaining positioning relative to the lower frame and the original glass support.

Figure 46 is a perspective view showing the engaged position of the positioning pin.

Figure 47 is a schematic elevational view showing the relationship between the rotary shafts of the photosensitive drum and the developing tube and the rotary shaft supporting member, and the direction of transmission of driving force from the photosensitive drum driving gear to the flange gear.

Figure 48 is an exploded perspective view of a developing tube according to an embodiment in which the developing tube can be easily rotated.

Figure 49 is a schematic elevational view of the developing tube in Figure 48 .

Fig. 50 is a vertical sectional view showing the upper frame and the lower frame in a separated state.

Figure 51 shows the gears and contacts mounted on the photosensitive drum.

Figure 52 is an elevational view of a receiving member for a developing tube according to another embodiment, and Figure 52B is an end view of the receiving member of Figure 52A.

Fig. 53 is an elevational view showing the way of installing the developing sheet and the cleaning sheet inside the imaging system with pins.

Fig. 54 is an elevational view of a finally assembled state of a photosensitive drum according to another embodiment.

Figure 55 is an elevational sectional view of a supporting member for supporting a photosensitive drum and a developing tube according to another embodiment.

Fig. 56 is a schematic diagram of a transmission for transmitting driving force from a driving motor of an image forming system to various components.

Figures 57 and 58 are perspective views showing the state when the flange gear of the photosensitive drum and a gear integral with the flange gear protrude from the lower frame.

Figure 59 shows the gear train that transmits the driving force from the driving gear of the image forming system to the photosensitive drum and the transfer roller.

Figures 60A and 60B show different developing cartridge driven transports using magnetic and non-magnetic toners in the developing cartridges.

Fig. 61 is an exploded perspective view for explaining installation of a cleaning sheet.

Fig. 62 is a partial plan view of the cleaning sheet before installation.

Fig. 63 is a partial plan view of the installed cleaning sheet.

64, 65 and 66 are plan views for explaining the assembly of the cleaning sheet.

Fig. 67 is a partial plan view of a cleaning sheet according to another embodiment, wherein the mounting lug of the cleaning sheet has a circular end surface.

68 is a partial perspective view of a cleaning sheet according to yet another embodiment, wherein the mounting lugs on the cleaning sheet have rounded tapered portions thereof.

Figure 69 is a partial plan view of a cleaning sheet according to yet another embodiment with a tape adhered to its tapered portion.

Figure 70 is a partial plan view of a cleaning sheet according to yet another embodiment wherein the tapered portion has been coated with oil.

The preferred embodiment is described in detail below.

First, a process cartridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and an image forming system using the process cartridge will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Overall structure of a process cartridge and an image forming system equipped with the process cartridge:

First, the overall configuration of the imaging system is briefly described. Incidentally, Fig. 1 is a front sectional view of a copying machine as an example of the image forming system in which such a process cartridge has been installed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the copier with the paper feed tray opened. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the copier with the paper feed tray closed. Figure 4 is a front sectional view of the process cartridge. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the process cartridge. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the process cartridge in an inverted state.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the imaging system A optically reads image information on an original or document 2 through an original reading device 1 during operation. The recording medium placed on the paper feed tray 3 or inserted by hand from the paper feed tray 3 is supplied to the image forming station of the process cartridge B via the conveying device 5, and the developer (i.e., later Said "toner") is transferred to the recording medium 4 by the transfer device 6. Thereafter, the recording medium 4 is sent to a fixing device 7, where the transferred toner image is permanently fixed on the recording medium 4. Then, this recording medium is sent onto the discharge tray 8 .

This process box that has bounded this image forming station is uniformly charged on the surface of the photosensitive drum (image supporting member) 9 that is rotating by a charging device 10, after this by exposing device 11 to illuminate the reading device 1 on the photosensitive drum to read On the photosensitive drum 9, a latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 9, and then, the latent image is made into a toner image by the developing device 12, after the toner image is transferred to the recording medium 4 by the transfer device 6 , the residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 9 is removed by the cleaning device 13 .

Incidentally, the process cartridge B is formed as a cartridge member by housing the photosensitive drum 9 or the like in a frame comprising a first or upper frame 14 and a second or lower frame 15 . Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the frames 14, 15 are made of high impact polystyrene resin (HIPS), the thickness of the upper frame 14 is about 2 mm, and the thickness of the lower frame 15 is about 2.5 mm. Of course, the frame is not limited to the material and thickness as described above, but can be appropriately selected.

Next, various components of the image forming system A and the process cartridge loaded in the image forming system will be fully described.

imaging system

First, various components of the imaging system A will be described. (original reading device)

The original reading device 1 is used to optically read the information written on the original, as shown in Figure 1, it includes a kind of original glass support 1a, the support is installed on the top of the imaging system body 16, on which Original 2 is placed. An original holding cover 1b with a sponge layer 1b1 on its inner surface is mounted on the original glass support 1a, and is capable of opening and closing movement. The original glass supporting member 1a and the original holding cover 1b mounted on the imaging system body 16 are reciprocally slidable in the left and right directions in FIG. On the other hand, a lens unit 1c is mounted below the original glass support at the upper part of the imaging system body 16, and includes a light source 1c1 and a short focus lens array 1c2.

In such a situation, when the original 2 is placed on the support member with the image side buckled to the glass support member, the light source 1c1 is turned on, and the glass support member slides in the left and right direction of FIG. 1, the photosensitive drum of the process cartridge B 9 will be exposed by the light reflected from the original 2 through the lens array 1c2. (Recording medium conveying device)

The conveying device 5 is used to convey the recording medium placed on the paper supply tray 3 to the image forming station and the fixing device 7 . More specifically, after a large number of recording media 4 are stacked on the paper feeding tray 3 or a single recording medium 4 is inserted into the paper feeding tray by hand, the front edge of this recording medium is close to the paper feeding roller 5a and close to the paper feeding roller 5a. At the joint between the friction pads of the rollers, after the copy start button A3 is pressed, the paper feed roller 5a starts to rotate, and the recording medium 4 is conveyed and separated and sent to a pair of registration rollers 5c1, 5c2, which are rotated according to the image forming operation. The recording medium is conveyed. After the image forming operation is completed, the recording medium 4 is conveyed to the fixing device 7 by the conveying belt 5d, and then conveyed to the discharge tray 8 by a pair of discharge rollers 5f1, 5f2. (transfer device)

The transfer means 6 is used to transfer the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 9 to the recording medium 4, and in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, it includes a transfer roller 6. More specifically, the recording medium on the photosensitive drum 9 in the process cartridge B provided in the image forming system is driven by the transfer roller 6 in the image forming system, and by providing the transfer roller 6 with a photosensitive The toner image formed on the drum 9 has a voltage of opposite polarity, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum 9 is transferred to the recording medium 4. (fixing device)

The fixing device 7 acts on the toner image that has been transferred onto the recording medium by applying a voltage to the transfer roller 6. As shown in FIG. 1, the fixing device includes a heat-resistant fixing film 7e wound and Extending between the driving wheel 7a, the heating body 7c supported by the bracket 7b and the tension piece 7d, the tension piece is biased by the tension spring 7f to apply a tension to the fixing film 7e, and a pressure roller 7g passes through the intervening The fixing film 7e is closely attached to the heating body 7c so that the fixing film 7e can press the heating body 7c with a predetermined pressure required for the fixing operation.

The heating body 7c is made of a heat-resistant material such as aluminum oxide, and has a heat-generating surface, which includes a group of metals with a width of about 160 μm and a length (dimension perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1) of about 216 mm made of, for example, Ta ₂ N. Wire-shaped or sheet-shaped parts, and these parts are arranged on the lower surface of the support 7b, and the support is made of insulating materials or composite materials containing insulating materials, and the heating surface is also covered with, for example, Ta ₂ O made protective layer. The lower surface of the heating body 7c is flat, and the front and rear ends of the heating body are rounded for smooth movement of the fixing film 7e. The fixing film 7e is made of heat-treated polyester and is about 9 µm thick. The fixing film is rotated clockwise by the rotation of the drive roller 7a. When the recording medium 4 on which the toner image is transferred passes between the fixing film 7e and the pressure roller 7g, the toner image is fixed on the recording medium 4 by heat and pressure.

In order to discharge or dissipate the heat generated by the fixing device 7 from the image forming system, a cooling fan 17 is provided in the image forming system main body 1b. For example, when the copy start button _A3 (FIG. 2) is pressed, the cooling fan rotates to generate an air flow (FIG. 1) that flows into the imaging system from the recording medium supply inlet and out from the recording medium outlet. Various components, including the process cartridge, are cooled by this airflow so that heat is no longer retained within the imaging system. (Recording medium supply tray and discharge tray)

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the paper supply tray 3 and the discharge tray 8 are respectively installed on the shafts 3a, 8a in the main body 16 of the imaging system, so that they can rotate along the direction b in Figure 2 and move along the direction c in Figure 2 direction around the axis 3b, 8b for rotational movement. Locking lugs 3c, 8c are provided on either side of the free ends of the discs 3, 8, respectively. These locking lugs can fit into the locking grooves 1b2 on the original cover 1b, so that, as shown in FIG. When in the middle, the original glass supporting member 1a and the original pressing cover 1b can avoid sliding left and right. As a result, the operator can easily lift and transport the imaging system using the gripper 16a. (Adjustment knobs for concentration and similar properties)

Incidentally, the imaging system A is provided with adjustment buttons for adjusting properties such as density. Now give a brief description from FIG. 2, a power switch _A1 is provided to make the imaging system A in on and off state. There is a density adjustment dial _A2 for adjusting the base density of the imaging system (image to be reproduced). When the copy start button _A3 is pressed, the image forming system starts a copy operation. When the copy clear button _A4 is pressed, the copy operation is interrupted and various adjusted states (such as the adjusted density state) are cleared. The number of copies can be determined when the copy count button _A5 is pressed. When the automatic density adjustment button _A6 is pressed, the density in the copying operation is automatically set. There is also a density adjustment dial A ₇ , and the operator can adjust the density of the copy by rotating this dial when necessary.

process box

Each component in the process cartridge B mountable in the image forming system will be described below.

The process cartridge B includes an image bearing member and at least one processing device. For example, such a processing device may include: a charging device for charging the surface of an image bearing member; a developing device for forming a toner image on an image bearing member; and/or a device for removing residual A device for cleaning residual toner on the image carrier. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, in the described embodiment, the process box B is configured as a box element, which can be installed in the imaging system main body 16 in a detachable manner, and the process box includes: a charging device 10; a developing device 12 containing toner (developer), and a cleaning device 13, which are arranged around the photosensitive drum 9 as an image bearing member, and are composed of upper and lower frames 14, 15 for its outer cover. The toner storage box 12a of the charging device 10, the exposure device 11 (hole 11a) and the developing device 12 is installed on the upper frame 14, and the photosensitive drum 9, the developing tube 12d of the developing device 12 and the cleaning device 13 are installed in the lower frame. 15 middle,

Now, the various components of the process cartridge B, the charging means 10, the exposing means 11, the developing means 12 and the cleaning means 13, will be described in detail sequentially. It should be noted that Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the process cartridge with the upper and lower frames separated from each other, Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the lower frame, and Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the upper frame. (photosensitive drum)

In the described embodiment, the photosensitive drum comprises: a cylindrical drum core made of aluminum with a thickness of about 1 mm; an organic photosensitive layer 9b mounted on the outer surface of the drum core such that the outer diameter of the photosensitive drum up to 24mm. By transmitting the driving force of the driving motor 54 (FIG. 56) in the image forming system to the flange gear 9c (FIG. 8) installed at one end of the photosensitive drum 9, the photosensitive drum will rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow in response to the image forming operation. .

During the image forming operation, when the photosensitive drum 9 rotates, the surface of the photosensitive drum is uniformly charged by supplying an oscillating voltage to the charging roller 10 (which is in contact with the photosensitive drum), which is generated by superimposing an alternating current on a direct current. . In this case, in order to uniformly charge the surface of the photosensitive drum 9, the frequency of the alternating current applied to the charging roller 10 must be increased. However, if the frequency exceeds 2000 Hz, the photosensitive drum 9 and the charging roller 10 vibrate to generate so-called "charging noise".

That is to say, when an alternating current is applied to the charging roller 10, an electrostatic attraction force is generated between the photosensitive drum 9 and the charging roller, and the electrostatic attraction force becomes maximum at the maximum value and the minimum value of the alternating current, so that the charging roller 10 will be attracted. The charging roller is elastically deformed toward the photosensitive drum 9. On the other hand, at the intermediate value of the alternating current, the attractive force becomes the minimum, so that the elastic deformation of the charging roller 10 can be recovered, so that the charging roller 10 and the photosensitive drum 9 Phase separation, as a result, the photosensitive drum 9 and the charging roller 10 will vibrate at a frequency twice the frequency of the AC voltage. Furthermore, when the charging roller 10 is attracted to the photosensitive drum 9, the rotation of the photosensitive drum and the charging roller will be blocked, causing vibrations generated by stick-slip, which can also cause charging noise.

