Cartridge

Abstract

To provide a cartridge that can improve the efficiency of toner filling operations.SOLUTION: A cartridge removably attached to an image forming apparatus body comprises: an image carrier unit that has an image carrier carrying a toner image; a developing unit that has a frame body provided with a toner filling opening for filling toner into a toner storage space and a developing roller rotatably supported by the frame body and carrying the toner stored in the toner storage space, and that is relatively movable to the image carrier unit; and a moving part that is supported movably to a first position and a second position different from the first position. The moving part has a force receiving part that receives, from the image forming apparatus body, a force for moving the developing unit relative to the image carrier unit. The moving part is configured to at least partially overlap the toner filling opening when located at the first position and not to overlap the toner filling opening when located at the second position, when seen in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cartridge that contains toner. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, an image forming apparatus has been proposed that includes a process cartridge that is detachably supported on the image forming apparatus main body (see Patent Document 1). The process cartridge has a cleaning unit including a photosensitive drum, and a developing device unit that includes a toner storage frame and a developing roller. The toner storage frame of the developing device unit is provided with a toner supply opening for supplying toner to the toner storage frame, and the toner supply opening is sealed with a toner seal member.

[0003] Also, a process cartridge has been proposed in which a moving member that moves when the developing roller is separated from or brought into contact with the photosensitive drum is provided on the side surface of the developing container (see Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-71275 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-154312 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The toner supply opening described in Patent Document 1 is used for the toner filling operation of filling toner into the toner storage frame, for example, when recycling a developing device unit. However, if there is a member covering the toner supply opening, such as the moving member described in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to remove such a member before performing the toner filling operation, which reduces the efficiency of the toner filling operation.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge that can improve the efficiency of the toner filling operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is a cartridge that is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus main body, comprising: an image carrier unit having an image carrier that carries a toner image; a frame body that forms a toner storage space that stores toner, the frame body communicating the toner storage space with the outside of the frame body and having a toner fill opening for filling the toner storage space with toner; a developing roller that is rotatably supported on the frame body and carries the toner stored in the toner storage space, the developing unit being movable relative to the image carrier unit; and a moving part that is movably supported between a first position and a second position different from the first position, the moving part having a force receiving part that receives a force from the image forming apparatus main body to move the developing unit relative to the image carrier unit so that the developing roller abuts against or moves away from the image carrier, and the moving part is configured so that at least a portion of the moving part overlaps the toner fill opening when positioned at the first position, and does not overlap the toner fill opening when positioned at the second position, when viewed in the direction of the rotational axis of the developing roller.

[0008] The present invention also provides a cartridge that is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus main body, comprising: an image carrier that carries a toner image; a frame body that forms a toner storage space that stores toner, the frame body communicating the toner storage space with the outside of the frame body and having a toner filling opening for filling toner into the toner storage space; a developing roller that is rotatably supported by the frame body and carries the toner stored in the toner storage space; and a moving part that is supported movably between a first position and a second position different from the first position and covers the surface of the image carrier at the first position, wherein, when viewed in the direction of the rotational axis of the developing roller, at least a portion of the moving part overlaps the toner filling opening when positioned at the first position and does not overlap the toner filling opening when positioned at the second position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the efficiency of the toner filling operation can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic view showing an entire printer according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the process cartridge. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the image forming apparatus with the front door open. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the image forming apparatus in a state where the cartridge tray is pulled out to the pulled-out position. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the image forming apparatus in a state where the process cartridge is removed from the cartridge tray. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a method for assembling the process cartridge. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a process cartridge. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the developing frame as viewed from the non-drive side. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a side view of the developing unit removed from the main assembly of the apparatus, viewed from the non-drive side. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a side view of the process cartridge removed from the main assembly of the apparatus, viewed from the non-drive side. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a side view of the developing unit, seen from the non-drive side, in a state in which the developing roller is in contact with the photosensitive drum. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a side view of the process cartridge, as viewed from the non-drive side, in a state in which the developing roller is in contact with the photosensitive drum. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the developing unit with the toner cap removed. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the non-drive side of the process cartridge according to the second embodiment in a state where it is removed from the main assembly of the apparatus. [Figure 19] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the non-drive side of the process cartridge when it is attached to the main assembly of the apparatus. [Figure 20] FIG. 4 is a side view of the process cartridge as viewed from the non-drive side. [Figure 21] (a) is a view of the non-drive-side bearing from the non-drive side, (b) is a view from the drive side, and (c) is a cross-sectional view parallel to the longitudinal direction of the developing roller, supply roller, and the sliding part of the non-drive-side bearing that rotatably supports them. [Figure 22] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a power supply path of the developing blade. [Figure 23] 23(a) is a side view of the developing unit as seen from the non-drive side, and FIG. 23(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the FA-FA cross section of FIG. 23(a). [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the process cartridge at a longitudinal position where the non-drive-side bearing of the developing unit is supported by the non-drive-side cover. [Figure 25] FIG. 4 is a side view of the process cartridge as seen from the drive side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] [First embodiment] An image forming apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2. The image forming apparatus 1 is a full-color laser beam printer that forms a color image on a recording material 3 by an electrophotographic process. A variety of sheet materials of different sizes and materials can be used as the recording material 3 (recording medium), including paper such as plain paper and cardboard, surface-treated sheet materials such as coated paper, specially shaped sheet materials such as envelopes and index paper, plastic film, cloth, and the like.

[0013] The image forming apparatus 1 has an image forming apparatus main body (hereinafter referred to as the apparatus main body 2) and four process cartridges 100Y, 100M, 100C, and 100K that are detachably mountable to the apparatus main body 2. In this embodiment, the apparatus main body 2 refers to the portion of the image forming apparatus 1 excluding the four process cartridges 100Y, 100M, 100C, and 100K. The number of process cartridges mounted in the apparatus main body 2 may be three or less, or five or more.

[0014] The apparatus main body 2 has an opening 2A and a front door 10 as an opening / closing member that can open and close the opening 2A. The side of the image forming apparatus 1 where the front door 10 is provided is referred to as the front side or front, and the side opposite the front side is referred to as the back side or rear. When viewed from the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, the right side is sometimes referred to as the drive side and the left side as the non-drive side. Furthermore, based on the orientation of the image forming apparatus 1 when installed on a horizontal surface, the vertically upward direction is referred to as up, and the vertically downward direction (the direction of gravity) is referred to as down. Note that the arrangement and shape of elements that are detachable or movable with respect to the apparatus main body 2, such as the process cartridges 100Y to 100K, will be described based on the state when the image forming apparatus 1 is performing an image formation operation (during image formation).

