Process cartridge

Abstract

The present application relates to a process cartridge detachably installed in a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, the process cartridge comprising a casing, at least one rotating member rotatably installed in the casing, at least one of a developing member and a photosensitive member rotatably installed in the casing, and a separation mechanism; the developing member and the photosensitive member are opposite to each other when the process cartridge is installed to a predetermined position of the main assembly; the separation mechanism comprises a separation member movable between a combined position and a separated position; the separation member is kept in the combined position by the rotating member in a rotating state when the process cartridge is working, the developing member and the photosensitive member are close to each other; the rotating member stops rotating when the process cartridge stops working, the separation member moves from the combined position to the separated position, the developing member and the photosensitive member are separated from each other; the rotating member comprises the developing member and / or the photosensitive member, the separation member is not necessarily controlled by the image forming apparatus, but is determined according to the rotating state of the rotating member, so that the number of parts of the image forming apparatus can be reduced, and the structure is simplified.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of electrophotographic imaging, and in particular to a process cartridge detachably installed in an electrophotographic imaging device. BACKGROUND

[0002] The existing process cartridge generally supplies developer to a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, by a developing member carrying the developer, to develop the electrostatic latent image. When the process cartridge is working, the developing member and the photosensitive member are close to each other. When the process cartridge is not working, to prevent the surface of the photosensitive member from being contaminated by the developing member and the surface of the developing member from being deformed by the long-term pressing of the photosensitive member, there is a solution of providing a separation mechanism in the process cartridge. When the process cartridge stops working, a force applying member in the imaging device applies a force to the separation mechanism, and then forces the developing member and the photosensitive member to separate from each other. When the process cartridge needs to work again, the force is removed, and the developing member and the photosensitive member are close to each other again.

[0003] To reduce the load of the imaging device, there is a solution that the force applying member separates from the separation mechanism after applying the force to the separation mechanism, and the state of the developing member and the photosensitive member separating from each other is maintained by a maintaining member provided in the process cartridge. When the process cartridge needs to work again, the force applying member applies the force to the separation mechanism again to release the maintaining state of the maintaining member, and then the force applying member separates from the separation mechanism again.

[0004] When the process cartridge stops working, whether the force applying member always applies the force to the separation mechanism or separates from the separation mechanism after applying the force, the action of the force applying member needs to be controlled by the imaging device. This solution not only needs to provide the force applying member in the imaging device, but also needs to provide a mechanism to control the action of the force applying member, which causes the problems of more parts, complex structure of the imaging device, and finally is not conducive to the cost control of the imaging device. SUMMARY

[0005] Therefore, the present application provides a process cartridge, the action of a separation mechanism provided in the process cartridge is not controlled by an imaging device, but is controlled autonomously according to the state of the process cartridge, thereby reducing the number of parts of the imaging device, simplifying the structure of the imaging device, and being conducive to the cost control of the imaging device.

[0006] To achieve the object of the present application, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] The processing cartridge is detachably installed in a main assembly of the image forming device, and includes a housing, at least one rotating member rotatably installed in the housing, a developing member and a photosensitive member at least one of which is rotatably installed in the housing, and a separation mechanism; the developing member and the photosensitive member are opposite to each other when the processing cartridge is installed to a predetermined position of the main assembly; the separation mechanism includes a separation member movable between a combined position and a separated position; the separation member is kept in the combined position by the rotating member in a rotating state when the processing cartridge is working, and the developing member and the photosensitive member are close to each other; the rotating member stops rotating when the processing cartridge stops working, the separation member moves from the combined position to the separated position, and the developing member and the photosensitive member are separated from each other; the rotating member includes the developing member and / or the photosensitive member; the separation member in the separation mechanism is movable between the combined position and the separated position according to the rotating state of the rotating member, without being controlled by the image forming device, which not only improves the response speed of the separation mechanism, but also reduces the number of parts of the image forming device, and simplifies the structure of the image forming device.

[0008] Further, the processing cartridge or the main assembly is provided with an abutting portion, a second gap is formed between the separation member and the abutting portion when the separation member is in the combined position, and the separation member abuts against the abutting portion when the separation member reaches the separated position, and a first gap is formed between the developing member and the photosensitive member.

[0009] In some embodiments, at least a part of the separation member is arranged to be rotatable not only around its own rotation axis, but also around the rotation axis of the rotating member.

[0010] In particular, the separation mechanism further includes a movable member and a pushing member, the separation member is supported by the movable member, and the pushing member is used to push the movable member, so that the separation member has a tendency to move towards the separated position.

[0011] The rotating member drives the separation member to rotate, and the pushing force generated between the two causes the pushing member to elastically deform, and the separation member is kept in the combined position.