In order to reduce the vibration of the photosensitive drum 9, in the embodiment shown in Figure 10 (the cross-sectional view of the photosensitive drum), a rigid or elastic filler 9d is placed inside the photosensitive drum 9, and the filler 9d can be selected according to the output, processing performance, weight and cost. It is made of metal (such as aluminum, copper) or other similar materials, cement, ceramics (such as gypsum), or rubber materials (such as natural rubber). The filler 9d is in the shape of a solid cylinder or a hollow cylinder, and its outer diameter is about 100 μm smaller than the inner diameter of the photosensitive drum 9, and is inserted into the drum core 9a. That is to say, the maximum gap between the drum core 9a and the filler 9d is 100 μm, and an adhesive (such as cyanoacrylate resin, epoxy resin or the like) 9e is applied to the outer surface of the filler 9d or the inner surface of the drum core 9a , and insert the filler 9d into the drum core 9a, thus bonding them to each other.

Now, the results of experiments conducted by the inventors, in which the relationship between the filler 9d and the noise pressure (noise level) was determined by changing the position of the filler 9d inside the photosensitive drum 9, will be described. As shown in Fig. 11, the noise pressure was measured with a microphone M placed 30 cm in front of the process box in a space where the process box had a background noise of 43 dB. As a result, as shown in Figure 12, when 80 grams of fillers were placed at the longitudinal central position of the photosensitive drum 9, the noise pressure was 54.5-54.8 dB, and when 40 grams of fillers were placed at a position offset from the center to the flange gear 9c by 30 mm, Noise pressure is minimal. From this result, it can be seen that it is effective to place the filler 9d at the center of the photosensitive drum 9 in the direction of the flange gear, and the reason seems to be that one end of the photosensitive drum 9 is supported by the flange gear and the other end is supported by a The support member of the flange is supported so that the structure of the photosensitive drum is asymmetrical with respect to its longitudinal center position.

Thus, in the described embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the filler is placed at a position where the photosensitive drum 9 is biased from the central position c toward the flange gear 9c, ie, toward the drive transmission of the photosensitive drum. Also, in the described embodiment, a long L ₃ is 40mm, weighs about 20-60 grams, preferably 35-45 grams (preferably about 40 grams) of the filler 9d formed by the hollow aluminum parts The photosensitive drum 9 having a longitudinal length L1 _of 257 mm is shifted from the center position C to the flange gear 9c by a distance _L2 of 9 mm. By arranging the filler 9d inside the photosensitive drum 9, the drum can be rotated stably, so that the vibration caused by the rotation of the drum 9 during the image forming operation can be suppressed. Therefore, even when the frequency of the alternating current applied to the charging roller 10 is increased, it is possible to reduce the charging noise.

Also, in the embodiment shown in Figure 10, there is a ground member 18a engaged with the inner surface of the photosensitive drum 9, the other end of which is adjacent to the photosensitive drum ground pin 35a, which keeps the drum electrically grounded. . The ground member 18a is placed on the end of the photosensitive drum opposite to the end immediately adjacent to the flange gear 9c.

The grounding member 18 a is made of stainless steel spring, phosphor bronze spring, etc., and is installed on the support member 26 . More specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, the grounding member includes a basic portion 18a1 with a locking hole 18a ₂ into which a protruding part on the supporting member 26 can be inserted. Two arms 18a-3 protrude from the base part 18a, each arm having a semicircular lug _18a4 protruding downwards at its free end. When the supporting member 26 is placed on the photosensitive drum 9, the lug _18a4 of the grounding member will be tightly attached to the inner surface of the photosensitive drum 9 by the elastic force of the arm portion _18a3 of the grounding member. In this case, since the grounding member 18a engages with the drum with a plurality of contacts (two contacts), the reliability of engagement is increased, and since the grounding member 18a is connected to the drum through the semicircular lug 18a ₄ The photosensitive drum is engaged, so the engagement between the ground member and the photosensitive drum is firm.

As shown in FIG. 14, the lengths of the arm portions _18a3 of the grounding member 18a may be different from each other. With this arrangement, since the positions where the semicircular lugs 18a ₄ engage with the photosensitive drum 9 are offset from each other in the peripheral direction of the drum, even if there is an axial crack in the inner surface of the drum 9, the two lugs 18a ₄ The crack is also not touched at the same time, thereby ensuring an effective grounding (between the grounding piece and the photosensitive). When the lengths of the two arm portions 18a ₃ are different, the engagement pressure between one arm portion 18a ₃ and the drum will be different from the engagement pressure between the other arm portion and the drum, but this difference can be achieved by changing the length of the arm portion 18a. ₃ of the bending angle to be compensated.

In the illustrated embodiment, although the ground member 18a has two arm portions _18a3 as described above, three or more arm portions may be used as long as the ground member can effectively interact with the inner surface of the photosensitive drum 9. A single arm without lugs (not bifurcated) can also be used, as shown in Figures 15 and 16.

Now, if the engagement pressure of the grounding member 18a and the inner surface of the photosensitive drum 9 is too small, the semicircular lug 18a ₄ cannot adapt to the unevenness of the inner surface of the drum, which will cause poor engagement between the grounding member and the drum. , and generate noise due to the vibration of the arm portion _18a3 . In order to prevent such poor engagement and noise, it is necessary to increase the engagement pressure, but if the engagement pressure is too high, the inner surface of the photosensitive drum is damaged by the high pressure of the semicircular lug _18a4 . If, when the semicircular lug 18a ₄ passes through the damaged portion, vibration is generated, which causes poor engagement and vibration noise. Based on the above facts, it is appropriate to set the bonding pressure between the ground member 18a and the inner surface of the drum 9 to be between about 19 grams and about 200 grams. That is to say, according to the test results of the present inventors, when the joining pressure is less than about 10 grams, poor joining may occur due to the rotation of the drum 9, thereby causing radio waves that interfere with other electric appliances. On the other hand, when the engagement pressure is greater than about 200 grams, the long-term sliding engagement between the inner surface of the drum and the grounding member 18a may be damaged due to the prolonged sliding engagement between the surface of the photosensitive drum and the grounding member 18a. the inner surface of the drum, causing abnormal noise and/or poor engagement.

Although the generation of the above-mentioned noise cannot be eliminated due to the state of the inner surface of the photosensitive drum, the vibration of the drum 9 can be reduced by placing the filler 9d in the drum 9. Apply conductive lube to more effective protection against drum damage and bad joints. Further, since the grounding member 18a is placed on the supporting member 26 away from the packing 9d which is biased toward the flange gear 9c, the grounding member can be easily placed on the aforementioned supporting member. (charging device)

The charging device is used to charge the surface of the photosensitive drum 9 . In the described embodiment, the charging device is a so-called contact charger disclosed in Japanese Patent (Kokai) Application No. 63-149669. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the charging roller 20 is mounted on the inner surface of the upper frame 14 via a sliding bearing 10c, and is rotatable. The charging roller 10 includes: a metal shaft 10b (for example, a conductive metal core made of iron, SUS or other similar materials); an elastic rubber washer made of EPDM, NBR, surrounding the shaft; and a A urethane washer distributed therein surrounding the elastic rubber washer; alternatively, the charging roller 10 may comprise: a metal shaft and a foamed urethane washer with carbon distributed therein. The rotating shaft 10b of the charging roller 10 is held by sliding guide claws 10c in the upper frame 14 by means of sliding bearings 10c so that the rotating shaft cannot be separated from the upper frame and can move slightly toward the drum 9. The rotary shaft 10b is biased by a spring 10 so that the charging roller 10 is pressed against the surface of the drum 9. As shown in FIG. That is, the charging device is composed of the charging roller 10 mounted on the upper frame 14 by the bearing member 10c. During the image forming operation, when the charging roller 10 is driven by the rotation of the drum 9, the surface of the drum 9 is uniformly charged by applying superimposed AC and DC voltages to the above charging roller 10.

Hereinafter, the voltage applied to the charging roller 10 will be described. Although the voltage loaded on the charging roller 10 can be a DC voltage, in order to obtain uniform charging, the vibration voltage formed by superimposing the above-mentioned DC and AC voltages should be applied to the charging roller. The oscillating voltage formed by being superimposed with the AC voltage is loaded on the charging roller 10 to increase the uniformity of strong charging, wherein the maximum value of the peak value of the direct current is twice as large as the charging start voltage when only the direct current is used. or more (see Japanese Patent (Kokai) Application No. 63-149669). The term "oscillating voltage" here refers to a voltage whose voltage value changes periodically with time and has a peak voltage that is twice or more greater than the charging initiation voltage when the surface of the drum 9 is charged using only direct current. Furthermore, the waveform of the vibration voltage is not limited to a sine wave, it can also be a rectangular wave, a triangular wave or a pulse wave. However, from the perspective of reducing charging noise, a sine wave without higher harmonic components is the most suitable. of. The direct voltage may comprise a voltage having a rectangular wave obtained, for example, by periodically switching a direct current source.

As shown in FIG. 17, by adhering one end _18c1 of the charging bias contact member 18c to a charging bias contact pin of an image forming system to be described later, a voltage can be applied to the charging roller 10, while the charging bias The other end _18c2 of the crimping point member 18c is in close contact with the metal shaft 10b, thereby applying a voltage to the charging roller 10. Incidentally, since the charging roller 10 is pulled toward the right in Fig. 17 by the elastic contact member 18c, a hook-shaped stopper _10c₁ is provided for the charging shaft 10c from the contact member 18c. Also, a stopper 10e suspended from the upper frame 14 is provided near the contact member 18c to prevent excessive axial movement of the charging roller 10 when the process cartridge B is dropped and vibrated.

In the described embodiment having the above arrangement, the charging roller 10 is charged with a (sine wave) voltage of 1.6 KVVpp to 600 VVDc.

When placing the charging roller 10 in the upper frame 14, the bearing 10c is first supported by the guide claws 10d in the upper frame 14, and then the rotating shaft 10b of the charging roller 10 is placed in the bearing 10c. When the upper frame 14 and the lower frame 15 are assembled, the charging roller will be closely attached to the photosensitive drum 9, as shown in FIG. 4 .

Incidentally, the bearing 10c of the charging roller 10 is made of a conductive bearing material with a large amount of carbon filler, and a voltage is applied to the charging roller 10 from the charging bias contact member 18c through the metal spring 10a, thereby providing stable charging bias. (exposure device)

The exposure device 11 exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 9 uniformly charged by the charging roller 10 with the light image from the reading device 1 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the upper frame 14 has a hole 11a through which light from the lens array _1C2 of the imaging system is irradiated onto the photosensitive drum 9. As shown in FIG. When the process cartridge B is removed from the image forming system A, if the photosensitive drum 9 is exposed to ambient light through the aperture 11a, the drum 9 may be damaged. In order to avoid this situation, a shutter member 11b is arranged on the hole 11a so that when the process cartridge B is removed from the imaging system A, the hole 11a can be closed by the shutter member 11b, and when the process cartridge B is installed When in imaging system A, the shutter member can again open aperture 11a.

As shown in Figs. 18A and 18B, the shutter member 11b having an L-shaped cross section with a convex surface toward the outside of the process cartridge is pivotally mounted on the upper frame 14 via a pin 11b1. One of the pins 11b1 is surrounded by a torsion coil spring 11c which biases the switch member 11b to close the hole 11a when the process cartridge B is removed from the image forming system A. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 18A, a connection portion 11b2 is formed on the outer surface of the shutter member 11b. When the process cartridge B is installed in the image forming system A, it can be opened/closed relative to the main body 16 of the image forming system. When cover 19 (Fig. 1) is closed, lug 19a on this cover 19 will be connected on this connecting portion 11b2, at this moment, just can open hole by rotating this shutter member 11b along the direction shown by arrow e (Fig. 18B) 11a.

In the opening and closing operation of the shutter member 11b, since this shutter member has an L-shaped cross section, and its connecting portion 11b2 is arranged on the outside of the casing of the process cartridge B near the pivot pin 11b1, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 18B , the shutter member 11b abuts on the lug 19a of the opening/closing cover 19 outside the outline of the process cartridge B. As a result, even if the opening and closing angle of the shutter member 11b is small, the front end of the shutter member 11b in rotation can be reliably opened, so that the light from the lens array _1C2 mounted on the shutter member can be irradiated to the photosensitive sensor. Drum 9 on. A good electrostatic latent image can be formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 9 . By configuring the above-mentioned shutter member 11b, when the process cartridge B is put into the image forming system, it is unnecessary to withdraw the process cartridge from the shutter hole lug 99a on the switch/cover 19 of the image forming system, and as a result, The stroke of the lug is shortened, whereby the process cartridge B and the image forming system can be miniaturized. (display device)

The developing device 12, which develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 9 into a toner image with toner by exposure means, will be described below. In the image forming system A, although both magnetic toner and non-magnetic toner can be used, in the described embodiment, the developing device in the process cartridge B contains magnetic toner as a one-component magnetic developer. toner.