[0015] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1 as seen from the non-drive side. That is, in FIG. 2, the front side of the page is the non-drive side of the image forming apparatus 1, the right side of the page is the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, and the back side of the page is the drive side of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0016] The left-right direction of the image forming apparatus 1 is parallel to the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 101 of the process cartridge 100. The "driving side" refers to the side in the direction of the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 101 where a drum coupling 125 (FIG. 7) described later is arranged so that the process cartridge 100 receives a driving force from the apparatus main body 2.

[0017] 2, the image forming apparatus 1 has an image forming section 1A that forms an image (toner image) on a recording material 3. The image forming section 1A includes process cartridges 100Y, 100M, 100C, and 100K, a laser scanner unit 11, an intermediate transfer unit 5, and a secondary transfer roller 6. The image forming apparatus 1 also has a feeding unit 4, a fixing device 7, a discharge unit 8, a discharge tray 9, and a cartridge tray 20.

[0018] The four process cartridges 100Y to 100K are arranged side by side in a substantially horizontal direction (substantially in the front-to-rear direction). Each of the process cartridges 100Y to 100K is a process unit that creates a toner image using toner as a developer. The process cartridges 100Y to 100K have substantially the same configuration, except for the color of the toner contained therein. Hereinafter, any one of the process cartridges 100Y to 100K may be referred to as "process cartridge 100."

[0019] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the process cartridge 100 taken along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof. The longitudinal direction of the process cartridge 100 is the direction of the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 101.

[0020] 3, the process cartridge 100 of this embodiment includes a photosensitive drum 101 as an image carrier, and at least one process means that acts on the photosensitive drum 101 to perform an electrophotographic process. The process means include a charging means that charges the photosensitive drum 101, an exposure means that exposes the photosensitive drum 101 to light, a developing means that develops the latent image on the photosensitive drum 101, a transfer means that transfers the toner image on the photosensitive drum 101 to a transfer target, a cleaning means that cleans the surface of the photosensitive drum 101, etc.

[0021] The process cartridge 100 of this embodiment has a photosensitive drum 101, a charging roller 102 as charging means, and a developing unit 150 as developing means. The photosensitive drum 101 and the charging roller 102 constitute a drum unit 120. In other words, the process cartridge 100 is roughly composed of the drum unit 120 and the developing unit 150. A cleaning blade as cleaning means may be disposed in the drum unit 120. The drum unit 120 and the developing unit 150 are connected so as to be able to move relative to each other. In this embodiment, the process cartridge 100 or the developing unit 150 can be called a cartridge.

[0022] The developing unit 150 has a developing frame unit 150U including a developing frame 150F. A storage space for storing toner is formed inside the developing frame 150F.

[0023] The first process cartridge 100Y accommodates yellow (Y) toner in the developing frame unit 150U and forms a yellow toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 101. The second process cartridge 100M accommodates magenta (M) toner in the developing frame unit 150U and forms a magenta toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 101. The third process cartridge 100C accommodates cyan (C) toner in the developing frame unit 150U and forms a cyan toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 101. The fourth process cartridge 100K accommodates black (K) toner in the developing frame unit 150U and forms a black toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 101.

[0024] A rotational driving force is transmitted to the process cartridges 100Y to 100K from a driving output unit (details of which will be described later) of the apparatus main body 2, and bias voltages (charging bias, developing bias, electrostatic residual detection bias, etc.) (not shown) are supplied from contacts of the apparatus main body 2. A more specific configuration of the process cartridge 100 will be described later.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, a laser scanner unit 11 serving as an exposure means is disposed above the process cartridges 100Y to 100K. The laser scanner unit 11 includes a laser light source and an exposure optical system that guides the laser light emitted by the laser light source to each photosensitive drum 101. The process cartridge 100 (Fig. 3) is formed with an exposure window 128 that allows the laser light 12 from the laser scanner unit 11 to be incident on the surface of the photosensitive drum 101.

[0026] The intermediate transfer unit 5 is disposed below the process cartridges 100Y to 100K. The intermediate transfer unit 5 includes a drive roller 5e, a tension roller 5b, a transfer belt 5a, and four primary transfer rollers 5d. The transfer belt 5a is stretched across the drive roller 5e and the tension roller 5b, and is driven to rotate by the rotation of the drive roller 5e. The primary transfer rollers 5d are disposed in contact with the inner surface of the transfer belt 5a and facing the corresponding photosensitive drums 101 across the transfer belt 5a. A primary transfer portion is formed as a nip between the photosensitive drums 101 and the transfer belt 5a.

[0027] The secondary transfer roller 6 is disposed so as to sandwich the transfer belt 5a together with the drive roller 5e, and a secondary transfer portion is formed as a nip portion between the secondary transfer roller 6 and the transfer belt 5a.

[0028] The feeding unit 4 is disposed below the intermediate transfer unit 5. The feeding unit 4 has a tray 4a on which the recording material 3 is stacked and stored, and a feeding roller 4b as a feeding member.

[0029] The fixing device 7 is disposed in front of the process cartridges 100Y to 100K and above the secondary transfer portion. The fixing device 7 has a heating member (fixing member) that comes into contact with the toner image on the recording material 3, a pressure member that forms a nip portion (fixing nip) together with the heating member, and a heat source that heats the heating member. The heating member is, for example, a cylindrical film, a cylindrical roller, or an endless belt stretched over multiple rollers. The heat source is, for example, a ceramic heater in which a pattern of heating resistors is printed on a ceramic substrate, a halogen lamp that emits radiant heat, or a coil unit that generates Joule heat by inducing eddy currents in a conductive layer in the heating member.

[0030] The discharge unit 8 is a pair of rollers that sandwich the recording material 3 and discharge it to the outside of the apparatus main body 2. The discharge tray 9 is a stacking section on which the recording material 3 on which an image has been formed is stacked. In this embodiment, the discharge tray 9 forms part of the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2.

[0031] (Image formation operation) A series of operations (image forming operations) in which the image forming apparatus 1 forms an image on the recording material 3 while conveying the recording material 3 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0032] The control unit of the image forming apparatus 1 starts an image forming operation when it receives an image formation instruction (print instruction) together with image data from, for example, an external computer. During the image forming operation, the photosensitive drum 101 of each of the process cartridges 100Y to 100K is rotated in a predetermined direction (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3) at a predetermined peripheral speed (process speed). The transfer belt 5a is also rotated in the forward direction (the direction of arrow B in FIG. 2) relative to the rotation of the photosensitive drum 101 at a predetermined peripheral speed (process speed).

[0033] In each of the process cartridges 100Y to 100K, the charging roller 102 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 101 to a predetermined polarity and potential. The laser scanner unit 11 is driven based on an image signal that is generated by a control unit based on image data and sent to the laser scanner unit 11, and scans and exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 101. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a monochromatic image obtained by separating the image data into its respective color components is formed on each photosensitive drum 101.

[0034] The developing roller 103 is driven to rotate at a predetermined speed in the forward direction (the direction of arrow C in Figure 3) relative to the rotation of the photosensitive drum 101. The developing roller 103 carries and supplies toner to the photosensitive drum 101, and develops the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 101 into a toner image.