[0012] In some embodiments, the processing cartridge includes at least one of a first unit and a second unit combined with each other and relatively movable, the first unit includes a first unit housing and a developing member rotatably installed in the first unit housing, the second unit includes a second unit housing and a photosensitive member rotatably installed in the second unit housing, and the separation mechanism is arranged in the first unit or the second unit.

[0013] Further, the processing cartridge further includes a driving force receiving member and a driving force transmission assembly, the driving force receiving member is used to receive a driving force from the image forming device, the driving force transmission assembly includes a driving member used to receive the driving force of the driving force receiving member and drive the developing member to rotate, and the separation member is arranged to be combined with the driving member.

[0014] In some embodiments, the separating member includes a force receiving portion for receiving the pushing force and an acting portion for receiving the pushing force released by the urging member, when the force receiving portion receives the pushing force, the separating member is kept in the combined position, and when the acting portion receives the pushing force, the separating member moves from the combined position to the separated position.

[0015] More particularly, the movable member includes a main body portion, a rotating portion connected to the main body portion, and a guided portion rotatably supported by the main body portion, the separating member is rotatably supported by the main body portion, and the movable member is rotatably arranged in the process cartridge through the rotating portion, and the guided portion is guided by a guide portion arranged in the process cartridge.

[0016] Preferably, the rotating portion is coaxially arranged with the developing member, and the guide portion has a first limiting portion and a second limiting portion, when the guided portion is combined with the first limiting portion, the separating member is located in the separated position, and when the guided portion is combined with the second limiting portion, the separating member is located in the combined position.

[0017] Accordingly, the present application also provides a process cartridge detachably installed in a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, the process cartridge including a housing and at least one rotating member rotatably installed in the housing, the process cartridge further including a developing member and a photosensitive member at least one of which is rotatably installed in the housing and a separating mechanism; when the process cartridge is installed in a predetermined position of the main assembly, the developing member and the photosensitive member are opposite to each other; the separating mechanism includes a separating member movable between a combined position and a separated position in accordance with a rotating state of the rotating member; when the rotating member rotates, the separating member is located in the combined position, and the developing member and the photosensitive member are close to each other; when the rotating member does not rotate, the separating member is located in the separated position, and the developing member and the photosensitive member are separated from each other; and the rotating member includes the developing member and / or the photosensitive member. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1A is a perspective view of the process cartridge to which the present application relates.

[0019] Figure 1B is a side view of the process cartridge as viewed from a non-driving end in a longitudinal direction of the process cartridge.

[0020] Figure 1C is a sectional view of the process cartridge as viewed along a section line AA. Figure 1A

[0021] Figure 2 is a partially exploded schematic view of a driving end of the process cartridge to which the present application relates.

[0022] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a second unit driving end of the process cartridge to which the present application relates.

[0023] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a movable member of the process cartridge to which the present application relates.

[0024] Figure 5A ​This is an exploded schematic diagram of the separation mechanism of the processing box involved in the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5B This is a side view of the support structure viewed along the longitudinal direction.

[0026] Figure 6A This is a side view of the processing box of the present invention when it is in working condition, viewed from the drive end in the longitudinal direction.

[0027] Figure 6B The processing box involved in this invention, when in working state, along Figure 1A A sectional view of section BB.

[0028] Figure 7A This is a side view of the processing box of the present invention when it is in a non-working state, viewed from the drive end in the longitudinal direction.

[0029] Figure 7B The present invention relates to a processing box that, when in a non-working state, moves along... Figure 1A A sectional view of section BB. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] [Structure of the processing box]

[0032] Figure 1A This is a perspective view of the processing box involved in the present invention; Figure 1B This is a side view viewed from the non-drive end along the longitudinal direction of the processing box; Figure 1C It is along Figure 1A A sectional view of section AA.

[0033] The processing box C includes at least one of a first unit 10 and a second unit 20 that are coupled to each other and movable relative to each other, and a driving force receiving member located at the longitudinal end of the processing box. The first unit 10 includes a first unit housing 11 and a first rotating member 12 rotatably mounted in the first unit housing 11. The second unit 20 includes a second unit housing 21 and a second rotating member 22 rotatably mounted in the second unit housing 21. The driving force receiving member is used to receive driving force and drive the first rotating member 12 to rotate about a first rotation axis L1, and drive the second rotating member 22 to rotate about a second rotation axis L2 that is parallel to the first rotation axis L1.

[0034] The driving force receiver can be a single unit, or as follows: Figure 1A The configuration shown has two components, a first driving force receiver 41 and a second driving force receiver 42, wherein the first driving force receiver 41 is used to drive the first rotating component 12 to rotate, and the second driving force receiver 42 is used to drive the second rotating component 22 to rotate.

[0035] The processing cartridge C further comprises a gripping portion / handle 15 provided at one of the first unit 10 and the second unit 20, by which a user can achieve the detachable installation of the processing cartridge C to the main assembly of the image forming device.

