Cartridge

Abstract

To provide a cartridge that can be easily attached to and detached from an apparatus main body of an image formation apparatus.SOLUTION: A cartridge comprises: a toner accommodating portion; an agitating member rotatable about a rotation axis to agitate toner in the accommodating portion; and a grip portion provided on an upstream side of the accommodating portion in a mounting direction. The grip portion includes a recess whose longitudinal direction coincides with a rotation-axis direction and whose upper side is open when the cartridge assumes a mounting posture, and which includes a bottom surface, and a first wall and a second wall that extend upward from the upstream and downstream sides, respectively, of the bottom surface in the mounting direction. An opening continuous from the bottom surface to the first wall is provided at a central part in the longitudinal direction of the recess. The grip portion has a third wall that faces the second wall across the opening, at a position above the bottom surface, in a horizontal direction, farther from the accommodating portion than the first wall when the mounting posture is assumed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cartridge device used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic system. [Background technology]

[0002] Electrophotographic image forming devices widely employ a cartridge-type configuration in which a cartridge containing process components such as a photosensitive drum and a developing roller can be attached to or detached from the device body. Many of these cartridge-type image forming devices are provided with an opening in the device body for attaching or detaching the cartridge, and a door for opening and closing the opening. When it's time to replace a cartridge or when a paper jam occurs inside the device body, a user opens the door and reaches into the device body through the opening to attach or detach the cartridge from or to the device body. To make it easier for the user to grasp the cartridge, a common configuration is to provide a grip on the cartridge (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2018-169436 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Image forming devices are being made smaller to conserve resources and space. Therefore, various units are densely packed inside the image forming device, and as a result, the internal space of the device body through which users can install and remove cartridges from the device body, as well as the openings through which users can access the internal space from the outside, are becoming narrower. Therefore, there is a demand for cartridges that are easy to install and remove, even in image forming devices with limited space for installing and removing cartridges. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a cartridge that is detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus main body in an installation direction, the cartridge comprising: a storage section for storing toner; an agitator member rotatable about a rotation axis to agitate the toner in the storage section, the agitator member being rotatable about the rotation axis so as to agitate the toner in the storage section, the rotation axis extending in a direction intersecting the installation direction; and a grip portion provided upstream of the storage section in the installation direction, wherein the grip portion, when the cartridge is mounted to the apparatus main body, is an installed posture when the cartridge is mounted to the apparatus main body, the grip portion includes a recess with the rotation axis oriented in the longitudinal direction and open at the top, the recess being constituted by a bottom surface and a first wall and a second wall extending upward from the upstream and downstream sides of the bottom surface in the installation direction, an opening is provided in a central portion of the longitudinal direction of the recess, the opening continuing from the bottom surface to the first wall, and the grip portion, when the cartridge is mounted in the installation posture, has a third wall facing the second wall via the opening, at a position higher than the bottom surface and horizontally farther from the storage section than the first wall. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] To provide a cartridge that can be easily attached and detached even in a main body of an image forming apparatus having a narrow space for attaching and detaching the cartridge. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are a perspective view and an enlarged perspective view of a grip portion of a cartridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a side surface of the cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus main body and the cartridge according to Example 1 immediately before the cartridge is mounted to the apparatus main body. FIG. [Figure 6]3A and 3B are side views of the apparatus main body and the cartridge according to the first embodiment, showing a state in which the cartridge has been completely attached to the apparatus main body and a state in which the cartridge is in the middle of being attached or detached. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge according to the first embodiment in a state where it has been completely attached to the main body of the apparatus. [Figure 8] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a cartridge of the apparatus main body according to Example 1 in a state where it is being attached to or detached from the apparatus main body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [Example 1] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a laser beam printer 100, which is an example of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

[0009] <Overview of laser beam printer> 2, the laser beam printer 100 includes a cartridge B and an apparatus main body A configured to removably mount the cartridge B. In the following description, the direction of gravity is defined as the Z direction, the horizontal direction in FIG. 2 that is perpendicular to the direction of gravity is defined as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X and Z directions is defined as the Y direction.

[0010] The apparatus main body A includes a sheet storage section 101, a sheet feeding section 102, a sheet conveying section 103, a transfer roller 104, a fixing section 105, a sheet discharging section 106, and a laser scanner 110. The cartridge B includes a photosensitive drum 11, a charging roller 12, and a developing roller 21. The direction of the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 11 (longitudinal direction) is the Y direction in FIG. 2.