[0035] In the process cartridge 100Y, the yellow toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 101 is primarily transferred to the transfer belt 5a at the primary transfer portion. Similarly, in the process cartridges 100M, 100C, and 100K, the magenta, cyan, and black toner images formed on the photosensitive drum 101 are primarily transferred to the transfer belt 5a at the primary transfer portion so as to be superimposed on the yellow toner image. As a result, a full-color toner image is formed on the transfer belt 5a.

[0036] Meanwhile, in the feeding unit 4, a feeding roller 4b feeds recording materials 3 one by one from a tray 4a. The fed recording materials 3 are transported to the secondary transfer section in time with the toner image on the transfer belt 5a reaching the secondary transfer section. Then, at the secondary transfer section, the toner image is secondarily transferred from the transfer belt 5a onto the recording material 3.

[0037] The recording material 3 that has passed through the secondary transfer unit is sent to a fixing device 7. The fixing device 7 fixes the toner image on the recording material 3 to the recording material 3 by applying heat and pressure while nipping and conveying the recording material 3 at a fixing nip. The recording material 3 that has passed through the fixing device 7 is discharged to the outside of the apparatus main body 2 by a discharge unit 8 and stacked on a discharge tray 9.

[0038] (Process cartridge attachment / detachment structure) The configuration of the process cartridges 100Y-100K will be described with reference to Figures 4-6. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1 with the front door 10 open. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1 with the cartridge tray 20 pulled out to the pulled-out position from the state shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1 with the process cartridge 100 removed from the cartridge tray 20 from the state shown in Figure 5.

[0039] 4 and 5, the cartridge tray 20 is movable in the direction of arrow X1 (pushing direction) and the direction of arrow X2 (pulling out direction) relative to the apparatus main body 2. That is, the cartridge tray 20 is provided so as to be able to be pulled out and pushed into the apparatus main body 2. In this embodiment, the pushing direction (X1) and the pulling out direction (X2) are substantially horizontal. That is, when the apparatus main body 2 is installed on a horizontal surface, the cartridge tray 20 is configured so as to be able to move in a substantially horizontal direction.

[0040] The cartridge tray 20 is movable relative to the device main body 2 between an inner position (Figures 2 and 4) in which it is housed within the device main body 2 and an outer position (Figures 5 and 6) in which it is pulled out from the inner position toward the outside of the device main body 2.

[0041] The cartridge tray 20 has a mounting portion 20a into which the process cartridge 100Y can be detached (i.e., removably mounted) (FIG. 6). Similarly, the cartridge tray 20 has mounting portions 20a corresponding to the other process cartridges 100M, 100C, and 100K, respectively. When the cartridge tray 20 is in the outer position, the process cartridge 100 can be attached to and detached from the mounting portion 20a.

[0042] When replacing the process cartridge 100, the user opens the front door 10 to expose the opening 2A (FIG. 4). Next, the user grasps the cartridge tray 20 and pulls it out in the pulling direction (X2). As a result, the cartridge tray 20 and the process cartridges 100Y to 100K move from the inner position to the outer position through the opening 2A (FIG. 5). Then, the user removes the desired process cartridge 100 from the mounting portion 20a (FIG. 6) and mounts a new process cartridge 100 in the mounting portion 20a. Furthermore, the user pushes the cartridge tray 20 in the pushing direction (X1). As a result, the cartridge tray 20 and the process cartridges 100Y to 100K move from the outer position to the inner position through the opening 2A. Finally, the user closes the front door 10. With the front door 10 closed, the image forming apparatus 1 is permitted to perform an image forming operation.

[0043] The position of the process cartridge 100 when the cartridge tray 20 is located at the inner position and the front door 10 is closed is defined as the image forming position. The image forming position is the position of the process cartridge 100 when the image forming apparatus 1 performs an image forming operation (during image formation). The position of the process cartridge 100 when the cartridge tray 20 is pulled out from the inner position to the outer position (FIG. 5) is defined as the removal position. The removal position is the position where removal of the process cartridge 100 from the cartridge tray 20 is permitted.

[0044] In this embodiment, the intermediate transfer unit 5 is connected to the front door 10 via a link mechanism and moves in conjunction with the opening and closing of the front door 10. That is, when the front door 10 is opened, the intermediate transfer unit 5 moves downward in the direction of arrow Z2 in conjunction with the movement of the front door 10, and moves to a position where the transfer belt 5a is separated from each photosensitive drum 101. When the front door 10 is closed, the intermediate transfer unit 5 moves upward in the direction of arrow Z1 in conjunction with the movement of the front door 10, and moves to a position where the photosensitive drums 101 and the transfer belt 5a contact each other (the position during image formation). Furthermore, like the cartridge tray 20, the intermediate transfer unit 5 is movable between an inner position (FIG. 4) and an outer position (FIGS. 5 and 6) relative to the apparatus main body 2. The intermediate transfer unit 5 and the cartridge tray 20 can move to the inner position and the outer position independently of each other.

[0045] In this embodiment, the fixing device 7 is movable between a use position (FIGS. 2 and 4), which is the position during image formation, and a retracted position (FIGS. 5 and 6), relative to the apparatus main body 2. The retracted position is a position retracted upward from the use position. When the front door 10 is open, the fixing device 7 retracts from the use position to the retracted position, thereby increasing the vertical width of the opening 2A and allowing the cartridge tray 20 and the process cartridges 100Y to 100K to pass below the fixing device 7.

[0046] As described above, the plurality of process cartridges 100Y, 100M, 100C, and 100K can be moved collectively to the image forming position and the removal position by the cartridge tray 20. That is, in this embodiment, the process cartridges 100Y, 100M, 100C, and 100K can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 2 by attaching and detaching the cartridge tray 20 to and from the apparatus main body 2.

[0047] (Process cartridge) The configuration of the process cartridge 100 will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 10. Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the drum unit 120. Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the developing unit 150. Figure 9 is an assembled perspective view of the process cartridge 100. Figure 10 is a perspective view of the process cartridge 100.

[0048] In the following description, the "longitudinal direction Y" of the process cartridge 100, the drum unit 120, or the developing unit 150 refers to the direction of the rotation axis 101a of the photosensitive drum 101. The longitudinal direction Y may also be referred to as the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller 103. Furthermore, the aforementioned drive side is the same as one end side Y1 in the longitudinal direction Y, and the aforementioned non-drive side is the same as the other end side Y2 in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0049] (drum unit) 7 and 9, drum unit 120 as an image carrier unit includes photosensitive drum 101, charging roller 102, drum frame 121, and bearings 126a and 127a. Drum unit 120 also includes pressure springs 126b and 127b, a drive-side cover 122, and a non-drive-side cover 123.