[0036] For the sake of clarity of the following description, a direction parallel to the first rotation axis L1 / second rotation axis L2 is defined as a longitudinal direction x, a side where the driving force receiving member 41 / 42 is located is defined as a first end C1, an end opposite to the first end C1 in the longitudinal direction is defined as a second end C2, a direction from the first end C1 to the second end C2 is defined as an -x direction, a direction from the second end C2 to the first end C1 is defined as an +x direction, in some embodiments, the first driving force receiving member 41 and the second driving force receiving member 42 can also be respectively provided at the two longitudinal ends of the processing cartridge, at this time, a side where the first driving force receiving member 41 is located can be regarded as the first end C1, and a side where the second driving force receiving member 42 is located can be regarded as the second end C2; the processing cartridge C also has a height direction z intersecting the longitudinal direction, a direction from the gripping portion 15 to the second rotating member 22 is defined as a -z direction, and a direction from the second rotating member 22 to the gripping portion 15 is defined as a +z direction.

[0037] The processing cartridge C can be arranged to be directly installed to a predetermined position of the image forming device in the z direction, or can be arranged to be first installed to a drawer-type tray which can be moved in and out of the main assembly of the image forming device, and then the user pushes the tray into the main assembly of the image forming device, and as the user closes the door cover of the image forming device, the processing cartridge C reaches the predetermined position.

[0038] Further, the processing cartridge C further comprises a first end cover 40 and a second end cover 30 respectively located at the two longitudinal ends, the driving force receiving members are exposed outwardly through the end covers, and the following description is taken as an example that the first driving force receiving member 41 and the second driving force receiving member 42 are both arranged at the first end C1, at this time, the first driving force receiving member 41 and the second driving force receiving member 42 will be simultaneously exposed outwardly from the first end cover 40; the first end cover 40 and the second end cover 30 are used to combine the first unit 10 and the second unit 20, in practice, the first end cover 40 and the second end cover 30 can be independently arranged with respect to the first unit housing 11 and the second unit housing 21 respectively, or can be arranged such that at least one of them is integrally formed with the first unit housing 11 or the second unit housing 21, thus, the first end cover 40 and the second end cover 30 can be regarded as a part of the first unit housing 11, or can be regarded as a part of the second unit housing 21.

[0039] Further, the processing cartridge C further comprises an elastic member 31 arranged between the first unit 10 and the second unit 20, the elastic member 31 is used to force the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 to be close to each other, so that the developing member and the photosensitive member described below are kept in a close state. Preferably, the elastic member 31 is exposed outwardly through the second end cover 30, so as to facilitate the quick assembly and disassembly of the processing cartridge C.

[0040] The first unit 10 is used to accommodate a developer, the first rotating member 12 is a developing member used to carry the developer, and the second rotating member 22 is a photosensitive member used to form an electrostatic latent image on its surface, thus, the first unit 10 can be called a developing unit, and the second unit 20 can be called a photosensitive unit. When the processing cartridge C is working, the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are close to each other. In the processing cartridge using contact developing, the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are in a state of mutual contact. In the processing cartridge using skip developing, the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are in a state of mutual separation with a predetermined gap. In order to prevent the surface of the photosensitive member 22 from being contaminated by the developer on the surface of the developing member 12, and in order to prevent the developing member 12 from being deformed due to long-term compression by the photosensitive member 22, the processing cartridge is further provided with a separation mechanism 6. For the processing cartridge using contact developing, the separation mechanism 6 can force the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 to be separated from each other, so that the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are switched from contact to non-contact. The developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 will not collide due to accidental shaking of the processing cartridge. For the processing cartridge using skip developing, the separation mechanism can force the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 to be separated from each other, so that the distance between the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 is greater than the predetermined gap. The same effect of preventing the surface of the photosensitive member 22 from being contaminated by the developer on the surface of the developing member 12 and preventing the developing member 12 from colliding due to accidental shaking of the processing cartridge can be achieved.

[0041] The processing cartridge C can be a one-piece structure or a split structure. The one-piece structure means that the processing cartridge C comprises both the first unit 10 and the second unit 20, and when the service life of either one of the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 is exhausted, the user needs to take out and replace both the first unit 10 and the second unit 20. The split structure means that the processing cartridge C is provided with only the first unit 10 or the second unit 20, and the user only needs to replace the one of the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 whose service life is exhausted. However, no matter whether the processing cartridge C is a one-piece structure or a split structure, when the processing cartridge C stops working, the separating mechanism 6 will make the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 change from the state of being close to each other to the state of being separated from each other. Therefore, the structure of the processing cartridge C with the separating mechanism 6 can be simplified to that the processing cartridge C comprises a housing (at least one of the first unit housing 11 and the second unit housing 21), a rotating member (at least one of the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22) rotatably installed in the housing, and a separating mechanism provided in the housing. Hereinafter, the processing cartridge C with a one-piece structure will be described as an example.