[0011] The sheet conveying section 103 includes a first conveying roller pair 103a, a second conveying roller pair 103b, and a pre-transfer guide 103c. The first conveying roller pair 103a conveys the sheet fed by the sheet feeding section 102 toward the second conveying roller pair 103b. The second conveying roller pair 103b conveys the sheet conveyed by the first conveying roller pair 103a toward a transfer nip formed by a transfer roller 104 and the photosensitive drum 11. The pre-transfer guide 103c guides the sheet toward the transfer nip.

[0012] The apparatus main assembly A also has an opening / closing door 107 (opening / closing member) for opening and closing an opening 1000 through which the cartridge B passes when it is attached to or detached from the apparatus main assembly A. Details will be described later.

[0013] <Image formation process> The image forming process of the image forming apparatus in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, in response to a print start signal, a sheet S stored in a sheet storage unit 101 is fed by a sheet feeding unit 102 and conveyed along a dashed line C by a sheet conveying unit 103.

[0014] When the sheet S is transported to a predetermined position, an image formation start signal is issued, and the image formation process is initiated based on this signal. When the image formation process is initiated, the photosensitive drum 11, which is driven to rotate by a drive source (motor) (not shown), is uniformly charged to a predetermined potential by the charging roller 12. After charging, the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 is exposed to light based on image information by a laser scanner 110, and the charge in the exposed area is removed to form an electrostatic latent image. Toner in the cartridge B is carried by the developing roller 21 and supplied to the photosensitive drum 11 in accordance with the electrostatic latent image, thereby developing the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 11. As a result, the electrostatic latent image is visualized as a toner image on the photosensitive drum 11.

[0015] When the sheet S conveyed by the sheet conveying unit 103 passes through the transfer nip formed by the transfer roller 104 and the photosensitive drum 11, a voltage is applied to the transfer roller 104 from the apparatus main body A, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum 11 is transferred as an unfixed image onto the sheet S. Thereafter, the sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 105, where the unfixed image is heated and pressurized to be fixed onto the surface of the sheet S. The sheet S onto which the toner image has been fixed is discharged by the sheet discharge unit 106 onto a discharge tray 108 and stacked thereon.

[0016] <Cartridge configuration> The configuration of cartridge B of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of cartridge B in a position mounted in the apparatus main assembly A. Figure 4(a) is a perspective view showing the side of the cartridge on the driving side, where the cartridge receives a driving force from the apparatus main assembly A, and Figure 4(b) is a perspective view showing the side of the cartridge on the non-driving side, opposite the driving side.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, cartridge B includes a drum unit 10 having a photosensitive drum 11 (image carrier), and a developing unit 20 having a developing roller 21 that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 11 by supplying toner to the photosensitive drum 11.

[0018] The drum unit 10 has a photosensitive drum 11, a charging roller 12, a charging roller cleaner 14, a cleaning blade 17, and a drum frame 19. The charging roller 12 is disposed so as to contact the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 11, and charges the photosensitive drum 11 by application of a voltage from the apparatus main body A. The charging roller cleaner 14 cleans the surface of the charging roller 12. The cleaning blade 17 is elastic and disposed so as to contact the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 11, and cleans the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. Toner (used toner) removed from the photosensitive drum 11 by the cleaning blade 17 is stored in a used toner storage section 18. The drum frame 19 constitutes the used toner storage section 18 and rotatably supports the photosensitive drum 11.

[0019] The developing unit 20 includes a developing roller 21, a supply roller 22, a developing blade 23, an agitating member 24, and a developing unit frame 29 that defines a developing chamber 25 and a storage chamber 26 (storage section). The agitating member 24 is provided in the storage chamber 26, has a rotating shaft 24a, and a sheet 24b fixed to the rotating shaft 24a, and agitates the toner stored in the storage chamber 26. The developing roller 21 and the supply roller 22 are disposed in the developing chamber 25. The toner stored in the storage chamber 26 is sent from the storage chamber 26 to the developing chamber 25 by the agitating member 24. The supply roller 22 supplies the toner in the developing chamber 25 to the developing roller 21. The developing blade 23 contacts the circumferential surface of the developing roller 21 to regulate the thickness of the toner layer adhering to the circumferential surface of the developing roller 21, and at the same time, imparts an electric charge to the toner by rubbing against the toner. The developing unit frame 29 is provided with a grip portion 200 (grip, handle) that allows a user to grip the cartridge B. The grip portion 200 will be described later.