[0050] In the longitudinal direction Y, the drive side end of the photosensitive drum 101 is engaged with a drum support hole 122a of the drive side cover 122, and the non-drive side end of the photosensitive drum 101 is engaged with a drum support hole 123a of the non-drive side cover 123. The photosensitive drum 101 is rotatably supported by the drive side cover 122 and the non-drive side cover 123.

[0051] A drum coupling 125 is formed at the drive side end of the photosensitive drum 101 as an input member to which the driving force of a motor arranged in the apparatus main body 2 is input. The apparatus main body 2 is provided with four main body couplings 30 (FIG. 5) as output members that output the driving force of the motor. The main body couplings 30 are arranged so as to engage with the drum couplings 125 of each process cartridge when the process cartridges 100Y to 100K are positioned at the image forming position. The driving force is transmitted via the main body couplings 30 and the drum couplings 125, so that the photosensitive drum 101 is rotated in a predetermined direction (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3).

[0052] The charging roller 102 is rotatably supported by bearings 126a and 127a supported by the drum frame 121. The charging roller 102 is urged toward the photosensitive drum 101 (in the direction of arrow F in FIG. 3 ) by pressure springs 126b and 127b pressing the bearings 126a and 127a. The charging roller 102 rotates (in the direction of arrow E in FIG. 3 ) following the rotation of the photosensitive drum 101. In the longitudinal direction Y, the driving side end of the drum frame 121 is connected to a driving side cover 122 with a screw, and the non-driving side end of the drum frame 121 is connected to a non-driving side cover 123 with a screw.

[0053] (developing unit) As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the developing unit 150 includes a developing frame unit 150U, a developing roller 103, a supply roller 104, a developing blade 156, an agitating unit 161 (described later), and a drive train (157, 158, 159, 160).

[0054] The developing frame unit 150U includes a first frame 151, a second frame 152, a drive-side bearing 153, a non-drive-side bearing 154, and a drive-side developing cover 155. The first frame 151 and the second frame 152 form a toner storage space 180 (FIG. 3) that stores toner. The edges of the first frame 151 and the second frame 152 are joined together by, for example, ultrasonic welding, adhesion with a hot-melt adhesive, thermal caulking, or the like.

[0055] The first frame 151 and the second frame 152 constitute a developing device frame 150F as a frame in which a toner storage space 180 is formed. The drive-side bearing 153 is attached to one end (drive side) of the developing device frame 150F in the longitudinal direction Y, and the non-drive-side bearing 154 is attached to the other end (non-drive side) of the developing device frame 150F in the longitudinal direction Y. In other words, the drive-side bearing 153 and the non-drive-side bearing 154 as a cover member are supported by the developing device frame 150F and are disposed outside the developing device frame 150F in the longitudinal direction Y. The drive-side bearing 153 and the non-drive-side bearing 154 are fixed to the first frame 151 and the second frame 152, for example, with screws.

[0056] The drive-side developing cover 155 is disposed further outward than the drive-side bearing 153 in the longitudinal direction Y. The drive-side developing cover 155 is fixed (co-fastened) together with the drive-side bearing 153 to the first frame 151 and the second frame 152, for example, with screws. In this embodiment, the first frame 151, the second frame 152, the drive-side bearing 153, the non-drive-side bearing 154, and the drive-side developing cover 155 are integrated into a structure to form a developing frame unit 150U as a frame unit of the developing unit 150.

[0057] Both ends of the developing roller 103 in the longitudinal direction Y are rotatably supported by a drive-side bearing 153 and a non-drive-side bearing 154. In addition, both ends of the supply roller 104 in the longitudinal direction Y are rotatably supported by the drive-side bearing 153 and the non-drive-side bearing 154.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 3, the developing blade 156 includes an elastic member 156b as a blade main body, a support member 156a that supports the elastic member 156b, and screws 156c. The elastic member 156b is, for example, a sheet metal with a thickness of about 0.1 mm. The support member 156a is, for example, a highly rigid metal member with an L-shaped cross section. The elastic member 156b is fixed to the support member 156a by welding or other methods. Furthermore, both ends of the support member 156a in the longitudinal direction Y are fixed to the developing frame 150F (for example, the first frame 151) using, for example, screws 156c.

[0059] The drive transmission configuration in the developing unit 150 will be described. The drive train described above includes an input gear 159, a developing roller gear 157, a supply roller gear 158, and an agitating gear 160, and is disposed at the drive side end of the developing unit 150 (FIG. 8). At least a portion of this drive train is housed in a space formed between the drive side bearing 153 and the drive side developing cover 155.

[0060] The developing roller gear 157, the supply roller gear 158, and the agitating gear 160 are directly or indirectly connected to the input gear 159, and are configured to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the input gear 159. The developing roller gear 157 is provided at the drive side end of the developing roller 103. The supply roller gear 158 is provided at the drive side end of the supply roller 104. The agitating gear 160 is provided at the drive side end of the agitating unit 161.

[0061] The input gear 159 has a developing coupling 159a. The input gear 159 functions as an input member to which the driving force of a motor arranged in the apparatus main body 2 is input. The apparatus main body 2 is provided with four main body couplings 40 (FIG. 5) as output members that output the driving force of the motor. The main body couplings 40 are arranged so as to engage with the developing couplings 159a of each process cartridge when the process cartridges 100Y to 100K are positioned at the image forming position. By transmitting the driving force via the main body couplings 40 and the developing couplings 159a, the developing roller 103, the supply roller 104, and the agitating unit 161 are each driven to rotate in a predetermined direction (the directions of arrows C, D, and G in FIG. 3).

[0062] (How to assemble the cartridge) A method of assembling the process cartridge 100 will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. As shown in Figure 9, the drive-side cover 122 and the non-drive-side cover 123 are provided with support holes 122b, 123b for supporting the developing unit 150 so that it can swing (move). Meanwhile, the drive-side developing cover 155 of the developing unit 150 is provided with a cylindrical portion 155a that engages with the support hole 122b. The non-drive-side bearing 154 of the developing unit 150 is also provided with a cylindrical portion 154a that engages with the support hole 123b. In other words, the developing frame unit 150U of the developing unit 150 is provided with cylindrical portions 154a, 155a as engaging portions.

[0063] When assembling the process cartridge 100, the cylindrical portions 154a, 155a of the developing frame unit 150U are engaged with the support holes 122b, 123b of the drive-side cover 122 and the non-drive-side cover 123. At the same time, both ends of the photosensitive drum 101 are engaged with the drum support holes 122a, 123a of the drive-side cover 122 and the non-drive-side cover 123. The drive-side cover 122 and the non-drive-side cover 123 are then fixed to the drum frame 121 using screws, an adhesive, or the like. The drum frame 121, drive-side cover 122, and non-drive-side cover 123 can be collectively considered to be a drum frame that rotatably supports the photosensitive drum 101.