[0042]

Separating mechanism

[0043] Figure 2 is a partial exploded view of the driving end of the processing cartridge according to the present application; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the driving end of the second unit of the processing cartridge according to the present application; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the movable member of the processing cartridge according to the present application; Figure 5A is an exploded view of the separating mechanism of the processing cartridge according to the present application; Figure 5B is a side view of the bracket viewed in the longitudinal direction.

[0044] As shown in the figure, the processing cartridge C further comprises a cover 13, a bracket 14 and a driving force transmission assembly 5 between the first end cover 40 and the first unit housing 11, the bracket 14 is fixedly connected with the first unit housing 11, the cover 13 is fixedly connected with the first unit housing 11 directly or through the bracket 14, and the bracket 14 is located between the first unit housing 11 and the cover 13 in the longitudinal direction; the driving force transmission assembly 5 is used for transmitting the driving force received by the first driving force receiving member 41 to the developing member 12, and the driving force transmission assembly 5 comprises a first driving member 51 and a second driving member 52, wherein the first driving member 51 is combined with the first driving force receiving member 41, and the second driving member 52 is combined with the developing member 12, so that the driving force of the first driving force receiving member 41 can be transmitted to the developing member 12 through the first driving member 51 and the second driving member 52 in turn, and preferably, the second driving member 52 is arranged at the longitudinal end of the developing member 12 and can be referred to as a developing member driving member; optionally, the driving force transmission assembly 5 can be arranged as a gear set, at this time, the first driving member 51 and the second driving member 52 will be a first gear 51 and a second gear 52 respectively, and the driving force transmission assembly 5 can also be replaced by other components capable of transmitting driving force, such as a belt pulley, a friction wheel, a ratchet wheel, a gear and rack structure, etc., as long as the driving force of the first driving force receiving member 41 can be transmitted to the developing member 12.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first driving force receiving member 41 can also be coaxially arranged with the developing member 12, and the driving force is transmitted between the two through structures such as D-shaped port matching, key groove matching, etc., so that the first driving force receiving member 41 can directly drive the developing member 12 to rotate. The first driving force receiving member 41 is exposed through the cover 13, that is, the driving force transmission assembly 5 and the first driving force receiving member 41 are located between the first unit housing 11 and the cover 13 and are protected.

[0046] The separation mechanism 6 comprises a movable member 61, a separation member 62 and a pushing member 63, the movable member 61 is arranged to be movable relative to the first unit housing 11, and the movable manner can be rotation or sliding / translation, the separation member 62 can move between a separation position and a combination position along with the movement of the movable member 61, and the pushing member 63 is used for pushing the movable member 61, so that the separation member 62 has a tendency to move towards the separation position; when the separation member 62 is located at the separation position, the processing cartridge C does not work, and the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 are separated from each other, or in other words, the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are in a state of being separated from each other, and when the separation member 62 is located at the combination position, the processing cartridge C can work, and the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 are close to each other, or in other words, the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are in a state of being close to each other.

[0047] Specifically, the separating member 62 is a gear rotatable about a rotation axis L3 parallel to the rotation axis L2, and the separating member 62 is engaged with the second gear 52, so that the separating member 62 can rotate with the rotation of the second gear 52 and can stop with the stop of the second gear 52. When the developing member 12 rotates with the second gear 52, the separating member 62 is located at the combined position, and when the developing member 12 stops rotating with the second gear 52, the separating member 62 reaches the separating position from the combined position. Thus, the position of the separating member 62 is determined by the state of the developing member 12 / second gear 52, instead of the state of the force applying member for applying force to the separating member 62 in the image forming apparatus. The separating member 62 is not combined with the force applying member and is not affected by the state of the force applying member, so that the separating member 62 can separate the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 from each other even if the force applying member is cancelled.

[0048] Preferably, the movable member 61 is rotatably arranged relative to the first unit housing 11, for example, as shown in Figure 4 As shown, the movable member 61 includes a main body portion 611, a rotating portion 612, a guided portion 614, and a combined portion 617. The separating member 62 is rotatably supported by the main body portion 611, for example, the separating member 62 is supported by a rotation shaft 64 formed separately from the main body portion 611, or the rotation shaft 64 can be formed integrally with the main body portion 611. The rotating portion 612 is rotatably combined with one of the first unit housing 11, the bracket 14, the cover 13, and the first end cover 40. The urging member 63 can be a component with elasticity, for example, the urging member 63 is a compression spring, a rubber block, a tension spring, etc. The urging member 63 is preferably a compression spring having one end combined with the combined portion 617 and the other end combined with one of the first unit housing 11, the bracket 14, the cover 13, and the first end cover 40. The guided portion 614 is used to guide the reciprocating track of the separating member 62 between the separating position and the combined position.