[0020] Next, the structure in which the developing unit 20 is supported by the drum unit 10 will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the developing unit 20 has a first bearing member 54 and a second bearing member 55 at both ends in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller 21 (not shown in Figure 4) (Y direction), and is supported by the drum unit 10 so as to be rotatable about a swing axis 8 extending in the Y direction. The cartridge B includes a first spring 52 and a second spring 53, which are tension coil springs. One end of each of the first spring 52 and the second spring 53 engages with the developing unit 20, and the other end engages with the drum unit 10.

[0021] 4(a), a cylindrical portion 54a provided in a first bearing member 54 of the developing unit 20 is supported in a cylindrical hole 57a provided in a side cover 57 of the drum unit 10. The swing axis 8 is a common center line of the cylindrical hole 57a of the side cover 57 and the cylindrical portion 54a of the first bearing member 54. The developing coupling 55, which serves as a driving force receiving member for rotating the developing roller 21, is disposed so that the swing axis 8 becomes the center of rotation.

[0022] On the non-drive side, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the pin 56 is inserted so as to straddle the hole 19a of the drum frame 19 and the cylindrical hole (not shown) of the second bearing member 55. The swing axis 8 is the common center line of the pin 56 and the cylindrical hole of the second bearing member 55. As described above, the developing unit 20 is supported by the drum unit 10 so as to be rotatable about the swing axis 8 relative to the drum unit 10. The developing unit 20 is urged toward the drum unit 10 by the first spring 52 and the second spring 53, and the developing roller 21 abuts against the photosensitive drum 11.

[0023] <How to install and remove the cartridge> 5(a) and 5(b) will be used to explain how to mount and remove cartridge B to and from apparatus main body A. Figure 5 is a perspective view of cartridge B before it is mounted to apparatus main body A, with opening and closing door 107 open.

[0024] As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the internal space of the apparatus main body A serves as an attachment portion for the cartridge B, and an opening 1000 provided on the top surface of the apparatus main body A is opened and closed by an opening / closing door 107. The opening / closing door 107 can open the opening 1000 when rotated in a rotation direction R3 around a rotation axis 107a relative to the apparatus main body A. A first guide member 114 and a second guide member 115 are also provided inside the apparatus main body A.

[0025] The cartridge B is provided with a first support boss 91a, a second support boss 91b, and a positioning boss 94, and a third support boss 92a, a fourth support boss 92b, and a positioning boss 95, on its drive-side end face and non-drive-side end face in the Y direction, respectively. The first support boss 91a is located upstream of the second support boss 91b in the mounting direction M. The third support boss 92a is located upstream of the fourth support boss 92b in the mounting direction M. As described above, the cartridge B is also provided with a gripping portion 200 that allows the user to grip the cartridge B.

[0026] When the user mounts cartridge B into the apparatus main body A, the user grips the grip portion 200 of cartridge B and moves cartridge B in the mounting direction M to mount it into the apparatus main body B. During the mounting process, the first support boss 91a and the second support boss 91b of cartridge B are supported by the upper surface 114a of the first guide member 114, and the first positioning boss 94 slips under the first guide member 114. Similarly, on the non-drive side of cartridge B, the third support boss 92a and the fourth support boss 92b are supported by the upper surface 115a of the second guide member 115, and the second positioning boss 95 slips under the second guide member 115. In other words, the first guide member 114 is sandwiched between the first support boss 91a, the second support boss 91b, and the first positioning boss 94, and the second guide member 115 is sandwiched between the third support boss 92a, the fourth support boss 92b, and the second positioning boss 95. In this way, the cartridge B is mounted in the apparatus main assembly A while its posture is regulated by the first guide member 114 and the second guide member 115.

[0027] In addition, the mounting direction M or removal direction D in this embodiment is the direction in which the cartridge B moves with the first support boss 91a and the second support boss 91b of the cartridge B supported on the upper surface 114a of the first guide member 114, and the third support boss 92a and the fourth support boss 92b supported on the upper surface 115a of the second guide member 115.