[0064] As a result, the process cartridge 100 is assembled in a state in which the developing unit 150 can swing relative to the drum unit 120 (FIG. 10). The swinging of the developing unit 150 around the swing axis DA1 relative to the drum unit 120 allows the developing roller 103 to move toward and away from the photosensitive drum 101. For example, during image formation, the developing roller 103 is held in a position in contact with the photosensitive drum 101 or in a position facing the photosensitive drum 101 with a predetermined gap therebetween, and during non-image formation (period in which image formation operation is not performed), the developing roller 103 is held in a position spaced apart from the photosensitive drum 101.

[0065] The swing axis DA1 of the developing unit 150 is an imaginary line connecting the center of the support hole 122b of the drive-side cover 122 and the center of the support hole 123b of the non-drive-side cover 123. The swing axis DA1 is substantially the same as the rotation axis of the development coupling 159a of the developing unit 150. That is, the driving force is transmitted to the developing unit 150 from the apparatus main body 2 via an input member that is arranged coaxially with the swing axis DA1 of the developing unit 150.

[0066] (Configuration of the toner storage space) 11 and 12, a description will be given of the configuration inside the toner storage space 180 of the developing unit 150. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the developing frame 150F, and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the developing frame 150F as seen from the non-drive side.

[0067] 11, the developing unit 150 has a developing frame 150F that forms a toner storage space 180 that stores toner. The toner storage space 180 is divided into a toner storage chamber 150a and a developing chamber 150b by a partition wall 150W. The partition wall 150W is provided with a communication opening 150c that connects the toner storage chamber 150a and the developing chamber 150b.

[0068] The toner storage chamber 150a is provided with an agitation unit 161. The agitation unit 161 includes a rotation shaft 161a extending substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the developing roller 103, an agitation sheet 161b formed of a flexible sheet material, and a sealing member 161c. One end (a fixed end) of the agitation sheet 161b is attached to the rotation shaft 161a, and the other end of the agitation sheet 161b is a free end. The agitation unit 161 is configured such that the agitation sheet 161b rotates around the rotation shaft 161a as the rotation shaft 161a rotates, thereby agitating the toner in the toner storage space 180. Furthermore, as the rotation shaft 161a rotates, the agitation sheet 161b, which serves as a conveying unit for conveying the toner, conveys the toner toward the developing roller 103 and the supply roller 104.

[0069] Further, second frame 152 is provided with remaining toner amount detection unit 152a for detecting the amount of toner remaining in toner storage space 180 (inside toner storage chamber 150a). Toner remaining amount detection unit 152a has conductive sheet 174, which is a flexible first conductor, and conductive sheet 175, which is a second conductor, and is fixed to the inner wall of toner storage chamber 150a.

[0070] The stirring unit 161 transports toner to the remaining toner amount detection unit 152a in an amount corresponding to the amount of toner remaining in the toner storage space 180. A remaining detection bias is applied to the conductive sheets 174 and 175 from the device main body 2, and the remaining toner amount can be detected by detecting the capacitance corresponding to the amount of toner transported to the remaining toner amount detection unit 152a.

[0071] The sealing member 161c is formed of a flexible sheet material. One end of the sealing member 161c is attached to the rotating shaft 161a, and the other end of the sealing member 161c is fixed to the partition wall 150W so as to seal the communication port 150c. The other end of the sealing member 161c and the partition wall 150W are joined by thermal welding or the like. The agitating sheet 161b and the sealing member 161c are fixed to the rotating shaft 161a by means of thermal welding, ultrasonic welding, hot melt, adhesive, or the like.

[0072] An agitating gear 160 (FIG. 8) is attached to the drive side end of the rotating shaft 161a of the agitating unit 161, and a shaft support member 163 is attached to the non-drive side end, as shown in FIG. 12. The agitating unit 161 is supported by the first frame 151 of the developing frame 150F via the agitating gear 160 and the shaft support member 163. As described above, the sealing member 161c is welded to the partition wall 150W so as to seal the communication opening 150c. Thereafter, the second frame 152 is ultrasonically welded to the first frame 151.

[0073] 12, a toner filling opening 151a for filling toner into the toner accommodating space 180 is provided on a side surface 151f1 on the non-drive side in the longitudinal direction Y of the first frame 151. The toner filling opening 151a communicates with the toner accommodating chamber 150a of the toner accommodating space 180. Because the toner filling opening 151a is provided on the side surface 151f1 of the first frame 151, an operator can fill toner into the toner accommodating chamber 150a through the toner filling opening 151a with the developing frame 150F in a position such that the longitudinal direction Y is parallel to the direction of gravity. This allows toner to be efficiently filled into the toner accommodating chamber 150a.

[0074] In the present embodiment, the toner filling opening 151a is provided in the side surface 151f1, which serves as a first side surface on the non-drive side of the first frame 151. That is, the toner filling opening 151a is provided in the side surface 151f1 opposite to the side surface 151f2 (see FIG. 8), which serves as a second side surface on the drive side and on which the drive trains (157, 158, 159, 160) for transmitting drive to the developing roller 103 and the like are provided. This makes it possible to prevent toner from scattering onto the drive trains (157, 158, 159, 160) when filling toner with the developing frame 150F in an orientation in which the side surface 151f1 is on the upper side and the side surface 151f2 is on the lower side. This makes it possible to prevent toner from clogging the drive trains (157, 158, 159, 160) and causing drive malfunctions.

[0075] After the toner storage chamber 150a is filled with toner, the toner filling opening 151a is sealed with a toner cap 162 made of, for example, polyethylene. The toner cap 162, which serves as a lid member, is configured to be able to open and close the toner filling opening 151a. This prevents the toner in the toner storage chamber 150a from scattering outside the developing frame 150F.

[0076] After the process cartridge 100 is mounted in the apparatus main body 2, the agitation unit 161 rotates, causing the sealing member 161c to rotate as well. This causes the sealing member 161c to peel off from the partition wall 150W, opening the communication opening 150c in the partition wall 150W. As a result, the toner in the toner storage chamber 150a is transported by the agitation sheet 161b from the toner storage chamber 150a to the development chamber 150b via the communication opening 150c. In this way, the toner is sealed in the toner storage chamber 150a from the time the process cartridge 100 is manufactured until the agitation unit 161 is rotated. This prevents deterioration of the development roller 103 and supply roller 104 arranged in the development chamber 150b, thereby extending the life of the development unit 150.

[0077] (Contact / separation mechanism) Next, the contact / separation mechanism 200 as a moving part provided in the process cartridge 100 will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 16. Figure 13 is a side view of the developing unit 150 as seen from the non-drive side in a state where it is removed from the main body 2 of the apparatus. Figure 14 is a side view of the process cartridge 100 as seen from the non-drive side in a state where it is removed from the main body 2 of the apparatus. Figure 15 is a side view of the developing unit 150 as seen from the non-drive side in a state where the developing roller 103 is in contact with the photosensitive drum 101. Figure 16 is a side view of the process cartridge 100 as seen from the non-drive side in a state where the developing roller 103 is in contact with the photosensitive drum 101.