[0049] From the aspect of facilitating the assembly of the separating mechanism 6, the rotation shaft 64 is preferably formed separately from the movable member 61. The main body portion 611 is formed with a receiving cavity 613 capable of receiving the separating member 62. When the separating mechanism 6 is assembled, the separating member 62 can be first placed into the receiving cavity, and then the rotation shaft is arranged through the first support portion 615 and the second support portion 616 provided on the side wall of the receiving cavity 613. In some embodiments, at least one of the first support portion 615 and the second support portion 616 can be a through hole extending in the longitudinal direction, and one of the first support portion 615 and the second support portion 616 can also be a blind hole extending in the longitudinal direction and formed in a groove shape.

[0050] Preferably, the guided portion 614 is configured as a protrusion protruding from the main body portion 611, and the rotation axis L3 of the separating member 62 passes through the guided portion 614. In this way, the separating member 62 can move synchronously with the guided portion 614, which not only allows for precise control of the movement of the separating member 62, but also reduces the size of the separating mechanism 6.

[0051] Furthermore, the processing box C also includes a guide portion 141 for guiding the guided portion 614. Through the combination of the guided portion 614 and the guide portion 141, the movement trajectory and range of the movable member 61 are restricted. Specifically, the guide portion 141 is formed in a groove shape, and its specific position can be determined according to the position of the guided portion 614. Preferably, the movable member 61 is rotatably connected to the cover 13 via a rotating portion 612. The guided portion 614 protrudes from the main body 611 toward the first unit housing 11. The guide portion 141 is mounted on the bracket 14, that is, along... In the longitudinal direction, the movable part 61 is disposed between the bracket 14 and the cover 13, so that the longitudinal dimension of the processing box C does not change; in some embodiments, the guide part 141 can also be disposed on the first unit housing 11, and the movable part 61 can also be disposed on the first end cover 40; in other embodiments, the movable part 61 can also be disposed on the bracket 14 or the first unit housing 11. It is possible that the structures of the guide part 141 and the guided part 614 are interchangeable, that is, the guide part 141 is disposed in the form of a protrusion, and the guided part 614 is disposed in the form of a groove.

[0052] More preferably, the rotating part 612 is coaxially arranged with the developing element 12, that is, the axis of rotation of the rotating part 612 is also L1, and the rotation trajectory of the movable element 61 is as follows: Figure 5B As shown in the middle circle R, the center of circle R is located on the rotation axis L1. The guide part 141 has a first limiting part 141a and a second limiting part 141b. The guided part 614 can reciprocate between the first limiting part 141a and the second limiting part 141b. The first limiting part 141a and the second limiting part 141b are located in the circumferential direction of circle R. That is to say, the separating member 62 is configured to rotate both around its own rotation axis L3 and around the developing member 12 / rotation axis L1 / second gear 52. When the guided part 614 is engaged with the first limiting part 141a, the separating member 62 is in the separated position. When the guided part 614 is engaged with the second limiting part 141b, the separating member 62 is in the engaged position.

[0053] [The approach and separation of the developing and photosensitive parts]

[0054] Figure 6A This is a side view of the processing box of the present invention viewed from the drive end in the longitudinal direction when it is in working state; Figure 6B The processing box involved in this invention, when in working state, along Figure 1AA sectional view taken at section BB; Figure 7A This is a side view of the processing box of the present invention viewed from the drive end in the longitudinal direction when it is in a non-working state. Figure 7B The present invention relates to a processing box that, when in a non-working state, moves along... Figure 1A A sectional view of section BB.

[0055] When the processing box C is working, the first driving force receiver 41 receives the driving force from the imaging device and along... Figure 6A The clockwise rotation v1, through the engagement of the first gear 51 and the second gear 52, drives the developing element 12 along... Figure 6A The second driving force receiver 42 receives the driving force from the imaging device and rotates counterclockwise in the direction v3. Figure 6A When the photosensitive element 22 rotates clockwise v2, and is coaxially aligned with the second driving force receiver 42, the photosensitive element 22 also rotates clockwise v2. Figure 6A When the photosensitive element 22 rotates clockwise (v2), it moves closer to the developing element 12 and the photosensitive element 22 under the elastic force of the elastic element 31.