The binder resin of the one-component magnetic toner used in the developing operation may be the following styrene polymers and their substitutes or their mixtures such as polystyrene and polyvinyltoluene; styrene copolymers such as benzene Ethylene-propylene copolymer, styrene-vinyltoluene copolymer, styrene-vinylnaphthalene copolymer, styrene-acrylic acid ethyl copolymer or styrene-acrylic butyl copolymer, polymethacrylate, polybutylene Acrylate, polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl butyral, polycyclic acid resin, rosin, modified rosin, turpentine resin, phenolic resin, aliphatic hydrocarbon resin, alicyclic hydrocarbon resin, aromatic Petroleum resin, paraffin wax, carnauba wax, etc.

As for the coloring material mixed in the magnetic toner, it can be well-known carbon black, copper phthalocyanine, iron black and the like. The magnetic particles included in the magnetic toner can be magnetizable materials placed in a magnetic field, such as ferromagnetic powders of metal iron, cobalt, nickel, etc., metal alloy powders or powdery mixtures such as magnetite or ferrite.

As shown in Figure 4, the developing device 12 that utilizes magnetic toner to form a toner image has a toner storage box 12a for placing toner, and it also has a toner storage box 12a mounted on the toner The toner supply device inside the toner storage box 12a. Furthermore, the developing device is designed so that the developing sleeve 12d with the magnet 12c is rotated to form a thin toner layer on the surface of the developing sleeve. When the toner layer is formed on the developing sleeve 12d, developable triboelectric charges are applied to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 9 by friction of the toner against the developing sleeve 12d. Also, in order to adjust the thickness of the toner layer, a developing sheet 12e is closely attached to the surface of the developing sleeve 12d. The developing tube 12d is mounted opposite to the surface of the photosensitive drum 9 with a gap of about 100 to 400 µm therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 4, the magnetic toner feeding device 12b has a feeding member 12b1 made of polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABC) high-impact styrene (HIPS) or the like. , they can reciprocate along the lower surface of the toner storage case 12a in the direction indicated by the arrow f. Each feeding member 12b1 has a substantially triangular cross-section, and has a large number of long rod-like members, which protrude along the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum (perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 4) and rub against the toner storage box. The entire underside of 12a. The two ends of these rods are joined to each other to form a complete structure. There are also three feeding members 12b1 whose movable range is selected to be wider than the base of the above-mentioned triangular cross-section so that all the toner on the bottom surface of the toner storage box can be wiped. In addition, there is an arm 12b2 with a lug 12b6 at the free end, thereby preventing floating and misalignment of the charging part 12b1.

The charging member 12b1 has at its longitudinal end a fixing lug 12b4 which is rotatably fitted into a slot 12b5 in the arm member 12b2. This arm member 12b2 is rotatably mounted on the upper frame 14 via a shaft 12b3, and engages with an arm (not shown) placed outside the toner storage case 12a. There is also a drive transmission device engaged with this charging member 12b1, so that when the process cartridge B is installed in the image forming system, the driving force from the image forming system is transmitted to this charging member, so that the arm member 12b2 is pressed according to a predetermined The angle swings around the axis 12b3. Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 7 and the like, the charging member 12b1 and the arm member 12b may be integrally formed of resin such as polypropylene, polyamide, etc., so that they can be folded at the connecting portion therebetween.

Therefore, during the image forming operation, when the arm member 12b2 is swung at a predetermined angle, the charging member 12b1 is moved alternately in the direction f along the toner storage case 12a between the state shown by the solid line and the state shown by the dotted line. As a result, the toner in the vicinity of the bottom surface of the toner storage case 12a is supplied to the developing sleeve 12d by the supply member 12b1. In this case, since each feeding member 12b1 has a triangular cross section, the toner is wiped by the feeding member and fed to the developing sleeve along the slope of the feeding member 12b1. Thus, the toner in the vicinity of the developing sleeve 12d is hardly disturbed, so that the toner layer formed on the developing sleeve surface 12d is unlikely to be damaged.

Further, as shown in Fig. 4, the plate cover member 125 of the toner storage box 12a is provided with a suspension member 12f1. The distance between the lower end of the hanging member 12f1 and the bottom surface of the toner storage case is selected to be slightly larger than the height of the triangular cross-section of each toner feeding member 12b1. Thus, the toner supply member 12b1 can reciprocate between the bottom surface of the toner storage box and the suspension member 12f1. Removed, then this kind of floating will be restricted or adjusted, so just prevented this kind of floating of feeding part 12b1.

Incidentally, according to the described embodiment, the image forming system A can also accept a process cartridge with a non-magnetic toner, in which case the toner feeding device is driven to agitate the toner near the developing tube 12d. Non-magnetic toner.

That is to say, when non-magnetic toner is used, as shown in FIG. 19, there is an elastic roller 12g whose rotation direction is the same as that of the developing sleeve 12d, and the toner is supplied from the toner storage box 12a by the toner supply device 12b. The supplied non-magnetic toner is fed into the developing tube 12d. In this case, at the junction of the developing sleeve 12d and the elastic roller 12g, the toner on the elastic roller 12g is frictionally charged by rolling contact with the developing sleeve 12d, thereby electrostatically adhering to the developing sleeve 12d. 12d on. Thereafter, during the rotation of the developing tube 12d, the non-magnetic toner adhering to the developing tube 12d will enter the adjacent area of the developing sheet 12e and the developing tube 12d, thereby forming a thin toner layer on the developing tube. A layer through which the toner layer is in sliding contact with the developing tube and has a polarity sufficient to develop an electrostatic latent image. However, when the toner remains on the developing tube 12d, the remaining toner is mixed with the toner newly added to the developing tube, and enters into the developing tube adjacent to the developing sheet 12e. At this point, both the residual toner and new toner are triboelectrically charged by the rolling contact of the toner with the developing sleeve 12d. In this case, although the new toner is charged with an appropriate amount of charge, since the remaining toner is further charged beyond the amount already charged, this results in overcharging. An overcharged or overcharged toner has stronger adhesion (to a developing sleeve) than a properly charged toner, and thus, is difficult to use in a developing operation.

In order to avoid the above situation, in the described embodiment, for the process cartridge using the non-magnetic toner, as shown in FIG. Inside the storage box 12a, there is a rotating part 12h1, and the rotating part 12h1 has an elastic stirring blade 12h2. When the non-magnetic toner process cartridge is installed in the image forming system A, the aforementioned drive transmitting means is engaged with the rotating member 12h1 which is driven to rotate by the image forming system during the image forming operation. In this way, when an image is formed with a process cartridge installed in the image forming system and using a non-tape toner, the toner in the toner storage box 12a is vigorously stirred by the stirring blade 12h2. , as a result, the toner in the vicinity of the developing tube 12d is also stirred and mixed with the toner in the toner storage case 12a, so that the charge removed from the developing tube 12d is dispersed to the toner storage case in the toner to avoid damage to the toner.

Point out by the way, that the developing tube 12d that has the toner layer is located on the opposite side of the photosensitive drum 9, there is a very small gap between the two (this gap is about 300 μm when the process cartridge uses magnetic toner, use When non-magnetic toner is about 200 μm), for this reason, in the embodiment described, near both ends of the shaft of the developing tube 12d, some connecting rings are installed in areas other than the toner layer, and The outer diameter value of the outer diameter of each connecting ring beyond the developing tube is suitable with the size of the gap, so that these connecting rings are connected on the photosensitive drum 9 to form a position outside the latent image.

Now, the positional relationship between the photosensitive drum 9 and the developing tube 12d will be described. Figure 20 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the positional relationship between the photosensitive drum 9 and the developing tube and the structure used to pressurize the developing tube, Figure 21A is a sectional view along the direction of Figure 20A-A, and Figure 21B is along the direction of Figure 20B - Sectional view of direction B. As shown in FIG. 2, the developing sleeve 12d with the toner layer is mounted opposite to the photosensitive drum 9 with a slight gap (about 200 to 300 µm) therebetween. In this case, the photosensitive drum 9 is rotatably mounted on the lower frame 15 via the rotating shaft 9f of the flange gear 9C at one end of the photosensitive drum, which is rotatably supported via the supporting member 33 . The other end of the photosensitive drum 9 is also rotatably mounted on the lower frame 15 via a support portion 26 a fixed to the lower frame upper support member 26 . Picture tube has above-mentioned linking ring 12d1, and the external diameter of every linking ring is larger than the outside diameter of picture tube by the magnitude of above-mentioned small gap, and is installed near the two ends of picture tube shaft with toner The region other than the agent layer, so that these connecting rings are connected on the photosensitive drum 9 other than forming the latent image.

Furthermore, the developing tube 12d is rotatably supported by the developing tube supporting member 12i located near both ends of the developing tube axis and having an area other than the toner layer, wherein the developing tube supporting member is mounted on the lower frame. 15, and can move slightly along the direction shown by arrow g in Figure 20. The rear portion of each picture tube supporting member 12i has a protruding lug, and a thrust spring connected with the lower frame 15 is covered with one end on it. As a result, the developing tube is always biased toward the photosensitive drum 9 by these urging springs. In this case, the connecting ring 12da is always connected to the photosensitive drum 9, so that a predetermined gap will be maintained between the developing tube 12d and the photosensitive drum, so that the drive is transmitted to the flange gear 9c of the photosensitive drum 9. Force and make the developing tube gear 12k of the developing tube 12d mesh with the flange gear 9c.

The picture tube gear 12k also constitutes the flange portion of the picture tube 12d. That is, according to the described embodiment, the flange gear 12k and the flange portion are integrally formed of a resin material such as polyacetylene resin. There is also a small-diameter metal pin 12d2 (made of stainless steel, for example) which is rotatably supported at one end on the lower frame 15, and is press-fitted at the center of the developing tube gear. The metal pin 12d2 functions as a rotating shaft at one end of the developing tube 12d. According to the described embodiment, since the developing tube gear and the flange portion can be integrally formed of resin, the production of the developing tube is facilitated and the developing tube and the process cartridge B can be reduced in weight.

Now, referring to Fig. 22, the sliding direction of the developing tube supporting member 12i will be described. First, the driving condition of the picture tube 12d will be described. When the driving force is transmitted from the driving source (drive motor 54) of the imaging system A to the flange gear 9c, and then from the flange gear 9c to the developing tube gear 12k, the meshing force between the two gears is at a certain pressure. The angle (20 DEG C. in the illustrated embodiment) is inclined or deviated from the direction of the tangent which contacts the meshing pitch circles of both the flange gear 9c and the tube gear 12k. Thus, the engaging force is directed in the direction indicated by the arrow g in FIG. 22 (Θ≈20°C). In this case, if the sleeve supporting member 12i slides in a direction parallel to the line between the rotational centers of the photosensitive drum 9 and the developing tube 12d, when the engaging force is decomposed into a horizontal component parallel to the rolling direction, When the force Ps and a vertical component force Ph at right angles to the rolling direction, as shown in Figure 22, the horizontal component force parallel to the rolling direction will point to the opposite direction of the photosensitive drum 9, and as a result, in terms of driving the picture tube 12d, The distance between the photosensitive drum 9 and the developing tube 12d varies due to the meshing force between the flange gear 9c and the developing tube gear 12k. Thus, the toner on the developing sleeve 12d cannot be transferred to the photosensitive drum 9 in an appropriate amount. Thereby destroying the imaging ability.

For avoiding this situation, in the described embodiment, as shown in Figure 21A, according to the transmission situation of driving force by flange gear 9c to picture tube gear 12k, the driving surface of picture tube gear 12k (the surface The sliding direction on the tube gear 12k) is consistent with the arrow Q direction, that is to say, the angle φ between the meshing force P (between the flange gear 9c and the tube gear 12k) and the sliding direction Approximately 90° (92° in the described embodiment). In this case, the horizontal component force Ps parallel to the sliding direction is negligible, and, in the described embodiment, the component force Ps causes the developing tube 12d to be slightly biased towards the photosensitive drum 9, and in this case , The developing tube 12d is squeezed by the pressure corresponding to the spring pressure α of the pressure spring 12j, keeping the distance between the photosensitive drum 9 and the developing tube 12d constant, thereby ensuring normal development.

Hereinafter, the sliding aspect of the sliding support member 12i on the non-driving surface (the surface on which the developing tube gear 12k is not provided) will be described. On this shape driving surface, different from the above-mentioned driving surface, because the sliding bearing 12i does not accept the driving force, as shown in Figure 21b, therefore, the sliding direction of the rolling bearing 12i is basically the same as that of the photosensitive drum 9 and the picture tube. 12d The connecting lines between the two centers are parallel.