[0078] As shown in Figure 13, the process cartridge 100 (developing unit 150) is fitted with a contact / separation mechanism 200 for bringing the developing roller 103 into contact with or separating from the photosensitive drum 101. In this embodiment, a contact / separation mechanism 200 is provided on each of the non-drive side and drive side of the process cartridge 100. The contact / separation mechanisms 200 on the non-drive side and drive side have similar configurations and functions, so the following will only describe the contact / separation mechanism 200 provided on the non-drive side of the process cartridge 100, and a description of the contact / separation mechanism 200 on the drive side will be omitted.

[0079] The contact / separation mechanism 200 includes a moving member 164, a spacer 165, and a tension spring 166 stretched between the moving member 164 and the spacer 165. The non-drive-side bearing 154 of the developing unit 150 is provided with a boss portion 154d, a shaft portion 154b, and a contact portion 154c. The moving member 164 includes an elongated hole portion 164a that engages with the boss portion 154d, a contact portion 164c that can contact the contact portion 154c of the non-drive-side bearing 154, a pressed portion 164h, and a protrusion 164f. The moving member 164 is configured to be movable relative to the non-drive-side bearing 154 within a range in which the boss portion 154d and the elongated hole portion 164a can slide in the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole portion 164a. The moving member 164 is configured to be rotatable relative to the non-drive side bearing 154 around the boss portion 154d.

[0080] Spacer 165 is rotatably supported on shaft portion 154b of non-drive-side bearing 154. Spacer 165 also has a pressing portion 165a that can press protrusion 164f of moving member 164, and a spacing retaining portion 165b. Tension spring 166 urges moving member 164 in the direction of arrow L, i.e., in the direction along the movement direction of pressing mechanism 210 (described later), and also urges spacer 165 in the direction of arrow M around shaft portion 154b.

[0081] 13 is incorporated into the process cartridge 100 in a state where it has been removed from the apparatus main body 2. At this time, the moving member 164 is urged in the direction of arrow L by the urging force of the tension spring 166. As a result, the lower end edge 164b of the elongated hole portion 164a of the moving member 164 abuts against the boss portion 154d of the non-drive side bearing 154.

[0082] Then, the spacer 165 rotates in the direction of arrow M around the shaft portion 154b due to the biasing force of the tension spring 166. As a result, the pressing portion 165a of the spacer 165 presses the protruding portion 164f of the moving member 164 in the direction of arrow P10. As the protruding portion 164f is pressed in the direction of arrow P10 by the pressing portion 165a, the moving member 164 rotates in the direction of arrow P11 around the boss portion 154d. Then, the abutting portion 164c of the moving member 164 abuts against the abutted portion 154c of the non-drive-side bearing 154, thereby positioning the contact / separation mechanism 200. The positions of the contact / separation mechanism 200, the moving member 164, and the spacer 165 at this time are referred to as a separation-maintaining position, which is a first position.

[0083] 14, the spacing maintaining portion 165b of the spacer 165 located at the spacing maintaining position abuts against the abutment portion 123c provided on the non-drive-side cover 123 of the drum unit 120. This determines the relative position of the developing unit 150 around the swing axis DA1 with respect to the drum unit 120, and the position of the developing unit 150 at this time is defined as the spacing position. When the developing unit 150 is located at the spacing position, the developing roller 103 is spaced from the photosensitive drum 101.

[0084] A developing pressure spring 167 is provided between the non-drive-side cover 123 of the drum unit 120 and the non-drive-side bearing 154 of the developing unit 150. The developing pressure spring 167 urges the developing unit 150 around the swing shaft DA1 so that the developing roller 103 approaches the photosensitive drum 101. When the process cartridge 100 is mounted in the apparatus main body 2, the developing unit 150 receives torque (driving torque) in a predetermined rotational direction from the main body coupling 40 of the apparatus main body 2 to the developing coupling 159a. The driving torque at this time also urges the developing unit 150 around the swing shaft DA1 so that the developing roller 103 approaches the photosensitive drum 101. However, since the spacing holding portion 165b of the spacer 165 located at the spacing holding position abuts against the abutted portion 123c of the non-drive side cover 123, the drum unit 120 is held at the spacing position even when subjected to the urging force of the development pressure spring 167 and the driving torque.

[0085] Next, the operation of the contact / separation mechanism 200 when the process cartridge 100 is mounted in the apparatus main body 2 and the developing roller 103 contacts the photosensitive drum 101 will be described.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 15 , the apparatus main body 2 is provided with a pressing mechanism 210 disposed above the moving member 164. The pressing mechanism 210 moves up and down (vertically, in the direction of gravity) in conjunction with the opening and closing of the front door 10 ( FIG. 2 ). More specifically, after the front door 10 is opened, the process cartridge 100 is attached to the apparatus main body 2 with the developing unit 150 positioned at the separated position and the contact-separation mechanism 200 positioned at the separated position. The front door 10 is then closed relative to the apparatus main body 2. When the front door 10 is opened from the closed position to the open position, the pressing mechanism 210 moves downward via a link mechanism (not shown) or the like. As a result, the pressed portion 164h of the moving member 164 is pressed downward in the direction of arrow N by the pressing mechanism 210. Then, the protruding portion 164f of the moving member 164 protrudes downward beyond the non-drive-side bearing 154. The position of the moving member 164 at this time is referred to as the protruding position.

[0087] Here, the apparatus main body 2 is provided with a control member 220 that is disposed below the process cartridge 100 that is positioned at the image forming position, and the control member 220 is configured to be movable in the direction of arrow S and in the direction of arrow V that is opposite to the direction of arrow S. The directions of arrow S and arrow V are horizontal directions. The control member 220 is configured to be movable to a home position, a contact release position, and a separation release position, and the control member 220 shown in FIG. 15 is located at the home position. The control member 220 also has a first surface 221 and a second surface 222 that respectively face the protrusion 164f of the moving member 164 that is positioned at the protrusion position.

[0088] In other words, the protruding portion 164f of the movable member 164 located in the protruding position is arranged so as to overlap the movement locus of the first surface 221 and the second surface 222 of the control member 220. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 13, the protruding portion 164f of the movable member 164 located in the separation holding position is located above the control member 220 and is arranged so as not to overlap the movement locus of the first surface 221 and the second surface 222 of the control member 220. Four control members 220 are provided corresponding to the four process cartridges 100Y to 100K. These four control members 220 may be configured to move integrally or independently.