[0056] like Figure 6B As shown, the second gear / developer gear 52, used to drive the rotation of the developing element 12, meshes with the gear that serves as the separating element 62. The second gear 52 also rotates in the direction shown in v3, and the separating element 62 rotates in the direction shown in v4. At the meshing point Q between the second gear 52 and the separating element 62, the second gear 52 applies a thrust G along the tangential direction of point Q to the separating element 62. The thrust G pushes the movable element 61 to rotate around the rotating part 612 until the guided part 614 engages with the second limiting part 141b, at which point the movable element 61 stops rotating, and the pushing element 63 undergoes elastic deformation. However, the separating element 62 remains meshed with the second gear 52, and the separating element 62 still rotates with the second gear 52. Under the action of the thrust G, the elastic deformation state of the pushing element 63 is maintained. Preferably, the direction of the thrust G is consistent with the direction of the elastic deformation of the pushing element 63. In this way, the required magnitude of the thrust G can be reduced, the load on the processing cartridge is reduced, and finally, the power output required by the imaging device is reduced. Figure 6A As shown, at this time, a second gap g2 is formed between the separating member 62 and the abutting part 401 provided on the first end cover 40, that is, the separating member 62 is in the engaged position.

[0057] When processing box C stops working, such as Figure 7A and Figure 7B As shown, both the first driving force receiver 41 and the second driving force receiver 42 cease to rotate. Correspondingly, the developing element 12 and the second gear 52 also cease to rotate. The second gear 52 then no longer applies the thrust G to the separating element 62 it meshes with, and the pushing element 63 moves along... Figure 6AThe urging member 63 releases the urging force, and the separating member 62 is brought into abutment with the abutment portion 401, that is, the separating member 62 is located at the separating position, and the direction P is opposite to the direction of the urging force G. The urging force released by the urging member 63 is greater than the elastic force of the elastic member 31, so the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 can move relative to each other, and the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 move from the aforementioned state of being close to each other to a state of being separated from each other, as shown in FIG. 6, and a first gap g1 is formed between the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22. It should be noted that, for the process cartridge using the jump developing, the first gap g1 will be greater than the developing gap originally formed between the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22. Figure 7A

[0058] When the process cartridge C needs to start working again, the second gear 52 drives the separating member 62 to rotate as the first driving force receiving member 41 and the second driving force receiving member 42 rotate. At this time, the urging force G is generated again between the second gear 52 and the separating member 62, and the urging member 63 is elastically deformed under the action of the urging force G, the movable member 61 rotates around the rotating portion 612, and the separating member 62 is disengaged from the abutment portion 401. Under the action of the elastic force of the elastic member 31, the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 move from the state of being separated from each other to the state of being close to each other.

[0059] Specifically, when the process cartridge C is installed to a predetermined position of the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are opposite to each other, and one of the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 is positioned relative to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus, that is, one of the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 is not movable relative to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus. When the separating member 62 reaches the separating position, the unit of the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 that is movable relative to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus is pushed by the separating member 62, and the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 are separated from each other, and correspondingly, the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are also changed from the state of being close to each other to the state of being separated from each other. Preferably, the second unit 20 provided with the photosensitive member 22 is arranged to be positioned when the process cartridge C reaches the predetermined position of the image forming apparatus, and when the separating member 62 reaches the separating position, the first unit 10 rotates around the rotating axis of the first driving force receiving member 41, so that the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 are separated from each other, and the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are changed from the state of being close to each other to the state of being separated from each other.

[0060]

Other Description

[0061] ​According to the above description, the separating member 62 plays a role of receiving the thrust force of the second gear 52 and transmitting the thrust force to the abutting portion 401, and in some embodiments, the separating member can be divided into a force receiving portion that receives the thrust force and an acting portion that abuts against the abutting portion 401, when the force receiving portion receives the thrust force, the separating member can be kept in the combined position, when the acting portion receives the thrust force released by the urging member 63, the separating member moves from the combined position to the separated position, and at the same time, the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 change from the state of approaching each other to the state of separating from each other, therefore, for the acting portion, the force receiving portion can also be regarded as a part of the driving force transmission assembly 5, for example, the above-mentioned separating member 62 in the form of a gear can also be regarded as the force receiving portion, or regarded as the third gear 53 in the driving force transmission assembly 5, and the third gear 53 can also be arranged to be combined with the first gear 51 or the first driving force receiving member 41, similarly, when the first driving force receiving member 41 rotates to receive the driving force, the third gear 53 can receive the thrust force G, the acting portion does not abut against the abutting portion, and the separating member is in the combined position, when the first driving force receiving member 41 stops rotating, the acting portion abuts against the abutting portion under the action of the thrust force of the urging member 63, the separating member reaches the separated position, and at the same time, the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are in the state of approaching each other.

[0062] In some embodiments, the separating member 62 can also be arranged to move with the rotation of the stirring member / supply member (not shown) located in the first unit 10, and the movement mode can be rotation or sliding / translation, and when the stirring member / supply member rotates, the separating member 62 does not abut against the abutting portion 401 and is in the combined position, when the stirring member / supply member stops rotating, the separating member 62 abuts against the abutting portion 401 and reaches the separated position.