In this case, when the developing tube 12d is pressed to the photosensitive drum 9, the distance between the developing tube 12d and the photosensitive drum 9 can be adjusted by changing the pushing angle for pushing the developing tube from the non-driving surface to the driving surface. The positional relationship between them is always kept appropriate, thus ensuring proper display.

Incidentally, the sliding direction of the sliding support member 12i on the driving surface, as on the non-driving surface, can be adjusted to be substantially parallel to the center line between the photosensitive drum 9 and the developing tube 12d. That is to say, as described in the above-mentioned embodiment, on this driving surface, since the picture tube 12d is directed to the sliding direction of the sliding support member 12i (between the flange gear 9c and the picture tube gear 12k The component force Ps of the engagement force is pushed away from the photosensitive drum 9. In this embodiment, the thrust of the pushing spring 12j on the driving surface can be adjusted to the amount and the component force Ps of the thrust force on the non-driving surface. Comparable in size. That is, when the thrust of the thrust spring 12j on the non-driving surface to the display tube 12d is P, the thrust P2 of the thrust spring on the driving surface has a relationship P ₂ =P ₁ +Ps, in this case , The developing tube 12d is always subjected to an appropriate thrust, which ensures a constant distance between the developing tube and the photosensitive drum. (cleaning device)

The cleaning device 13 is used to remove residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 9 after the toner image on the photosensitive drum 9 is transferred to the recording medium 4 by the transfer device 6 . As shown in Figure 4, this cleaning device 13 includes: an elastic cleaning sheet 13a, which is in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum, and is used to remove or sweep away the residual toner left on the photosensitive drum 9; a squeeze paper 12b, which lightly touches the surface of the photosensitive drum 9 and is placed under the cleaning sheet 13a to receive the removed toner; and a waste toner storage box 12c, which is used to hold the The received waste toner is incidentally pointed out that this pressing sheet 13b just touches the surface of the photosensitive drum 9 lightly, and allows the residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 9 to pass through, but it is removed by the cleaning sheet 13a. The toner removed from the photosensitive drum is guided in a direction away from the surface of the photosensitive drum 9 .

A method of installing the squeeze paper 13b will now be described. The squeeze paper 13b is adhered to one joint surface 13d of the waste toner storage box 13c with a double-sided adhesive tape 13e. In this case, the waste toner storage box 13c is made of a resin material such as high-impact styrene (HIPS) or the like, and has a slightly convex-concave surface. Like this, as shown in Figure 23, if the double-sided adhesive tape is only bonded on this joint surface 13d, and this extrusion paper 13b is also only bonded on the adhesive tape 13e, so, (contact with photosensitive drum 9) extrusion paper The free edge of 13b will curl as indicated by X. Once the squeeze paper 13b has such a curl, it does not come into close contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 9, and cannot reliably receive the toner removed by the cleaning blade 13a.

In order to avoid the occurrence of this situation, it has been considered that when the squeeze paper 13b is placed on the joint surface 13d, as shown in FIG. 20 traction, so that this joint surface produces elastic bending deformation, then this extruding paper 13b is stuck on this joint surface of bending, then, loosen the curved part of this joint surface, to give this extruding paper 13b the freedom The edge provides an attractive force, thereby preventing the free edge from curling. However, in the current small-sized process cartridge B, since the joint surface 13d has a small area, if the squeeze paper 13b sticks to the bent joint surface 13d, as shown in FIG. 24A, the bottom of the squeeze paper 3b will The edge or lower corner 13b1 protrudes downward from the joint surface 13d, and when the squeeze paper 13b protrudes downward from the joint surface 13d, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1, the recording medium 4 is May conflict with this protruding squeeze paper 13b.

Furthermore, if the extruded paper 13b is placed on the curved joint surface 13d, as shown in Figure 24A, the double-sided adhesive tape 13e will protrude from the bottom edge of the joint surface 13d, in this case, when When the extrusion paper 13b is pushed on the double-sided adhesive tape 13e through the adhesive member 21, as shown in Figure 24B, the protruding part of the double-sided adhesive tape 13e will stick on the adhesive member 21. In this case, When the adhesive member 21 is removed, as shown in FIG. 24C, the double-sided tape comes off from the joint surface 13d, which causes poor connection of the squeezed paper.

In order to avoid this situation, in the described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 25A, the shape of the bottom edge of the extruded paper 13b is completely consistent with the curved shape of the joint surface 13D that has been bent by the traction member 20. Meanwhile, the width of the extruded paper 13b is different from its two longitudinal ends to the central portion, the latter being wider than the former (for example, the right central portion is about 7.9mm wide, and both ends are about 7.4mm wide). In this case, the curved double-sided adhesive tape 13 does not protrude from the wiper 13b when the wiper 13b is placed on the connecting device wing. Moreover, when moving the traction member 20 to relax the bending of the joint surface 13d and provide pulling force to the upper edge of the squeeze paper 13b, the bottom edge of the squeeze paper will not protrude downward from the joint surface 13d, so the above-mentioned Interference between the recording medium 4 and the squeeze paper 13b, poor connection of the squeeze paper, and the like are prevented.

Incidentally, from the viewpoint of workability and service life of working parts, it is preferable to make the bottom edge of this squeeze paper 13b straight, so that, as shown in FIG. 26, the width of the squeeze paper 13b can be made straight. It is completely different, that is, the width of its central portion is greater than the width of its two longitudinal ends corresponding to the amount of curvature of the joint surface 13d. In the above-mentioned embodiment, although the engaging surface 13d is pulled and bent by the pulling member 20, it should be recognized that, as shown in FIG. Instead, the joint surface 13d is curved, and the split plate is integrally formed with the joint surface 13d.

Furthermore, in the example described, when the joint surface 13d of the squeeze paper is formed on the lower part of the waste toner storage box 13c, the squeeze paper 13b can be stuck to the separate waste toner storage box. 13c, and then place this metal plate in the waste toner storage box 13c.

Incidentally, in the described embodiment, the extruded paper 13b is made of polyethylene terephthalate, has a thickness of about 38 μm, a length of about 241.3 mm, a central width of about 7.9 mm, and a width of both ends of about 7.4 mm, while the curvature The radius is preferably about 14556.7mm. (upper frame and lower frame)

The upper and lower frames 14, 15 constituting the housing of the process cartridge B will be described below. As shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8, the developing sheet 12e of photosensitive drum 9, developing tube 12d and developing device 12 and cleaning device 13 are all placed in the lower frame 15, on the other hand, as shown in Figure 7 and Figure 9 , the charging roller 10, the toner storage box 12a of the developing device 12 and the toner feeding device 12b are placed in the upper frame 14.

In order to install the upper and lower frames 14, 15 together, there are four pairs of locking pawls 14a integrally formed on the upper frame 14, which are arranged equidistantly from each other along the longitudinal direction of the upper frame, similarly, for A locking hole 15 a and a locking lug 15 b engaged with the locking claw 14 a are integrally formed on the lower frame 15 . Thus, when the upper and lower frames 14, 15 are forcibly pushed together so that the locking claws 14a are engaged with the corresponding locking holes 15a and locking lugs 15b, the upper and lower frames 14, 15 are connected to each other. together. Incidentally, in order to ensure the mutual engagement of the upper and lower frames, as shown in Figure 8, the locking claws 15c and the locking holes 15a are respectively formed near the two longitudinal ends of the lower frame 15; A hole 14b (to be engaged by the locking claw 15c) and a locking claw 14c (to be engaged by the locking hole 15d) are formed near both longitudinal ends of the upper frame 14, respectively.

When putting the constituent process cartridge B and the parts into the above-mentioned upper and lower frames 14, 15 respectively, by positioning those parts in the same frame (lower frame 15 in the described embodiment) with respect to the photosensitive drum 9 Each component (as developing tube 12d, developing sheet 12e, cleaning sheet 13a) is installed ready, just can ensure that each component has good positioning accuracy and makes process cartridge B easy to assemble. Again as shown in FIG. 8 , a plurality of fitting grooves 15 n are formed near one side of the lower frame 15 . On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of fitting lugs 14h (intended to fit into corresponding fitting grooves 15n) are formed in the middle between adjacent locking pawls 14a near one side of the upper frame 14.

Also, in the described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, fitting lugs 15e are formed near two corners of the lower frame 15, whereas fitting grooves 15f are formed near the other two corners of the lower frame. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 9, fitting grooves 14d (for engaging with corresponding fitting lugs 15e) are formed near the two corners of the upper frame 14, whereas fitting lugs 14e (for fitting into corresponding fitting grooves) 15f) is formed near the other two corners of the lower frame. Accordingly, when the upper and lower frames 14, 15 are engaged with each other by fitting the fitting lugs 14h, 14e, 15e (of the upper and lower frames 14, 15) into the corresponding fitting grooves 15h, 15f, 14d, the upper and lower frames 14 , 15 will be firmly engaged with each other, so that even if torsion is applied to the upper and lower frames 14, 15 engaged with each other, they will not fall apart.

Incidentally, the positions of the above-mentioned assembling lugs and assembling grooves can be changed as long as the upper and lower frames 14, 15 have been joined and will not fall apart due to loading torsion.

As shown in Figure 9, there is also a protective cover 22 rotatably mounted on the upper frame 14 by a pivot pin 22a, and the protective cover 22 is rotated along the arrow in Figure 9 by a torsion coil spring (not shown) wound on the pivot 22a. h is deflected so that the protective cover 22 can close or cover the photosensitive drum 9 when the process cartridge B is removed from the image forming system A, as shown in FIG.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the photosensitive drum 9 is designed so that it can be exposed through the hole 15g formed on the lower frame 14 opposite to the transfer roller 6, so that the toner on the photosensitive drum The image is transferred to the recording medium 4. However, when the process cartridge B is unloaded from the image forming system A, if the photosensitive drum 9 is exposed to the atmosphere, it will be damaged by ambient light, and pollutants such as dust will also adhere to the photosensitive drum 9. . In order to avoid this situation, when the process cartridge B is removed from the image forming system A, the hole 15g can be covered with a protective cover 22, so that the photosensitive drum 9 can be protected from the surrounding light and dirt. Incidentally, when the process cartridge B is installed in the image forming system A, the protective cover 22 is rotated by a swinging device (not shown), so that the photosensitive drum 9 is exposed through the hole 15g.

As shown in FIG. 1 again, in the described embodiment, the lower surface of the lower frame 15 also serves as a guide for transporting the recording medium 4 . The lower surface of the lower frame constitutes two parts, the side guide part 15h1 and the stepped central guide part 15h2 (FIG. 6). The longitudinal length (i.e. the distance between the steps) of the central guide portion 15h2 is about 102-120mm (107mm in the described embodiment), which is slightly larger than its width (about 100mm), and its step depth is about 0.8-2mm. In this case, the central guide portion 15h2 can increase the delivery space of the recording medium 4 . As a result, even when thicker and elastic paper such as postcards, business cards, envelopes, etc. are used as the recording medium 4, these thicker papers do not interfere with the aforementioned guide surface of the lower frame 15, thereby preventing the recording medium damage. On the other hand, when thin paper such as plain paper wider than the width of a postcard is used as a recording medium, since this paper (recording medium) is conveyed by guide portions on both sides, it can also be conveyed without floating.

Now, the transport guiding action of the lower surface of the lower frame 15 to the recording medium will be described more specifically. As shown in FIG. 28, the guide portions 15h1 on both sides may bend by a certain amount (=5-7mm) with respect to the direction of the tangent line Z with respect to a slit N between the photosensitive drum 9 and the roller 6. Since both side guides 15h1 are formed on the lower surface of the lower frame 15 to provide the necessary space between the lower frame and the developing tube 12d and the necessary space for sufficiently supplying the toner to the developing tube, The position of the guide part is determined by the position of the developing tube to obtain the best developing state. If the lower surfaces of the side guides approach this tangent line X, the thickness of the lower portion of the lower frame 15 is reduced, and this causes a problem concerning the strength of the process cartridge B.

Furthermore, the position of the bottom edge 13f of the cleaning device 13 is determined by the position of the cleaning sheet 13a, the extruding paper 13b and other parts that will be described below to form the cleaning device 13, so the bottom edge will be selected in this way The position is to provide a distance Lb (=3-5mm) that can prevent interference with the added recording medium 4 . Incidentally, in the described embodiment, the angle β formed by the vertical line passing through the rotation center of the photosensitive drum 9 as shown in FIG. -20 degrees.

Based on the above facts, a thicker elastic recording medium can be smoothly added by only providing a groove or a step having a depth of LC (= 1-2mm) on the central guide part 15h2 so that the guide approaches the tangent line X 4 without reducing the strength of the lower frame 15. Incidentally, in most cases, since the thicker and elastic recording media are business cards, envelopes, etc., which are narrower than postcards used under the general imaging system specifications, as long as the stepped or concave central guide The width of the portion 15h2 is selected to be slightly larger than the width of a postcard, and there is no problem in practical use.

