Sensitization drum unit and image forming apparatus equipped therewith

Abstract

The invention provides a sensitization drum unit and an image forming device with the unit. The sensitization drum unit includes: a cylindrical-shaped metal tube provided with an outer circumferential surface and inner circumferential surface, wherein toner patterns are formed on the outer circumferential surface and an insulative film is laminated on the inner circumferential surface; a flange member mounted on an end of the metal tube; and a grounding plate mounted on the flange member and grounding charges on the metal tube. The grounding plate has a connection claw plate on the circumferential surface, the claw plate is bent to engage with the inner circumferential surface of the metal tube, thereby ensuring electrical connection with the metal tube, the flange member has an edge, and the bending of the connection claw is carried out about a support point defined by the edge, a calculational bending angle at which the connection claw plate is bent about the support point is set in the range of 10 to 45 degrees. In this way, the charges of the metal tube can be reliably grounded.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a photosensitive drum unit that forms a toner image based on image data, and an image forming apparatus including the photosensitive drum unit. Background technique [0002] Image forming devices such as copiers, printers, facsimile machines, etc., form an electrostatic latent image on the peripheral surface of a metal tube commonly known as a photosensitive drum by irradiating light based on image data read or transmitted from the outside, and the electrostatic latent image is transferred from the developing device to the image data. Toner is supplied on the latent image to form a toner image, which is then transferred to paper. By assembling such a metal tube and other necessary components into a unit, it is used as a photosensitive drum unit. [0003] As such a photosensitive drum unit, for example, a photosensitive drum unit described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-319783 (hereinafter referred to a...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0010] However, only by setting the distance between the tips of the connecting claws to be only 1% larger than the inner diameter of the metal pipe, since the connecting claws are in an elastically bent state when the flange member is pressed into the metal pipe, sometimes the connecting claws are connected. Claws cannot exert elasticity

In this case, it is often difficult to reliably cut the inner peripheral surface of the metal pipe with the sharp end of the connecting claw

As a result, good conduction performance may not always be obtained

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