[0063] In some embodiments, the separating mechanism 6 can also be arranged in the second unit 20, for example, the separating member 62 can move with the rotation of the second driving force receiving member 42 / the photosensitive member 22, or can be arranged to move with the rotation of the charging member (not shown) that charges the surface of the photosensitive member 22, and the movement mode can be rotation or sliding / translation, and when the second driving force receiving member 42 / the photosensitive member 22 / the charging member rotates, the separating member 62 does not abut against the abutting portion 401 and is in the combined position, when the second driving force receiving member 42 / the photosensitive member 22 / the charging member stops rotating, the separating member 62 abuts against the abutting portion 401 and reaches the separated position.

[0064] According to the inventive concept of the present application, the developing member 12, the stirring member for stirring the developer, the supply member for supplying the developer to the developing member 12, the photosensitive member 22, the charging member for charging the surface of the photosensitive member 22, the first driving force receiving member 41, the second driving force receiving member 42, and the driving force transmission assembly 5, etc. are all considered as rotating members in the process cartridge, at least a part of the separation member 62 can be arranged to be combined with any one of the rotating members, at least a part of the separation member 62 moves with the rotation of the rotating member, at this time, the separation member 62 is in the combined position not abutting against the abutting portion 401, when the rotating member stops rotating, at least a part of the separation member 62 abuts against the abutting portion 401 to reach the separation position.

[0065] The position of the abutting portion 401 should not be necessarily limited, but can be properly adjusted according to the position of the separation member 62, as long as the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 can reach the state of being separated from each other from the state of being close to each other after the separation member 62 abuts against the abutting portion 401, the abutting portion 401 can be arranged in one of the first end cover 40, the second unit housing 21, the first unit housing 11, the bracket 14, the cover 13, etc., further, the abutting portion 401 can also be arranged at a certain position in the main assembly of the image forming apparatus.

[0066] As described above, the process cartridge C can be of an integrated structure or a split structure, when the process cartridge C is of a split structure, the separation mechanism 6 can be arranged in the first unit 10 or the second unit 20, thus, no matter what form of structure the process cartridge C has, the separation member 62 can reach the separation position from the combined position, and then the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 can be converted from the state of being close to each other to the state of being separated from each other.

[0067] In some embodiments, the elastic member 31 can also be replaced by a pair of magnetic members, for example, a magnetic member is arranged in the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 respectively, the opposite sides of the pair of magnetic members are magnetically opposite, and the urging force released by the urging member 63 is greater than the magnetic force of the pair of magnetic members, when the urging force G generated between the second gear 52 and the separation member 62 forces the elastic member 63 to elastically deform, the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are close to each other under the action of the magnetic force, when the urging force G is small, the urging force released by the elastic member 63, the separation member 62 abuts against the abutting portion 401, and the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 are separated from each other, thus, the elastic member 31 and the pair of magnetic members can be considered as a combination member for forcing the developing member 12 and the photosensitive member 22 to move towards the state of being close to each other.

[0068]

Advantages

[0069] The separating mechanism 6 can realize the transition from the state of close proximity to the state of separation between the developing element 12 and the photosensitive element 22, and the separating mechanism 6 does not receive the force applied by the image forming apparatus during the movement, but is autonomously controlled according to the state of the process cartridge, and the force applying element originally used to apply the force / separating force to the separating mechanism 6 can be omitted for the image forming apparatus, and the control component used to control the movement of the force applying element can also be omitted, so that the number of components of the image forming apparatus is reduced, the structure can be simplified, and the cost can be effectively controlled.

[0070] Specifically, the separating mechanism 6 controls its state according to the state of the rotating element in the process cartridge, when the process cartridge is working, the rotating element rotates, and the separating mechanism 6 / separating element 62 is kept in the combined position by the rotating element in the rotating state, and the developing element 12 and the photosensitive element 22 are in the state of close proximity, when the process cartridge stops working, the rotating element stops rotating, and the separating mechanism 6 / separating element 62 moves from the combined position to the separating position, and the developing element 12 and the photosensitive element 22 change from the state of close proximity to the state of separation. This design improves the response speed of the separating mechanism 6 / separating element 62, and the position change of the separating mechanism 6 / separating element 62 is basically simultaneous with the state change of the rotating element, and it is not necessary to wait for the force applying element in the image forming apparatus to apply the separating force to the separating mechanism 6 after the rotating element stops rotating.

[0071] Since the separating element 62 is arranged to move with the rotation of the rotating element, the specific arrangement position of the separating mechanism 6 / separating element 62 can not be limited, as described above, the separating mechanism 6 / separating element 62 can be arranged in the first unit 10 or the second unit 20; further, along the longitudinal direction of the process cartridge, the separating mechanism 6 / separating element 62 can be arranged at the first end C1 or the second end C2, so that the design freedom of the separating mechanism 6 / separating element 62 can be greatly improved.