[0028] The installation is complete when the first positioning boss 94 and the second positioning boss 95 abut against the positioning surface 114b of the first guide member 114 and the positioning surface 115b of the second guide member 115, respectively. When the opening / closing door 107 is closed in this state, the laser beam printer 100 is ready to form images. When the cartridge B is removed from the apparatus main body A, the procedure is reversed from the above-described installation procedure.

[0029] <Grip part> The grip portion 200 of the cartridge B, which is a feature of this embodiment, will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 6 to 8. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cartridge B as seen from the direction of arrow Z1 in FIG. 2. FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view of the cartridge B as seen from the direction of arrow Z1 in FIG. 2. FIG. 1(b) is an enlarged perspective view of the grip portion 200 as seen obliquely from above. FIG. 1(c) is an enlarged perspective view of the grip portion 200 as seen from below. FIG. 6(a) is a view showing a state in which the cartridge B has been completely mounted to the main assembly A of the apparatus. FIG. 6(b) is a view showing a state in which the cartridge B is in the process of being mounted or removed from the main assembly A of the apparatus. FIG. 7(a) is a cross-sectional view Y1 of FIG. 1 showing a state in which the mounting is complete. FIG. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view Y2 of FIG. 1 showing a state in which the mounting is complete. FIG. 8(a) is a cross-sectional view Y1 of FIG. 1 showing a state in which the mounting or removal is in progress. FIG. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view Y2 of FIG. 1 showing a state in which the mounting or removal is in progress.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 6(a), the gripping portion 200 is provided on the upstream side of the cartridge B in the mounting direction D when the cartridge B is mounted in the apparatus main body A (mounting complete state). When a user removes the cartridge B from the apparatus main body A, the user first inserts his or her hand into the apparatus main body A through the opening 1000 of the apparatus main body A and moves the cartridge B in the removal direction D, which is the opposite direction to the mounting direction M. At this time, the third support boss 92a and the fourth support boss 92b of the cartridge B move in the removal direction D while being supported by the upper surface 115a of the second guide member 115. Although not shown in FIG. 6(a), the first support boss 91a and the second support boss 91b on the drive side of the cartridge B also move in the removal direction D while being supported by the upper surface 114a of the first guide member 114. 6(b), on the non-drive side, in a state where the third support boss 92a passes the second guide member 115 and the fourth support boss 92b is supported by the upper surface 115a of the second guide member 115, the gripping portion 200 is lifted so as to rotate the cartridge B around the fourth support boss 92b in the rotation direction R1. With the gripping portion 200 in the lifted position, the cartridge B is lifted upward, and the cartridge B is removed from the main body A of the apparatus through the opening 1000 of the main body A of the apparatus.

[0031] The position of cartridge B in Figure 6(b) is different from the position of cartridge B in Figure 6(a), in that the grip portion 200 is raised. In the position of cartridge B in Figure 6(b), the center of gravity G of cartridge B is downstream of the fourth support boss 92b supported by the second guide member 115 in the removal direction D, so that the cartridge B rotates in the rotation direction R2 due to its own weight. Therefore, the grip portion 200 is required to have a shape that allows the user to easily grip it with their fingers when cartridge B is in the position of Figure 6(a).

[0032] Therefore, the gripping portion 200 of this embodiment has the following structure when the cartridge B is in the mounting position when it has been completely mounted in the apparatus main assembly A.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the grip portion 200 has a recess 201 whose longitudinal direction is the direction of the rotation axis of the rotation shaft 24a of the agitating member 24 and which is open upward. As shown in FIGS. 1, 7(a), and 7(b), the recess 201 is composed of a bottom surface 201c, a first wall 201a and a second wall 201b extending upward from the upstream and downstream sides of the bottom surface 201c in the mounting direction M, respectively, and a fourth wall 201d1 and a fifth wall 201d2 which are both longitudinal end faces. The user inserts their fingers into the recess 201 to grip the cartridge B. Therefore, the width of the recess 201 (the distance L1 from the fourth wall 201d1 to the fifth wall 201d2 in FIG. 1(a)) is approximately the width of four of the user's fingers.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 7(a), it can be seen that an imaginary line VL1 extending along the first wall 201a on a cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotation shaft 24a is inclined downward in the horizontal direction as it approaches the storage chamber 26. That is, the first wall 201a is inclined downward in the horizontal direction as it approaches the storage chamber 26. In other words, the first wall 201a is inclined downward in the mounting direction D. The first wall 201a has a function of guiding the insertion of a user's finger into the recess 201. Therefore, by inclining the first wall 201a in this manner, it becomes easier for the user to insert their finger from above into the recess 201 of the grip portion 200 of the cartridge B in the fully mounted state.