Further downwardly protruding regulating lugs 15i are formed on the outer surface of the lower frame 15 in areas other than the recording medium guide portion, each of which protrudes about 1 mm from the recording medium guiding surface of the lower frame. In this case, even if the process cartridge is slightly lowered for some reason during the image forming operation, since the adjusting lug 15i is connected to the lower guide part 23 (FIG. 1) of the image forming system main body 16, the process cartridge can be prevented from being dropped. further decline. Correspondingly, the space between the lower guide member 23 and the lower guide surface of the lower frame 15 should be kept at least 1mm, so as to provide the recording medium 4 with a path for transporting the recording medium without interference. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, a groove 15j is formed on the lower surface of the lower frame which is in contact with the positioning roller 5c2, so that when the process cartridge B is installed in the image forming system A, since it is contained in the positioning In the vicinity of the roller 5c2, the volume of the entire image forming system can be reduced. (Assembly of Process Cartridge)

Hereinafter, assembly of the process cartridge having the above-mentioned structure will be described. In Fig. 29, a toner leak-proof seal S having a regular shape made of Moltopren (produced by polyurethane INOAC) rubber for preventing toner leakage is adhered to the developing device 12 and the cleaning device. 13 and on the lower frame 15. Incidentally, these toner leak preventing seals S may not all have a regular shape. In addition, the toner leakage preventing seal S may also be attached by forming a groove in a portion where the seal is to be seated, and pouring a liquid material which becomes an elastic body when cured therein.

The sheet support 12e1 of the display tube 12e and the sheet support 13a1 of the cleaning sheet 13a are respectively installed on the lower frame 15 by pins 24a, 24b. The engaging surfaces of the shaped supports 12e1, 13a1 are substantially parallel to each other so that the pins can be driven in the same direction. Thus, when a large number of process cartridges B are produced, the developing sheet 12e and the cleaning sheet 13a can be continuously installed through the pins by an automatic device. Furthermore, the assembly ability of the pieces 12e, 13a can also be improved by providing space for a screwdriver, and at the same time, the cost can be reduced by simplifying the shape of the mold by adjusting the direction of taking out the above-mentioned frame cover from the mold.

Incidentally, the developing sheet 12e and the cleaning sheet 13a can be attached to the lower frame 15 with glue 24c, 24d instead of pin screws, as shown in FIG. In this case, when the glue is supplied from the same direction, the developing sheet 12e and the cleaning sheet 13a can be automatically and continuously mounted by automatic means.

After the sheet parts 12e, 13a are installed as above, the developing tube is installed on the lower frame 15, and then the photosensitive drum 9 is installed on the lower frame 15. For this purpose, in the described embodiment, the guide member 25a, 25b are respectively installed on the surface of the sheet supporting member 12e1, 13a1 (opposite to the photosensitive drum), and its position is outside the longitudinal imaging region C (Fig. 32) of the photosensitive drum 9, (incidentally, in the described embodiment Among them, the guides 25a, 25b are all formed on the lower frame 15), and the distance between the guides 25a and 25b is greater than the outer diameter D of the photosensitive drum 9. Like this, after each parts such as developing sheet 12e, cleaning sheet 13a etc. are installed, as shown in Figure 31, photosensitive drum 9 is finally installed on the lower frame, simultaneously, guide the two sides of photosensitive drum by guide member 25a, 25b vertical end (outside the imaging area). That is, the cleaning blade 13a is slightly bent and/or the developing tube 12d is retracted and rotated while the photosensitive drum 9 is mounted to the lower frame 15.

If the photosensitive drum 9 is installed to the lower frame 15 earlier, and then the parts of the sheet 12e, 13a are installed to the lower frame, the surface of the photosensitive drum 9 may be damaged in the process of installing the parts of the sheet 12e, 13a. Furthermore, in this assembling work process, it is difficult to check the bonding position of the developing sheet 12e and the cleaning sheet 13a and measure the contact pressure between these sheets and the photosensitive drum. Lubricant is added to 13a to prevent problems such as increased torque and/or sheet curling due to the initial state of the sheets 12e, 13a (without toner) and the mounting of the sheets 12e, 13a to the lower frame 15 It is caused by the close contact between the photosensitive drum 9 and the developing tube 12d in the past, but the lubricant may drip from the sheet when the sheet is assembled. However, according to the described embodiment, since the photosensitive drum 9 is mounted to the lower frame last, the above-mentioned disadvantages and problems can be eliminated.

As described above, according to the described embodiment, it is possible to check the joint position of these devices 12, 13 during the process of installing the developing device 12 and the cleaning device on the frame and to prevent the photosensitive drum from being formed during installation on the photosensitive drum. damaged or scratched areas. In addition, since these devices 12, 13 are installed in the lower frame process, lubricant can be added on the sheet, and the lubricant can be prevented from dripping, thereby preventing the damage caused by the developing sheet 12e and the developing tube 12d and the cleaning sheet. The close contact between 13a and the photosensitive drum 9 causes a phenomenon of increased torque and/or curling of the sheet.

Incidentally, in the described embodiment, the guides 25a, 25b are integrally formed on the lower frame 15, and the lugs 12e2, 13a2 are integrally formed on the sheet support members 12e1, 13a1, as shown in Figure 33 As shown, other guides can be installed on the sheet support member outside the photosensitive drum 9 imaging area, so that during the assembly of the photosensitive drum 9, the photosensitive drum can be guided by these lugs or other guides.

As mentioned above, when the developing tube 12d, the developing sheet 12e, the cleaning sheet 13a and the photosensitive drum 9 are installed on the lower frame 15, as shown in Fig. 34 (perspective view) and Fig. 35 (sectional view), the supporting member 26 The photosensitive drum 9 and one end of the developing tube 12d can be rotatably supported. The supporting member 26 is made of a wear-resistant material such as polyacetal and includes: a photosensitive drum supporting member 26a, which is fitted on the photosensitive drum 9; a developing tube supporting portion 26b, which is fitted on the outer surface of the developing tube 12d. and a D-shaped hole portion 26c fitted at one end of the D-shaped magnet 12C. Accordingly, the developing tube supporting portion 26b may be installed on the outer surface of the developing tube supporting member 12i for supporting the outer surface of the developing tube 12d, or between the sliding surfaces 15Q of the lower frame 15, which The sliding surface fits on the outer surface of the sliding member 12i.

Thus, when the photosensitive drum supporting portion 26a is mounted on one end of the photosensitive drum, one end of the magnet 12c is inserted into the D-shaped hole portion 26c, the developing tube 12d is inserted into the developing tube supporting portion 26b, and the supporting member 26 is mounted to the lower frame 15 and When there is rotation in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum, the photosensitive drum 9 and the developing tube are rotatably supported. Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 34, the grounding member 18a is mounted on the supporting member 26, and when the supporting member 26 is mounted on the edge of the lower frame, the grounding member 18a engages with the aluminum drum core of the photosensitive drum 9 (see FIG. 10 ). Furthermore, the developing bias contact 18b is also installed on the supporting member 26. When the supporting member 26 is installed on the developing tube 12d, the biasing contact member will be connected to the conductive member connected to the inner surface of the developing tube 12d. 18d is joined.

In this case, since the photosensitive drum 9 and the developing tube 12d are rotatably supported by a single support member 26, it is possible to improve the positioning accuracy of these members 9, 12d and to reduce the number of parts, As a result, assembly operations are facilitated and costs are reduced. Furthermore, since the photosensitive drum 9, the developing tube 12d and the magnet 12c can be positioned by a single component, it is possible to determine the positional relationship between the photosensitive drum 9 and the magnet 12c with high precision, and as a result, the surface of the photosensitive drum 9 can be maintained. On the constant magnetic force, like this, high-quality images will be obtained. In addition, since the grounding member 18a for grounding the photosensitive drum 9 and the developing bias contact member 18b for supplying developing bias to the developing sleeve are mounted on the support member 26, each can be effectively obtained. The compactness of parts makes the process cartridge B smaller in size.

Furthermore, when the process cartridge B is installed in the image forming system, the process cartridge in the image forming system can be precisely positioned by providing a support portion (on the supporting member 26) to position the process cartridge B in the image forming system. . Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. When the process cartridge B is assembled into the image forming system main body 16, the photosensitive drum shaft portion 26d is supported by a shaft supporting member 34 which will be described later, so that the process cartridge B is positioned. In this case, since the process cartridge is positioned by the support member directly supporting the photosensitive drum 9 when the process cartridge is assembled to the image forming system main body 16, the photosensitive drum 9 can be precisely positioned regardless of other parts. There are production and/or assembly errors.

As shown in Figure 35 again, the other end of magnet 12c is placed in the inner cavity that is formed on the picture tube gear 12k, and the outer diameter of magnet 12c is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of this inner cavity, like this, on this picture tube gear 12k , the magnet 12c is supported with any gap in the cavity, and is in a lower position in the cavity due to its free weight or is biased towards the sheet support part 12e1 by the magnetic force of the magnet 12c, which uses a magnetic Metal such as ZINKOTE (galvanized steel sheet, produced by Nippon Steel Corporation). In this case, since the developing tube gear 12k and the magnet 12c can be connected to each other with an arbitrary gap, the frictional torque between the magnet 12c and the developing tube rotating gear 12k can be reduced, thereby reducing the relative torque. Torque to handle cartridge.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 31, the charging roller 10 is rotatably installed in the upper frame 14, and the shutter member 11b, the protective cover 22, and the toner adding device 12b are also installed in the upper frame 14. The opening 12a1 for supplying toner from the toner container 12a to the developing sleeve 12d is covered with a cover film 28 with a pull tape 27 (Fig. 36). In addition, the cover portion 12f is placed on the upper frame, and thereafter, the toner is supplied to the toner storage box 12a through the supply hole 12a3, and then the supply hole 12a3 is covered, thus sealing the toner storage box. storage box.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 36, the drawstring 27 of the cover film 28 is glued to its other longitudinal end (the left end of FIG. 36) from one longitudinal end (the right end of FIG. 36) of the hole around the hole 12a1 and on the other side. One end is curled, and further stretched along the gripping portion 14f formed on the upper frame 14 and protrudes outward therefrom.

Thereafter, the process cartridge B is assembled by engaging the upper and lower frames 14, 15 with each other using the aforementioned locking claws and locking holes or grooves. In this case, as shown in FIG. 37, the drawstring 27 is exposed between the gripping part 14f of the upper frame 14 and the gripping portion 15k of the lower frame 15, so when using a new process cartridge B, the operator Pull the protruding portion of the draw tape 27 exposed between the gripping portions 14f, 15k to release the draw tape 27 from the cover film 28, thereby opening the hole 12a1, so that the toner storage box 12a The toner is moved into the developing tube 12d, after which the process cartridge is installed in the image forming system A. As shown in FIG.

as above. By making the drawstring 27 exposed between the grasping parts 14f, 15k of the upper and lower frames 14, 14, the drawstring can be easily exposed from the process cartridge during the assembly of the upper and lower frames 14, 15. When the process cartridge B is installed in the image forming system, the grips 14f, 15k are used, so that if the operator forgets to remove the draw tape 27 before placing the process cartridge B in the image forming system, since he is assembling the process cartridge The process must grasp the grip, and he will feel the presence of the drawstring 27 that has not been removed. Furthermore, when the color of the drawstring 27 is significantly different from the colors of the upper and lower frames 14, 15 (for example, if the frame is black, then use a white or yellow drawstring 27), it will improve its conspicuousness, so that Reduce the mistake of forgetting to remove the drawstring.

Furthermore, for example, when a U-shaped guide rib for temporarily supporting the drawstring is provided on the grip portion 14f of the upper frame 14, in the process of making the upper and lower frames 14, 15 engage with each other, it is possible to determine and easily use The drawstring 27 is exposed at a predetermined position. Incidentally, when the process cartridge B is assembled by engaging the upper and lower frames 14, 15, since the groove 15j for receiving the positioning roller 5c2 is formed on the outer surface of the lower frame 15 as shown in FIG. Its fingers are inserted into the groove 15j to grasp the process cartridge B firmly. Furthermore, in the described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, non-slip ribs 14i are formed on the process cartridge B so that the operator can easily grasp the process cartridge by hooking these non-slip ribs with fingers. Incidentally, since the recess for receiving (preventing contact with) the registration roller 5c2 is formed in the lower frame 15 of the process cartridge B, the image forming system can be further miniaturized.

Also, as shown in FIG. 6, since the groove 15j is formed near the locking pawl 14a and the locking hole 15b along which the upper and lower frames 14, 15 can be engaged with each other, when the operator hooks the groove 15j with his fingers, When gripping the process cartridge B through the slot 15j, the operator's grip is directed toward the locking direction, thus ensuring mutual locking between the locking claw 14a and the locking hole 15b.