[0089] Before the image forming operation described above is performed, the control member 220 moves from the home position to the separation release position in the direction of arrow S in FIG. 15. As a result, the protruding portion 164f of the moving member 164, which is located in the protruding position, is pressed by the first surface 221 of the control member 220 and rotates around the boss portion 154d in the direction of arrow P. In other words, the protruding portion 164f receives a force from the control member 220, which is part of the apparatus main body 2, for moving the developing unit 150 to a contact position (described later) so that the developing roller 103 contacts the photosensitive drum 101. When the moving member 164 rotates in the direction of arrow P, the contact portion 164d provided on the moving member 164 presses the pressing portion 165a of the spacer 165. As the pressing portion 165a is pressed by the contact portion 164d, the spacer 165 rotates in the direction of arrow R around the shaft portion 154b.

[0090] 16, the separation holding portion 165b of the spacer 165 and the contacted portion 123c of the non-drive-side cover 123 are released from contact, and the developing unit 150 rotates about the swing axis DA1 in a direction in which the developing roller 103 approaches the photosensitive drum 101. This is because the developing pressure spring 167 biases the developing unit 150. Then, the developing roller 103 contacts the photosensitive drum 101, and the developing unit 150 is positioned relative to the drum unit 120. The position of the developing unit 150 at this time is referred to as the contact position. The positions of the contact / separation mechanism 200, the moving member 164, and the spacer 165 at this time are referred to as the contact holding position, which is a third position.

[0091] The control member 220 returns from the separation release position to the home position after the separation maintaining portion 165b of the spacer 165 is released from the abutment portion 123c of the non-drive-side cover 123. When the control member 220 is located at the home position, the first surface 221 and the second surface 222 of the control member 220 are separated from the protrusion 164f of the moving member 164.

[0092] Furthermore, the control member 220 moves from the home position to the abutment release position in the direction of arrow V in FIG. 15 when, for example, a period of time during which no image formation is performed by the process cartridge 100 exceeds a predetermined time. As a result, the protruding portion 164f of the moving member 164 located in the protruding position is pressed by the second surface 222 of the control member 220 and rotates around the boss portion 154d in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow P. In other words, the protruding portion 164f receives a force from the control member 220, which is part of the apparatus main body 2, for moving the developing unit 150 to the separation position so that the developing roller 103 is separated from the photosensitive drum 101. When the moving member 164 rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow P, the spacer 165 rotates around the shaft portion 154b in the direction opposite to the direction of arrow R, following the moving member 164, due to the biasing force of the tension spring 166.

[0093] Then, the spacer 165 comes into frictional contact with the contacted portion 123c of the non-drive-side cover 123 of the drum unit 120, and the developing unit 150 rotates from the contact position toward the separated position. When the separation holding portion 165b of the spacer 165 comes into contact with the contacted portion 123c of the non-drive-side cover 123, the developing unit 150 is held in the separated position. Then, the control member 220 returns from the contact release position to the home position. In this way, the protruding portion 164f can be said to be a force receiving portion that receives a force from the apparatus main body 2 for moving the developing unit 150 relative to the drum unit 120 so that the developing roller 103 comes into contact with or separates from the photosensitive drum 101.

[0094] Furthermore, when the front door 10 is opened from the closed position to the open position, the pressing mechanism 210 moves upward, and the moving member 164 moves to the spaced position (FIG. 13) due to the biasing force of the tension spring 166. As a result, the developing unit 150 is held at the spaced position.

[0095] As a result, the developing roller 103 of the developing unit 150 can be separated from the photosensitive drum 101 of the drum unit 120. Therefore, even if the process cartridge 100 is left unused for a long period of time without image formation, the developing roller 103 and the photosensitive drum 101 will not deform, and stable image formation can be performed.

[0096] (Positional relationship between moving member and toner filling opening) Next, the positional relationship between the moving member 164 and the toner filling opening 151a will be described with reference to Figures 1, 13 and 15. Figure 1 is a side view showing the contact / separation mechanism 200 positioned at the recycle position.

[0097] 15, there is a gap D1 between the boss portion 154d and the upper edge 164g of the elongated hole portion 164a of the moving member 164 that is positioned at the contact holding position. Therefore, there is room for the moving member 164 to move further downward by the gap D1 from the protruding position.

[0098] The contact / separation mechanism 200 shown in FIG. 1 is located at the recycle position, and the movable member 164 and spacer 165 at this time are also located at the recycle position. The movable member 164 is configured to be movable in the direction of arrow W, i.e., downward, from the contact / holding position shown in FIG. 15 to the recycle position shown in FIG. 1. In other words, the recycle position (second position) of the contact / separation mechanism 200 including the movable member 164 is a position obtained by moving from the contact / holding position (third position) to the opposite side of the separation / holding position (first position). In other words, the recycle position is a position different from the separation / holding position and the contact / holding position. When the movable member 164 is located at the recycle position, the upper edge 164g of the elongated hole portion 164a and the boss portion 154d are in contact with each other.

[0099] 13, moving member 164 at least partially overlaps toner fill opening 151a and toner cap 162 when viewed in the longitudinal direction Y. When moving member 164 is located at the contact holding position shown in FIG. 15, moving member 164 at least partially overlaps toner cap 162 when viewed in the longitudinal direction Y, but does not overlap toner fill opening 151a. In other words, when moving member 164 is located at the separation holding position shown in FIG. 13, moving member 164 at least partially overlaps toner fill opening 151a and toner cap 162 when viewed in the longitudinal direction Y. When moving member 164 is located at the contact holding position shown in FIG. 15, moving member 164 at least partially overlaps toner cap 162 when viewed in the longitudinal direction Y, but does not overlap toner fill opening 151a. In this way, when explaining the positional relationship in the longitudinal direction Y among moving member 164 (contact / separation mechanism 200), toner filling opening 151a, and toner cap 162, members other than moving member 164, toner filling opening 151a, and toner cap 162 are ignored. In addition, toner filling opening 151a and toner cap 162 are arranged so as not to overlap non-drive-side bearing 154 when viewed in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0100] When filling the toner storage chamber 150a (FIG. 11) with toner through the toner filling opening 151a, it is necessary to remove the toner cap 162. The toner filling opening 151a and the movable member 164 are both located on the non-drive side of the developing frame 150F and are close to each other. Therefore, when the movable member 164 is in the separated position or the protruding position, it is difficult to fill the toner storage chamber 150a with toner.

[0101] (Positional relationship between the contact member and the toner filling opening) 1 and 16, the multiple contact members provided in the developing unit 150 and the positional relationship between these contact members and the toner filling opening 151a will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 16, the non-drive-side bearing 154 of the developing unit 150 has a base member 154k made of PC+ABS or the like, and multiple contact members made of conductive resin fixed to the base member 154k by two-color molding. These multiple contact members are a developing roller contact member 154m, a supply roller contact member 154n, a developing blade contact member 154p, a first detection contact member 154e, and a second detection contact member 154f.