[0035] In this embodiment, the second wall 201b is a wall that constitutes the storage chamber 26. The second wall 201b is a wall that comes into contact with the sheet 24b of the agitating member 24 when it rotates. However, the second wall 201b may be a wall separate from the wall that constitutes the storage chamber 26.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7(b), the recess 201 has an opening 204 in the longitudinal center that is continuous from the bottom surface 201c to the first wall 201a. The gripping portion 200 further has a third wall 210 that is located above the bottom surface 201c of the recess 201 and farther from the storage chamber 26 in the horizontal direction than the first wall 201a. The third wall 210 is located at a position where the opening is located in the longitudinal direction and faces the second wall 201b through the opening 204. In other words, the third wall 210 is located so that it can be accessed from the recess 201 through the opening 204. Furthermore, the third wall 210 is located so as to overlap with the rotation axis 24c when viewed horizontally when the cartridge B is in the mounted position.

[0037] The third wall 210 has an inclined surface 210c. In a cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotation shaft 24a, an imaginary line VL3 extending along the inclined surface 210c is inclined upward in the horizontal direction as it approaches the storage chamber 26, and extends in a direction intersecting with the imaginary line VL1. In other words, the inclined surface 210c is inclined upward in the horizontal direction as it approaches the storage chamber 26. Furthermore, in a cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotation shaft 24a, the third wall 210 is provided with ribs 210a and 210b that protrude downward above the lowest point 210e of the third wall 210. An imaginary line VL2 that passes through the lower end 210a1 and the lowest point 210e of the rib 210a is inclined upward in the horizontal direction as it approaches the storage chamber 26, and extends in a direction intersecting with the imaginary line VL1. The imaginary line VL2 also passes through the lower end 210b1 of the rib 210b. In other words, the imaginary line VL2 passing through the lower end 210b1 and the lowest point 210e of the rib 210b can be said to be inclined upward in the horizontal direction as it approaches the storage chamber 26. The third wall 210 may be configured with only the inclined surface 210c and without the ribs 210a and 210b. The third wall 210 may be configured without an inclined surface such as the inclined surface 210c, as long as an imaginary line in the inclined direction such as the imaginary line VL2 passing through the tip of the rib can be drawn. The ribs of the third wall 210 may extend horizontally, as long as an imaginary line in the inclined direction such as the imaginary line VL2 passing through the tip of the rib can be drawn.

[0038] Next, the effect of the grip portion 200 when the cartridge B is in the mounting / removal state shown in Fig. 6(b) will be described. Fig. 8(a) and Fig. 8(b) respectively show a cross section Y1 (an end of the grip portion 200) and a cross section Y2 (a central portion of the grip portion 200) of Fig. 1 in the mounting / removal state with respect to the apparatus main body A.

[0039] The third wall 210 is configured so that the inclination angle θ2 of the virtual line VL2 with respect to the horizontal line is smaller than the inclination angle θ1 of the virtual line VL1 with respect to the horizontal line. The third wall 210 is also configured so that the inclination angle θ3 of the virtual line VL3 with respect to the horizontal line is smaller than the inclination angle θ1 of the virtual line VL1 with respect to the horizontal line. As a result, when the cartridge B is in the position shown in FIG. 6(b), the third wall 210 is at an angle closer to the horizontal than the first wall 201a. Therefore, when a user places their finger in the recess 201 from above and hooks it, the third wall 210 makes it easier to lift the grip portion 200 upward than the first wall 201a. The smaller the angle of the wall on which the fingers of the grip portion of the cartridge B are hooked with the horizontal line, the easier it is to support the grip portion 200 from below with the fingers. As a result, the user does not need to rely as much on friction between the finger and the wall when lifting the grip portion 200 upward, and can lift the grip portion 200 simply by lightly gripping it.