Now, the flow of assembly and mounting of the process cartridge B will be described with reference to Fig. 39A. As shown in the figure, assemble various parts in lower frame 15, check the lower frame that various parts have been installed secondly (for example, check the positional relationship between photosensitive drum 9 and developing tube 12d), lower frame 15 again Engaged with the upper frame 14 assembled with components such as the charging roller 10, etc., thereby forming the process cartridge B, thereafter, the process cartridge is inspected as a whole, and then the process cartridge can be installed. The flow of assembly and installation is like this Simple. (Installation of Process Cartridge)

Hereinafter, a method of installing the process cartridge B in the image forming system A will be described.

As shown in FIG. 40, on the upper switch cover 19 of the image forming system A, a loading member 29 is provided with a mounting window 29a matching the outer shape of the process cartridge B. As shown in FIG. The process cartridge B is inserted into the image forming system through the mounting window 29a by gripping the grips 14f, 15k. In this case, the guide ridge 31 formed on the process cartridge B is guided by a guide groove (not numbered) formed on the switch cover 19, and at the same time, the lower part of the process cartridge is guided by a guide plate with a small hook at the free end. guided by.

Incidentally, as shown in Fig. 40, a misinstallation preventing lug 30 is formed on the process cartridge B, and the mounting window 29 has a recess 29b for receiving the lug 30. As shown in FIGS. 40 and 41, the shape and position of the above-mentioned lugs 30 vary according to a specific process cartridge that uses toner suitable for the developing sensitivity of a specific image forming system (i.e., each process cartridges), so when a process cartridge using toners of different developing sensitivities is installed in a particular image forming system, since the lug 30 does not match the installation window 29a of the image forming system, The process cartridge cannot be installed in that image forming system, whereby erroneous installation of the process cartridge B can be prevented, thus preventing blurred images from being formed due to the difference in developing sensitivity of the toner. Incidentally, it is also possible to prevent erroneous installation of process cartridges including different types of photosensitive drums and different developing sensitivities. Furthermore, since the groove 29b and the lug 30 are located on the side where the process cartridge is installed, if an attempt is made to install the process cartridge in the imaging system by mistake, the operator can easily see that the lug 30 is placed by the loading part 29. Due to the fact that it is locked, the possibility of an operator forcibly pushing the process cartridge into the imaging system and damaging the process cartridge B and/or the imaging system A as in the usual case is avoided.

After the process cartridge B was packed into the installation window 29 on the opening/closing cover 19, when the opening/closing cover 19 was closed, the rotating shaft of the photosensitive drum 9 that protruded from the upper and lower frames 14, 15 sides passed through the bearing 46a by a rotating shaft The supporting member 33 (FIG. 40) is supported, and the rotating shaft 12d2 of the display tube 12d protruding from the upper and lower frames 14, 15 is supported by the rotating shaft supporting member 33 through a sliding bearing 46b and a bearing 46c (FIG. 35). On the other hand, the photosensitive drum rotating shaft portion 26 (FIG. 35) of the supporting member 26 mounted on the other end of the photosensitive drum 9 is supported by the rotating shaft supporting member 34 shown in FIG.

In this case, the protective cover 22 is rotated to expose the photosensitive drum 9, and as a result, the photosensitive drum 9 comes into contact with the transfer roller 6 of the image forming system A. As shown in FIG. Further, in the process cartridge B, a grounding member 18a in contact with the photosensitive drum 9, a developing bias contact member 18b in contact with the developing sleeve 12d, and a charging bias contact member in contact with the charging roller 10 are provided. 18c, these contact pieces protrude from the lower surface of the lower frame 15, and these contact pieces 18a, 18b, 18c are respectively closely connected with the ground pin 35a, the developing bias contact pin 35b, and the charging bias contact pin 35c (Fig. 42). ground contact.

As shown in Fig. 42, these contact pins 35a, 35b, 35c are arranged like this: the photosensitive drum grounding pin 35a and the charging bias contact pin 35c are arranged on the downstream side of the transfer roller along the conveying direction of the recording medium, and the image development bias The crimping point pin 35b is arranged on the upstream side of the transfer roller 6 along the conveying direction of the recording medium. Correspondingly, as shown in FIG. 43, the contact pieces 18a, 18b, 18c on the process cartridge B have a similar arrangement: the photosensitive drum grounding piece 18a and the charging bias contact piece 18c are arranged upstream of the photosensitive drum 9 along the recording medium transport direction. side. The developing bias contact member 18b is disposed on the downstream side of the photosensitive drum 9 in the conveying direction of the recording medium.

Now, referring to Fig. 51, the arrangement of the electrical contact members of the process cartridge B will be described. Incidentally, Fig. 51 is a schematic plan view showing the positional relationship between the photosensitive drum 9 and the electrical contact members 18a, 18b, 18c.

As shown in Fig. 51, the contact members 18a, 18b, 18c are disposed at one end of the photosensitive drum 9, and the other end opposite to this end is disposed with a flange gear 9c along the drum longitudinal direction. The developing bias contact part 18b is arranged on one side of the photosensitive drum 9 (that is, the side where the developing device 12 is placed), while the photosensitive drum contact part 18a and the charging bias contact part 18c are arranged on the other side of the photosensitive drum. side (that is, the side where the cleaning device 13 is placed). The photosensitive drum contact member 18a and the charging bias contact member 18c are arranged substantially along a straight line, and in addition, the developing bias contact member 18b is arranged at a position in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 9 relative to the photosensitive drum ground member 18a and the charging bias contact member 18c. slightly outward. The photosensitive drum contact member 18a, the developing bias contact member 18b and the charging bias contact member 18c are successively away from the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 9 (that is, the distance between the contact member 18a and the photosensitive drum is the shortest, and the distance between the contact member 18c and the photosensitive drum is the farthest. ), also, the area of the developing bias contact member 18b is larger than the area of the photosensitive drum contact member 18a and the charging bias contact member 18c. Further, the developing bias contact member 18b, the photosensitive drum contact member 18a and the charging bias contact member 18c are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 9 so that the arm portion of the photosensitive drum contact member 18a is in contact with the inner surface of the photosensitive drum 9. The position outwards.

As mentioned above, by arranging the electrical contacts of the process cartridge (which can be installed in the image forming system) and the image forming system at the positioning and connection side of the process cartridge, these contact parts of the process cartridge and the contact pins of the image forming system can be improved Positioning accuracy between them, thereby preventing poor electrical engagement, and by arranging these contact members on the non-driving side of the process cartridge, the construction of the contact pins of the image forming system can be simplified and miniaturized.

Furthermore, since these contact members of the process cartridge are disposed inside the process cartridge frame, foreign matter can be prevented from adhering to these contact members, thereby preventing corrosion of these parts and further preventing deformation of these parts by external force. Furthermore, since the developing bias contact part 18b is arranged on one side of the developing device 12, and the photosensitive drum contact part 18a and the charging bias contact part 18c are arranged on one side of the cleaning device 13, the arrangement of electrodes in the process cartridge can be simplified. , so that the volume of the process cartridge can be miniaturized.

The dimensions of various components in the described embodiments will be listed below, but it should be noted that these dimensions are just an example, and the present invention is not limited to this example:

1) The distance (X ₁ ) between the photosensitive drum 9 and the photosensitive drum contact piece 18a is about 6.0 mm;

2) The distance (X ₂ ) between the photosensitive drum 9 and the charging bias contact member 18c is about 18.9 mm.

3) The distance (X ₃ ) between the photosensitive drum 9 and the developing bias contact member 18b is about 18.9 mm.

4) The charging bias contact member 18c has a width (Y ₁ ) of about 4.9 mm.

5) The charging bias contact member 18c has a length (Y ₁ ) of about 6.5 mm.

6) The width (Y ₃ ) of the photosensitive drum contact member 18a is about 5.2 mm.

7) The length (Y ₄ ) of the photosensitive drum contact member 18a is about 5.0 mm.

8) The developing bias contact member 18b has a width (Y ₅ ) of about 7.2 mm.

9) The developing bias contact member 18b has a length (Y ₆ ) of about 8.0 mm.

10) The diameter (Z1) of the flange gear 9c is about 28.6mm.

11) The diameter (Z2) of the gear 9i is about 26.1mm.

12) The width (Z3) of the flange gear 9c is about 6.7mm.

13) The width (Z3) of the gear 9i is about 4.3 mm.

14) The number of teeth of the flange gear 9c is 33.

15) The gear 9i has 30 teeth.

Now, the flange gear 9c and the gear 9i will be explained. The gears 9c, 9i are both helical gears. When the driving force was transmitted from the imaging system to the flange gear 9c, the photosensitive drum 9 mounted on the lower frame 15 and leaving a gap was subjected to its thrust and turned to the flange gear, and the photosensitive drum was positioned on the edge of the upper frame 15.

The gear 9c is used in a process cartridge containing magnetic toner to form a black image. When the black image forming process cartridge was installed in the imaging system, the gear 9c was engaged with a gear of the imaging system to receive the driving force to rotate the photosensitive drum, and it was also engaged with a gear of the developing tube 12d to rotate the display tube. The gear 9i meshes with a gear engaged on the transfer roller 6 of the image forming system to rotate the transfer roller. In this case, the rotational load hardly affects the transfer roller 6 .

Incidentally, the gear 9i is used in a color image forming process cartridge containing non-magnetic toner. When the color image forming process cartridge is installed in the image forming system, the gear 9c meshes with a gear of the image forming system to receive a driving force for rotating the photosensitive drum. On the other hand, the gear 9i meshes with the gear engaged on the transfer roller 6 of the image forming system to rotate the transfer roller, and it also meshes with the gear of the developing sleeve 12d for non-magnetic toner to rotate the transfer roller. The picture tube rotates. The diameter of the flange gear 9c is greater than that of the gear 9i, the width is greater than that of the gear 9i, and the number of teeth is greater than that of the gear 9i. Therefore, when a large load is applied to the gear 9c, the gear 9c receives the driving force to allow the photosensitive drum 9 to rotate more stably, and at the same time transmits a greater driving force to the developing tube for magnetic toner so that The picture tube rotates more stably.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 43, each of the contact pins 35a-35c is supported in the corresponding support cover 36 in such a manner that it is movable in the support cover but cannot be separated from it. Each contact pin 35a-35c is in electrical engagement with the printed circuit board on which the cover 36 is placed via a corresponding conductive compression spring. Incidentally, the charge bias contact member 18c connected to the contact member 35c has an arcuate bent portion near the pivot of the upper opening/closing cover 19, so that the opening/closing cover 19 for mounting the process cartridge B can surround the pivot. 19b is rotated in the direction indicated by arrow R to open and close the opening/closing cover, and the charging bias contact member 18c closest to the pivot 19b (ie, having the smallest stroke) can be effectively engaged with the contact pin 35c. (position)

With the process cartridge B installed and the opening/closing cover 19 closed, it is positioned so that the distance between the photosensitive drum 9 and the lens unit 1c and the distance between the photosensitive drum 9 and the original glass supporting member 1a are kept constant. . This positioning will now be explained.

As shown in FIG. 8, positioning lugs are formed on the lower frame 15 where the photosensitive drum 9 is located, near both longitudinal ends of the frame. As shown in FIG. 5, these lugs 15m protrude upward through holes 14g formed in the upper frame 14 when the upper and lower frames 14, 15 are engaged with each other.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 44, a lens unit 1c including a lens array 1c2 to read the original 2 is mounted on the upper opening/closing cover 19 by a pivot pin 1c3 around which the lens element unit can be moved slightly. Rotate and be biased downward (Fig. 44) under the influence of the biasing spring 39, thus, when the process cartridge B is installed on the upper cover 19 and the upper cover is closed, as shown in Fig. 44, the lower surface of the lens unit 1c is Will be adjacent to the positioning lug 15m of the process cartridge B, as a result, when the process cartridge B is installed in the imaging system A, the distance between the lens group 1c2 in the lens device 1c and the photosensitive drum 9 installed in the lower frame 15 It can be accurately determined, so that the light image optically read from the original 2 can be projected onto the photosensitive drum 9 through the lens array 1c2.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 45, a positioning pin 40 is provided in the lens element 1c, which slightly protrudes from the upper cover 19 through a hole 19c formed in the upper cover. As shown in FIG. 46, the positioning pins 40 protrude slightly from both longitudinal ends of the original reading slit Z (FIG. 1 and FIG. 46). Thus, when the process cartridge B is mounted on the upper cover 19 and the upper cover is closed and the image forming operation starts, as described above, since the lower surface of the lens unit 1c abuts on the positioning lug 15m, the original glass support 1a is positioned accordingly. As a result, the distance between the original 2 placed on the original glass support 1a and the photosensitive drum placed in the lower frame 15 remains constant, so that the light from the original 2 is accurately irradiated onto the photosensitive drum 9. Therefore, since the written information on the original can be precisely read optically and can be precisely exposed on the photosensitive drum 9, it is possible to obtain a high-quality image. (drive transmission)

Next, the driving force transmitted to the photosensitive drum 9 mounted in the process cartridge in the image forming system A will be described. When the process cartridge B is installed in the image forming system, the rotary shaft 9f of the photosensitive drum 9 is supported by the rotary shaft supporting member 33 of the above-mentioned image forming system. As shown in Fig. 47, the shaft supporting member 33 includes a supporting portion 33a for the photosensitive drum shaft 9f and an abutting portion 33b for the shaft 12d2 of the developing tube 12d. On the supporting portion 33a, an overlapping portion 33c is formed with a predetermined protrusion amount L (1.8 mm in the illustrated embodiment) so as to prevent the photosensitive drum shaft 9f from bouncing upward. Further, when the photosensitive drum rotating shaft 9f is supported by the supporting portion 33a, the developing tube rotating shaft 12d2 abuts against the abutting portion 33b, thereby preventing the rotating shaft 12d2 from falling. Also, when the upper opening/closing cover 19 is closed, the positioning lug 15p of the lower frame 15 protruding from the upper frame 14 of the process cartridge B abuts against the abutting portion 19c of the opening/closing cover 19.