[0072] More specifically, the separating element 62 is arranged to rotate around its own rotation axis L3 and around the rotation axis L1 of the developing element 12 / second gear 52 / rotating element, so that the separating element 62 can be kept in the combined position by the thrust generated when the second gear 52 meshes with the separating element 62, and the separating element 62 does not affect the rotation of the second gear 52, and the separating element 62 can rotate relative to the second gear 52 to reach the separating position when the developing element 12 / second gear 52 / rotating element stops rotating, and the second gear 52 remains stationary during the rotation of the separating element 62, and the stationary state of the developing element 12 is not affected.

[0073] As described above, when the separation member 62 is provided as a gear that can engage with the second gear 52, the separation member 62 can simultaneously have the effect of receiving the pushing force and abutting against the abutting portion 401, which is advantageous in reducing the number of components of the separation mechanism 6, simplifying the structure of the separation mechanism 6, and making it possible to control the size of the process cartridge C.

Claims

1. A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, the process cartridge including a housing and at least one rotatable member rotatably mounted to the housing, characterized in that: the process cartridge further includes at least one of a developing member and a photosensitive member rotatably mounted to the housing and a separation mechanism; the developing member and the photosensitive member are opposed to each other when the process cartridge is mounted to a predetermined position of the main assembly; the separation mechanism includes a separation member movable between an engagement position and a separation position; the separation member is held at the engagement position by the rotatable member in a rotating state when the process cartridge is in operation, the developing member and the photosensitive member are close to each other; the rotatable member is stopped from rotating, the separation member is moved from the engagement position to the separation position when the process cartridge is stopped from operation, the developing member and the photosensitive member are separated from each other; the rotatable member includes the developing member and / or the photosensitive member; the process cartridge further includes a driving force receiving member for receiving a driving force from the image forming apparatus and a driving force transmitting assembly including a driving member for receiving the driving force from the driving force receiving member and driving the developing member to rotate, the separation member is arranged to engage with the driving member.

2. The process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein, the process cartridge or the main assembly is provided with an abutting portion, a second gap is formed between the separation member and the abutting portion when the separation member is at the engagement position, the separation member abuts against the abutting portion when the separation member reaches the separation position, a first gap is formed between the developing member and the photosensitive member.

3. The process cartridge of claim 1, wherein, at least a portion of the separation member is arranged to be rotatable about an axis of rotation of the separation member and about an axis of rotation of the rotatable member.

4. The process cartridge according to claim 1 or 2 or 3, characterized by, the separation mechanism further includes a movable member and a biasing member, the separation member is supported by the movable member, the biasing member is for biasing the movable member so that the separation member has a tendency to move toward the separation position.

5. The process cartridge of claim 4 wherein, the rotatable member drives the separation member to rotate, an urging force generated between the rotatable member and the separation member forces the biasing member to elastically deform, the separation member is held at the engagement position when the process cartridge is in operation.

6. The process cartridge of claim 5 wherein, the process cartridge includes at least one of a first unit and a second unit which are engaged with each other and relatively movable, the first unit includes a first unit housing and a developing member rotatably mounted to the first unit housing, the second unit includes a second unit housing and a photosensitive member rotatably mounted to the second unit housing, the separation mechanism is arranged in the first unit or the second unit.

7. The process cartridge of claim 1, wherein, the separation member includes a force receiving portion for receiving the urging force and an acting portion for receiving the biasing force released by the biasing member, the separation member is held at the engagement position when the force receiving portion receives the urging force, the separation member is moved from the engagement position to the separation position when the acting portion receives the biasing force.

8. The process cartridge of claim 4 wherein, the movable member includes a main body portion, a turning portion connected to the main body portion, and a guided portion, the separation member is rotatably supported by the main body portion, the movable member is rotatably arranged in the process cartridge by the turning portion, the guided portion is guided by a guide portion arranged in the process cartridge.

9. The process cartridge of claim 8 wherein, the turning portion is coaxially arranged with the developing member.

10. The process cartridge of claim 8 wherein, the guide portion has a first limiting portion and a second limiting portion, the separation member is located at the separation position when the guided portion engages with the first limiting portion, the separation member is located at the engagement position when the guided portion engages with the second limiting portion.

11. A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, the process cartridge including a housing and at least one rotatable member rotatably mounted to the housing, characterized in that: The process cartridge further includes at least one of a developing member and a photosensitive member rotatably mounted in the housing and a separation mechanism; the developing member and the photosensitive member are opposed when the process cartridge is installed to a predetermined position of the main assembly; the separation mechanism includes a separation member movable between a coupling position and a separation position in accordance with a rotational state of a rotating member; the separation member is positioned at the coupling position when the rotating member is rotating, and the developing member and the photosensitive member are close to each other; the separation member is positioned at the separation position when the rotating member is not rotating, and the developing member and the photosensitive member are separated from each other; the rotating member includes the developing member and / or the photosensitive member.

Images