[0040] Next, the role of the bottom surface 201c will be described. The opening 204 provided in the recess 201 is located in the center in the longitudinal direction, and bottom surfaces 201c are provided at both ends. In FIG. 2, the second conveying roller pair 103b and the pre-transfer guide 103c of the apparatus main body A are located immediately below the gripping portion 200. If the entire longitudinal area of the recess 201 were to be the opening 204, all fingers inserted into the recess 201 would extend downward through the opening 204 and get caught on the second conveying roller pair 103b or the pre-transfer guide 103c, impairing operability. Therefore, by providing the bottom surface 201c in the recess 201, some of the fingers inserted into the recess 201 will hit the bottom surface 201c, which can encourage the user to hold the recess 201 without inserting their fingers too deeply into it.

[0041] Furthermore, if the opening 204 of the recess 201 were to span the entire length, it is conceivable that when a user grasps the handle 200 of the cartridge B outside the apparatus main body A in order to mount the cartridge B in the apparatus main body A, the user might insert their fingers into the lower opening 204 of the recess 201 to hold the cartridge B. Holding the cartridge in this manner would make it difficult to mount the cartridge B in the apparatus main body A. Therefore, by providing the recess 201 with a bottom surface 201c, the recess 201 has a larger space for inserting fingers at the top than at the lower opening 204, and it is possible to encourage the user to insert their fingers from above the recess 201 to hold the cartridge B.

[0042] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a cartridge having a grip portion that is easy to grasp, even if the cartridge is one that fits in a narrow space relative to the main body of the image forming apparatus.

[0043] The gripping portion of this embodiment is applicable not only to cartridges having a photosensitive drum and a developing roller, but also to developing cartridges without a photosensitive drum, toner cartridges that only contain toner and do not have a photosensitive drum or a developing roller, and also to cartridges that are detachable from the main body of an image forming apparatus, such as a fixing device or a transfer unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 20 Development unit 24 stirring member 26 Containment Room 100 Laser beam printer 200 Cartridge grip 201 Recessed portion of grip 201a First wall of the recess 201b Second wall of the recess 201c Bottom of the recess 204 Recess opening 210 Third wall 210c Sloped surface of the third wall 210a 1st rib of 3rd wall 210a1 Tip of first rib 210b Second rib of third wall 210b1 Tip of second rib 210e The lowest point of the third wall A. Device body B Cartridge

Claims

1. A cartridge that is detachable in an attachment direction to a main body of an image forming apparatus, a storage section for storing toner; an agitator that is rotatable about a rotation axis so as to agitate the toner in the storage section, the rotation axis extending in a direction intersecting the mounting direction; a gripping portion provided upstream of the storage portion in the mounting direction; and the gripping portion includes a recessed portion, the direction of the rotation axis of which is a longitudinal direction and which is open upward when the cartridge is in an attached position when attached to the apparatus main body, the recessed portion being constituted by a bottom surface and a first wall and a second wall extending upward from the upstream side and the downstream side of the bottom surface in the attachment direction, respectively; an opening extending from the bottom surface to the first wall is provided in a central portion of the recess in the longitudinal direction; the gripping portion has a third wall facing the second wall through the opening, at a position higher than the bottom surface and farther from the storage portion in the horizontal direction than the first wall when the gripping portion is in the mounted position; An image forming apparatus characterized by:

2. 2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the third wall has an inclined surface that is inclined upward in the horizontal direction as it approaches the accommodating portion when the cartridge is in the mounted position.

3. 3. The cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the first wall is inclined downward in the horizontal direction as it approaches the accommodating portion when the cartridge is in the mounted position.

4. The third wall is provided with a rib that protrudes above a lowest point of the third wall when viewed in the longitudinal direction, 2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein, when viewed in the longitudinal direction, an imaginary line passing through the tip of the rib and the lowest point of the third wall is inclined upward in the horizontal direction as it approaches the storage portion.

5. 5. A cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the first wall is inclined downward in the horizontal direction as it approaches the accommodating portion when the cartridge is in the mounted position.

6. 2. A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the second wall is a wall that constitutes the storage portion.

7. 2. A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein when the cartridge is in the mounted position, the rotation axis and the third wall overlap when viewed in the horizontal direction.

8. The third wall is provided with a first rib and a second rib protruding from it when viewed in the longitudinal direction, 2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein, when viewed in the longitudinal direction, an imaginary line passing through the tip of the first rib and the tip of the second rib is inclined upward in the horizontal direction as it approaches the storage portion.

9. 9. The cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the first wall is inclined downward in the horizontal direction as it approaches the accommodating portion when the cartridge is in the mounted position.

Images