Thus, when the driving force is transmitted to the flange gear 9c of the photosensitive drum 9 through the drive gear 41 of the image forming system engaged with the flange gear, the process cartridge B will be subjected to a tendency to make it revolve around the photosensitive drum rotation axis 9f along the 47 in the direction shown by the arrow I rotation, but, because the rotating shaft 12d2 of the display tube is adjacent to the adjacent portion 33b and the positioning lug 15p of the lower frame 15 protruding from the upper frame 14 is adjacent to the adjacent portion of the upper cover, Therefore, the rotation of the process cartridge B is prevented.

As mentioned above, although the lower surface of the lower frame 15 serves to guide the recording medium 4, since the lower frame is positioned by making itself adjacent to the main body 16 of the above-mentioned image forming system, the photosensitive drum 9, transfer The positional relationship between the roller 6 and the guides 15h1, 15h2 for the recording medium 4 is maintained with high precision, so that the recording medium can be conveyed and the image can be conveyed with high precision.

During the driving force transmission, the developing tube is biased downward not only by the rotational force acting on the process cartridge B but also by the force generated when the driving force is transmitted from the flange gear 9c to the developing tube gear 12j. . In this case, if the developing tube rotating shaft 12d2 is not adjacent to the abutment portion 33b, the developing tube will always be biased downward during the image forming operation, and as a result, the developing tube 12d may move downward, and/or Or the lower frame 15 on which the picture tube 12d is mounted may be deformed. However, in the described embodiment, since the rotating shaft 12d2 of the developing tube abuts on the abutting portion 33b without fail, the above disadvantages do not occur.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 20, the developing tube 12d is biased toward the photosensitive drum 9 due to the influence of the spring 12j of the developing tube supporting member 12i. In this case, the arrangement shown in FIG. Sliding of cartridge support 12i. That is, the supporting member 12m for supporting the developing tube rotating shaft 12d2 is mounted on the supporting bracket 12n, and the supporting member 12m is slidable along the narrow hole 12n1 formed in this supporting bracket. In this arrangement, as shown in FIG. 49, the supporting bracket 12n abuts on the abutting portion 33b of the rotating shaft supporting member 33 and is thereby supported. At this time, the supporting member 12m can slide along the narrow hole 12n1 in the direction indicated by the arrow. Incidentally, in the described embodiment, the inclination angle θ (FIG. 47) of the abutting portion 33b is about 40 degrees.

Furthermore, the display tube 12d may not be supported by the display tube shaft. For example, as shown in Figures 52A and 52B, it can be supported at its two ends by the lower end of the tube support member 52, and the support member is supported by the lower frame 15, which in turn is formed by The receiving portion 53 on the imaging system is supported.

In addition, in the described embodiment, the flange gear 9c of the photosensitive drum 9 is meshed with the drive gear 41, and the driving force is transmitted to the flange gear as follows: the center of rotation of the flange gear 9c and the drive gear The line connecting the centers of rotation of 41 deviates from the vertical line passing through the center of rotation of the flange gear 9c in the counterclockwise direction with a small angle α (about 1° in the embodiment described). The direction F of the driving force of the gear points upward. Generally speaking, although the floating of the process cartridge can be prevented by setting the degree of the angle α at 20° or more to generate a downwardly directed force, in the described embodiment, the angle α is set at about 1° .

By setting the above-mentioned angle α to 1°, when the upper opening/closing cover 19 is opened in the direction of the arrow j to take out the process cartridge B, the flange gear 9c is not locked by the driving gear 41, so it can smoothly move from the driving gear 41 to remove. Also, when the driving force transmission direction F is directed upward as shown above, the rotary shaft of the photosensitive drum is pushed upward, thereby facilitating its removal from the photosensitive drum support portion 33a. However, in the described embodiment, since the overlapping portion 33c is formed on the support portion 33a, the photosensitive drum shaft 9f cannot be removed from the photosensitive drum support portion 33a. (Recycling)

The process cartridge having the above construction can be recycled, that is, used process cartridges can be collected from the market, and parts thereof can be reused to form new process cartridges. This recycling will now be described. Generally speaking, used process cartridges have been disposed of or thrown away in the past, however, according to this embodiment, the process cartridge B can be collected from the market after the toner in the toner storage box has been used up. Protect resources and the natural environment. Then, the collected process cartridges are disassembled into upper and lower frames 14, 15, and they are cleaned. After this, reusable parts and new parts are assembled into the upper frame 14 or the lower frame 15, and then the toner storage The tank 12a is filled with new toner, and in this way a new process cartridge can be obtained.

More specifically, the locking claw 14a and the locking hole 15a, the locking claw 14a and the locking lug 15b, the locking claw 14c and the locking hole 15d, and the locking claw 14c and the locking hole 15d are locked by releasing the upper and lower frames 14, 15 to engage with each other. With the engagement between the claw 15c and the locking hole 14b (Figs. 4, 8, 9), the upper and lower frames 14, 15 can be easily separated from each other. For example, such a dismounting operation can be performed by placing the used process cartridge B on the dismounting tool 42 as indicated by a push rod 50 . The process cartridge can be detached by pushing the locking claws 14a, 14c, 15c even without a detaching tool.

As described above, after the upper frame 14 and the lower frame 15 are separated from each other (FIGS. 8, 9), the two frames are cleaned by the air blowing technique to remove waste toner attached or remaining in the process cartridge. In this case, a considerable part of the waste toner adheres to the photosensitive drum 9, the developing sleeve 12d and/or the cleaning device 13 due to the following parts directly contacting the toner, on the other hand, due to the charging roller 10 is not in direct contact with the toner, and thus the waste toner does not or hardly adheres to the charging roller 10 . Therefore, the charging roller 10 is easier to clean than the photosensitive drum 9, the developing tube 12d and the like. In this case, according to the described embodiment, since the charging roller 10 is mounted on the upper frame 14 instead of the lower frame 15 on which the photosensitive drum 9 is mounted, the developing tube 12d etc. can be cleaned more easily. In this case, according to the described embodiment, since the charging roller 10 is installed on the upper frame 14 rather than under the lower frame 15, the lower frame 15 is equipped with the photosensitive drum 9, the developing tube 12d and the cleaning device 13, thereby being compatible with The upper frame 14 separated from the lower frame 15 is easier to clean.

The disassembly and cleaning process is shown in Figure 38B. First, as described above, the upper and lower frames 14, 15 are separated from each other, secondly, the upper frame 14 and the lower frame 15 are independently disassembled and cleaned, and thereafter, for the upper frame 14, the charging roller 10 is separated therefrom and cleaned. Cleaning: For the lower frame, the photosensitive drum 9, the developing tube 12d, the developing sheet 12e, the cleaning sheet 13a, etc. are separated and cleaned, so that the disassembly and cleaning process is very simple.

After removing the toner, as shown in Figure 9, the hole 12a1 is sealed with a new cover film 28 again, and the toner storage box is supplied to the toner storage box by the toner supply hole 12a3 formed in the side of the toner storage box 12a. Add new toner inside, then cover the adding hole 12a3 with the cover 12a3, after that, through the locking claw 14a and the locking hole 15a, the locking claw 14a and the locking lug 15b, the locking claw 14a and the locking Engagement between the holes 15d enables the upper frame 14 and the lower frame 15 to be engaged with each other, thereby constituting a usable process cartridge.

Incidentally, when the upper and lower frames are engaged with each other, although the locking claw 14a and the locking hole 15a, the locking claw 14a and the locking lug 15b, etc. are mutually locked, when the same process cartridge is recycled for many times, the locking The locking force between the claw and the locking hole may be weakened. In order to solve this problem, in the embodiment described, threaded holes are formed near the four corners of the frame. 8) Threaded holes are respectively formed on the fitting groove 14d and the fitting lug 14e on the upper frame 15 and the fitting lug 15e (matching the groove 14d) and the fitting groove 15f (matching the lug 14e) on the lower frame 15 , then when the locking force is weakened by the locking pawl, after the upper and lower frames 14, 15 engage with each other and the assembly lugs and assembly grooves are matched, the screw is screwed into the engaging threaded hole, thereby The upper and lower frames 14, 15 are firmly joined together. imaging operation

The image forming operation of the image forming system A equipped with the process cartridge B will be described below.

First, the original 2 is placed on the original glass support 1a shown in FIG. Reciprocating left and right to optically read information written on the original. On the other hand, simultaneously with the reading of the original, the feed roller 5a and the pair of registration rollers 5c1, 5c2 rotate to convey the recording medium 4 to the image forming station. The photosensitive drum 9 corresponds to the conveyance of the pair of positioning rollers 5c1, 5c2, regularly rotates along the d direction in Fig. 1 and is uniformly charged by the charging device 10, and then the optical image read by the reading device 1 passes through The exposure device 11 exposes the photosensitive drum 9 to form a latent image on the photosensitive drum 9 .

Simultaneously with the formation of the latent image, the developing device 12 of the process cartridge B starts to operate to drive the toner conveying device 12b, thereby conveying the toner in the toner storage box 12a to the developing cylinder and rotating it. A toner layer is formed on the developing tube 12d. Then, the latent image on the photosensitive drum 9 is developed into a toner image by applying a voltage having the same charging polarity and potential as the photosensitive drum 9 to the developing tube 12d. In the described embodiment, a voltage of about 1.2 KVVpp, 1590 Hz (rectangular wave) is applied to the developing cylinder, and the recording medium 4 is conveyed between the photosensitive drum 9 and the registration roller 6 . By applying a voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner to the registration roller 6, the toner image on the photosensitive drum 9 is conveyed and transferred onto the recording medium. In the described embodiment, the positioning roller 6 is made of foam EPDM with a volume resistivity of about 10 ⁹ Ω-cm, and has an outer diameter of about 20 mm, and is applied to the transfer with a voltage of -3.5 KV as the transfer voltage. on the printing roller.

After the toner image is conveyed to the recording medium, the photosensitive drum 9 continues to rotate in the direction d, and at the same time, the residual toner left on the photosensitive drum 9 is removed by the cleaning sheet 13a, and the removed toner passes through the squeeze paper. 13b and is collected into the waste toner storage box 13c. On the other hand, the recording medium 4 that has been transferred with the toner image is sent to the fixing device 7 through the conveyor belt 5d, where the toner image is permanently fixed on the recording medium 4 by heating and pressing. superior. Then, the recording medium is discharged by a pair of discharge rollers 5f1, 5f2. In this way, the information on the original is recorded on the recording medium.

Hereinafter, other embodiments will be described. In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the example shown in Fig. 53 has only been described. In this example, the developing sheet 12e and the cleaning sheet are attached to the frame by the pins 24a, 24b. The mounting lugs 43a, 43b formed on the two longitudinal ends of the developing tube 12e and the cleaning sheet 13e are inserted into the corresponding mounting grooves 44a, 44b on the imaging system main body 16, so that the developing sheet 12e and the cleaning sheet are installed. When on the lower frame 15, the pin holes 45 for receiving the above-mentioned pins of the mounting pieces 12e, 13a can be formed near the mounting lugs 43a, 43b, and corresponding pin holes can be formed in the main body 16 of the imaging system. (Incidentally, at the mounting lugs 43a, 43b, half punched holes or semicircular bosses can be used).

In this arrangement, when the fitting engagement between the aforementioned sheet members 12e, 13a and the lower frame is loosened due to repeated recycling of the process cartridge B, the sheet members 12e, 13a can be securely fitted to the lower frame by the pins. lower frame.

Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 29, it has only been explained that the outer diameter D of the photosensitive drum 9 is smaller than the distance L between the photosensitive drum guide members 25a, 25b, so that the photosensitive drum 9 is installed on the lower frame 15. example, but as shown in Figure 54, when the photosensitive drum 9 is installed on the upper frame 14, the outer diameter D of the photosensitive drum 9 can also be smaller than the distance L between the photosensitive drum guide parts 2a, 2b, so that the photosensitive drum can be finally installed Into the upper frame, thereby preventing the damage of the photosensitive drum 9 surface, which is the same as the situation in the first embodiment. Incidentally, in Fig. 54, elements or components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals.

Then, the upper and lower frames 14 , 15 are engaged with each other by mutual locking between the locking lug 47 a and the locking hole 47 and being fixed by the pin 48 .

As shown in Figure 35 again, in the first embodiment, the photosensitive drum 9 and the developing tube 12d are supported by the supporting member 26, when the flange gear 9c is set at one end of the photosensitive drum 9 and the other end is set For the transfer roller gear 49, a structure as shown in FIG. 55 can be adopted. Incidentally, as shown in Fig. 55, components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals.

More specifically, in FIG. 55, the flange gear 9c and the transfer roller gear 49 are attached to both ends of the photosensitive drum 9 by bonding, press fitting, etc., respectively. The center groove 49a of the transfer roller gear 49 is rotatably supported by the support portion 33a of the support member 26, and the photosensitive drum is positioned. In this case, in order to ground the photosensitive drum 9, a photosensitive drum grounding plate 50 having an L-shaped connection portion is installed on and contacts the inner surface of the photosensitive drum, and the photosensitive drum grounding shaft passing through the transfer roller gear 49 51 is constantly in contact with the photosensitive drum ground plate 50. The photosensitive drum ground shaft 51 is made of a conductive metal alloy such as stainless steel, and the photosensitive drum ground plate 50 is also made of a conductive metal alloy such as copper, stainless steel, etc. When the process cartridge B is installed in the image forming system A, the photosensitive drum is grounded. The tip 51 a of the shaft 51 is supported by the support member 26 . In this case, the top end 51a of the photosensitive drum ground shaft 51 contacts the photosensitive drum ground contact pin of the image forming system, thereby grounding the photosensitive drum. In this case, as in the first embodiment, since the single supporting member 26 is used, the positioning accuracy between the photosensitive drum 9 and the developing tube 12d can be improved.

Furthermore, after a batch of developing devices 12 are set, this kind of process box B can not only be used to form the above-mentioned single-color image, but also can be used to form a multi-color image (two-color image, three-color image or full-color image). elephant). Still further, the developing method may be a well-known following method: a two-component magnetic brush developing type, a shower developing type, a touchdown developing type or a cloud developing type. In addition, in the first embodiment, the charging device is a so-called contact charging type device, that is, in other common charging technology, three shielding layers are formed with tungsten wire and a metal made of aluminum is placed on the three shielding layers. Cover, so that the positive ions or negative ions generated by applying high voltage on the tungsten wire move to the photosensitive drum 9, so that the surface of the photosensitive drum 9 is evenly charged.

Incidentally, the device of the contact charging type may be, for example, a sheet type (charging sheet), a pad type, a block type, a rod type, or a wire type as well as the aforementioned roller type. Furthermore, the cleaning means for removing residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 9 may be of a fur brush type or a magnetic brush type as well as a sheet type.

Furthermore, the process cartridge B includes an image-bearing member (for example, an electrophotographic photosensitive member) and at least one processing device, so, just as the above-mentioned construction, the process cartridge can include the image-bearing member and the charging device as a whole, as A unit is detachably installed in the imaging system; or it includes the image-bearing part and the imaging device in an integral form, and is detachably installed in the imaging system as a unit; or it includes the image-bearing part in an integral form and a cleaning device, which are detachably installed in the imaging system as a unit; or include an image bearing member and two or more processing devices in an integral form, which are detachably installed in the imaging system as a unit Inside. That is to say, the process cartridge integrally includes charging means, developing means or cleaning means, and an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and is detachably mounted in an image forming system as a unit; or integrally includes charging means, displaying At least one of the imaging device and the cleaning device and the electrophotographic photosensitive member are detachably installed in the imaging system as a unit; installed in the imaging system.

Furthermore, in the described embodiment, the imaging system is an electrophotographic copier (electrophotographic copier), but the present invention is not limited to this copier, but can be applied to various imaging systems, such as laser printers, facsimile computers, word processors, and similar devices.

Now, the above-mentioned driving force transmitted to the photosensitive drum 9 will be described in detail. As shown in Figure 56, the driving force is transmitted from the driving motor 54 installed in the imaging system main body 16 to the driving gear G6 through the gear train G1-G5, and then transmitted to the flange gear meshed with the driving gear by the driving gear G6. 9c, thereby causing the photosensitive drum 9 to rotate. Also, the driving force of the drive motor 54 is rotated from the gear 5a. Further, the driving force of the driving motor 54 is transmitted from the gear G1 to the driving wheel 7a of the fixing device 7 via the gears G12, G13.

As shown in FIG. 57 again, the flange gear (first gear) 9c and gear (second gear) 9i are all arranged on the lower frame 15, and the gears 9c, 9i are exposed from holes 15g formed on the lower frame 15. When the process cartridge B is installed in the image forming system A, as shown in Figure 59, the drive gear G6 is engaged with the flange gear 9c of the photosensitive drum 9, and the gear 9i next to the gear 9c is engaged with the transfer roller. 6 gears 55 are meshed. Incidentally, in Fig. 59, the components of the image forming system are indicated by solid lines, and the components of the process cartridge are indicated by dotted lines.

The number of teeth of the gear 9c is different from that of the gear 9i, so that when using a black image forming process cartridge including a magnetic toner, the rotational speed of the developing tube 12d is different from that when using a color image forming process cartridge including a nonmagnetic toner. drum speed. That is, when the black image forming process cartridge including the magnetic toner is installed in the image forming system, as shown in Fig. 60A, the flange gear 9c is engaged with the gear 12k of the developing tube 12d. On the other hand, when the color image forming process cartridge including the non-magnetic toner is installed in the image forming system, as shown in FIG. 60B, the gear 9i is engaged with the gear 12k of the developing tube 12d to rotate the developing tube. .

As described above, the diameter of the gear 9c is larger than that of the gear 9i, the width is wider than that of the gear 9i, and the number of teeth is larger than that of the gear 9i. Therefore, when a large load is applied to the gear 9c, the gear 9c can The driving force is accurately received to stably rotate the photosensitive drum 9 and a large driving force is transmitted to the developing sleeve 12d for the magnetic toner so that the developing sleeve 12d is stably rotated.

A preferred embodiment of the cleaning sheet when the developing sheet 12e and the cleaning sheet 13a are forcibly assembled to the mounting portions 44a, 44b of the image forming system main body 16 as shown in FIG. 53 will be described below. Incidentally, although only the cleaning sheet 13a will be described below, the developing sheet 12e can be regarded as similar thereto.

Fig. 61 is a perspective view showing the cleaning sheet 13a and the fitting portion 44b, and Figs. 62 and 63 are plan views thereof. As shown in FIGS. 61 to 63, a tapered portion 43b1 is formed by chamfering the lower portion of the fitting lug 43b formed on one longitudinal end of the sheet support member 13a1, and at the same time, by chamfering the fitting portion of the imaging system main body 16. The upper portion of 44b forms a tapered portion 44b1, therefore, when the mounting lug 43b is placed on the mounting portion 44b by fitting the tapered portions 43b1, 44b1, the lug 43b can be smoothly inserted into the mounting portion 44b.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 63, when the fitting lug 43b is fitted to the fitting portion 44b, the bottom edge 43b2 of the lug 43b is adjacent to the bottom edge 44b2 of the fitting portion 43b, so that the insertion degree of the cleaning sheet 13a can be adjusted. , In this way, when constructing the tapered portion 43b1 on the fitting lug 43b, it is preferable to make the aforementioned bottom edge 43b2 to the left.

Furthermore, although the fitting lug 43b is forcibly fitted into the fitting portion 44b as described above when assembling the sheet support member 13a1, in the automatic fitting operation, as shown in FIG. shown) is pulled in the direction shown by the arrow to make it elastically deformed, thereby increasing the distance between the fitting parts 44b, and then, as shown in Figure 65, the sheet support 13a1 is then fitted between the fitting parts 44b . In this case, as mentioned above, the assembly operation can be carried out smoothly due to the existence of the tapered portions 43b1, 44b1. After removing the above-mentioned utensils, as shown in FIG. 66, the deformation of the lower frame 15 is restored due to the elasticity. The fitting lug 43b is thereby fitted to the fitting portion 44b. Further, the fitting part 44b is pushed in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 66, so that the fitting lug 43b and the fitting part 44b can be locked with each other without error. In this way, the cleaning sheet can be easily assembled.

In addition, instead of the inclined tapered portion 43b1 formed on the fitting lug 43b, as shown in FIG. 67, the fitting lug can also be made into a circle with a certain radius. In this case, the same appearance can still be obtained. technical effect.

Also as shown in FIG. 68, the tapered portion 43b1 formed on the fitting lug 43b is rounded by chamfering the lower portion of the tapered portion 43b1. In this case, the fitting lug can be more smoothly fitted to the fitting portion 44b. Also, even if the tapered portion 43b1 is not formed, when the lower portion of the fitting lug 43b is formed into the above-mentioned circular shape, the smoothness of fitting can be improved to some extent.

In addition, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 69, the tapered portion of the sheet support 13a1 is adhered to the tapered portion of the sheet support 13a1 with a PTFE tape 13a3 or the like, whereby the aforementioned lugs can be smoothly fitted to the imaging system main body. assembly department. Furthermore, in another embodiment shown in FIG. 70, lubricants such as silicone oil and grease can be applied to the tapered portion 13b1 to lubricate the tapered portion, thereby also improving the assembly of the mounting lugs. Smoothness to the imaging system body assembly.

Incidentally, when the PTFE tape 13a3 is adhered to the tapered portion or when a lubricant is applied to the tapered portion, although it is not necessary to form the tapered portion 43b on the fitting portion 43b, it is not necessary to maintain the accuracy of engagement. The PTFE tape or lubricant should be set to the bottom edge 43b2 as a reference for positioning.

As described above, according to the present invention, the first and second frames can be firmly engaged with each other, and a process cartridge and an image forming system can be provided which can sufficiently withstand even increased repeated use (recycling) ) times.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a process cartridge, an image forming system, and a method for assembling a cleaning device, which can be firmly assembled repeatedly and sufficiently adapted to even increased repeated use (recycling) ) times.

Claims (11)

1. A replaceable process cartridge for an image forming apparatus, comprising: First and second boxes (14, 15); means (14a, 14c, 15a, 15b) for releasably locking said frames together to form a frame assembly; The electrostatic photosensitive element (9) installed on the above-mentioned frame assembly and the processing device (10, 12, 13) installed on the above-mentioned frame and acting on the photosensitive element are characterized in that: A plurality of coordinating tabs (14e, 14h, 15e) are provided, each on either the first or second frame, each tab releasably engaged to the other by movement along a respective axis. In a corresponding and complementary concave portion (14d, 15f, 15n) on the frame, so that when the above-mentioned engagement is performed, the above-mentioned protrusion is restricted by the corresponding concave portion and cannot move in a direction perpendicular to the above-mentioned axis. open and approximately parallel. 2. according to the process box of claim 1, it is characterized in that, on the first frame, be provided with a plurality of projections (14h), they are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of frame, and corresponding a plurality of recesses (15n) are arranged on the second. on the frame and spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the frame. 3. The process cartridge according to claim 2, wherein said locking means comprises a plurality of pawls (14a) which are provided on the first frame and are interchangeable with the protrusions (14h), and which are provided on the second frame. The engaging portion (15b) on the frame is engaged. 4. A process cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said processing means comprises means (12, 12a) for developing a latent image on the photosensitive member. 5. The process cartridge according to claim 4, wherein said developing means includes a toner accommodating portion (12a) provided by the first frame, and the locking means comprises a plurality of toner accommodating portions (12a) provided on the outer surface of said toner accommodating portion. Claws (14a) that engage with engaging portions (15a) provided on the second frame. 6. A process cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said processing means comprise means (13) for cleaning the photosensitive member. 7. The process cartridge according to claim 6, wherein said cleaning means includes a toner collecting portion (13c) for collecting toner dropped from the photosensitive member. 8. A process cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said processing means comprise means (10) for charging the photosensitive member. 9. The process cartridge according to claim 8, wherein said charging means comprises a charging roller (10) mounted on the first frame. 10. A process cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said photosensitive member is a rotatable photosensitive drum (9). 11. An imaging device comprising: a subject; It is characterized in that it also includes: A process cartridge according to any preceding claim and means for releasably mounting said process cartridge to said main body.

Images