[0102] The developing roller contact member 154m is electrically connected to the developing roller 103, and is capable of contacting an electrode of the apparatus main body 2 corresponding to the developing roller contact member 154m when the process cartridge 100 is installed in the apparatus main body 2. The supply roller contact member 154n is electrically connected to the supply roller 104, and is capable of contacting an electrode of the apparatus main body 2 corresponding to the supply roller contact member 154n when the process cartridge 100 is installed in the apparatus main body 2. The developing blade contact member 154p is electrically connected to the developing blade 156, and is capable of contacting an electrode of the apparatus main body 2 corresponding to the developing blade contact member 154p when the process cartridge 100 is installed in the apparatus main body 2. The first detecting contact member 154e is electrically connected to the conductive sheet 174, which is a first conductor, and is capable of contacting an electrode of the apparatus main body 2 corresponding to the first detecting contact member 154e when the process cartridge 100 is installed in the apparatus main body 2. The second detection contact member 154f is electrically connected to the conductive sheet 175, which is the second conductor, and can come into contact with the electrode corresponding to the second detection contact member 154f of the device main body 2 when the process cartridge 100 is attached to the device main body 2.

[0103] As described above, the drum unit 120 of this embodiment is configured to be swingable (rotatable) about the swing axis DA1 between the abutment position and the development position. More specifically, the developing unit 150 moves relative to the drum unit 120 by rotation about the swing axis DA1 and linear movement in the first direction (direction P7). The drum unit 120 (drum frame) supports the other end of the developing unit 150 (developer frame) in the longitudinal direction so that the developing unit 150 can swing about the swing axis DA1 parallel to the rotation axis of the developing roller 103 and move in the first direction (direction P7 in FIGS. 1 and 16) perpendicular to the swing axis DA1.

[0104] The developing roller 103 can move between a contact position and a separation position by the drum unit 120 (drum frame) rotating about a swing axis DA1 relative to the developing unit 150 (developing frame) and moving in a first direction (direction P7). At the contact position, the photosensitive drum 101 and the developing roller 103 come into contact with each other with the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 101 and the rotation axis of the developing roller 103 parallel to each other. At the separation position, the photosensitive drum 101 and the developing roller 103 are separated from each other. Here, the state in which the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum 101 and the rotation axis of the developing roller 103 are parallel to each other and the photosensitive drum 101 and the developing roller 103 are in contact with each other is referred to as the contact state. The first direction (P7 direction) is a direction parallel to a line connecting the rotation axis (rotation center) 101a of the photosensitive drum 101 and the rotation axis (rotation center) of the developing roller 103 in an imaginary plane perpendicular to the rotation axes of the photosensitive drum 101 and the developing roller 103 in the contact state. This will be explained in detail below.

[0105] As described above, the drive-side developing cover 155 is provided with a cylindrical portion 155a that is supported in the support hole 122b of the drive-side cover 122 (FIG. 9). On the other hand, the non-drive-side bearing 154 is provided with a cylindrical portion 154a that is supported in the support hole 123b of the non-drive-side cover 123 (FIG. 9). The cylindrical portion 155a of the drive-side developing cover 155 and the cylindrical portion 154a provided on the non-drive-side bearing 154 are provided coaxially.

[0106] The cross-sectional shape of the support hole 122b of the drive-side cover 122 taken in a cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum 101 is circular. The cross-sectional shape of the support hole 123b of the non-drive-side cover 123 taken in a cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum 101 is oval. This oval shape is made up of two straight lines extending parallel to the first direction, a semicircle connecting one end of each straight line, and a semicircle connecting the other end of each straight line.

[0107] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 16, the contact members (154m, 154n, 154p) are arranged so as to overlap when viewed in a direction (S7 direction) perpendicular to the first direction (P7 direction), which is the direction of the oval shape of the support hole 123b. Here, two members overlap when viewed in the S7 direction, meaning that two areas obtained when the two members are projected in the S7 direction have a common portion. In other words, at least a part of one of the two members is included in the area sandwiched between two straight lines S1 and S2 extending in the S7 direction and passing through the outermost point of one of the two members in the P7 direction. It can also be said that a two-dimensional figure formed by a set of straight lines passing through one of the two members and parallel to the S7 direction has a common portion with the other member. 1, at least a portion of the developing blade contact member 154p and the supply roller contact member 154n is included in an area (shown by diagonal lines) sandwiched between lines S1 and S2 that extend in the S7 direction and pass through the outermost point of the developing roller contact member 154m in the P7 direction. Therefore, it can be said that the developing roller contact member 154m, the developing blade contact member 154p, and the supply roller contact member 154n overlap when viewed in the S7 direction.

[0108] In this embodiment, the size of each contact member is set to satisfy the following. Width in the P7 direction > P7 dimension of the device body's electrodes + component tolerance variations + movement distance of the development unit 150 Width in S7 direction > dimension of device body electrode in S7 direction + component tolerance variation

[0109] Here, the movement amount of the developing unit 150 refers to the movement amount of the developing unit 150 in the first direction (direction P7) when the position of the developing unit 150 relative to the drum unit 120 moves between the abutment position and the separation position. As described above, the developing unit 150 moves relative to the drum unit 120 by linear movement along the first direction (direction P7) and rotation about the pivot axis DA1. The dimension of the contact member in the first direction is the sum of the dimension of the electrode in the main body of the apparatus corresponding to the contact member in the first direction and the distance it can move in the first direction by linear movement and rotation, plus a length that takes into account variations due to component tolerances. The electrode in the main body of the apparatus corresponding to the contact member is an electrode provided in the main body of the apparatus 2 so as to be able to contact the contact member when the process cartridge 100 is installed in the main body of the apparatus 2. The electrode is biased toward the process cartridge 100 by, for example, a spring, and comes into contact with the contact member when the process cartridge 100 is installed. For example, when the process cartridge 100 is attached to the apparatus main body 2, an electrode of the apparatus main body 2 corresponding to the developing roller contact member 154m comes into contact with the developing roller contact member 154m, thereby supplying electricity to the developing roller 103 via the developing roller contact member 154m. By setting the contact member to the above size, it is possible to prevent the electrode of the apparatus main body 2 (for example, a contact spring) from falling off the contact member on the process cartridge side, even if the developing unit 150 moves relative to the drum unit 120. This allows for stable power supply from the apparatus main body 2 to the process cartridge 100.

[0110] Furthermore, by arranging contact members whose width in the S7 direction is narrower than their width in the P7 direction so that they overlap when viewed in the S7 direction, it is possible to reduce the space required to arrange multiple contact members. According to this embodiment, it is possible to arrange the contact members in a space-saving manner while ensuring that the contact members have sufficient dimensions to prevent the electrodes of the apparatus main body 2 from falling off the contact members when the development unit 150 moves relative to the drum unit 120.

[0111] In this embodiment, the three contact members, the supply roller contact member 154n, the developing blade contact member 154p, and the developing roller contact member 154m, are arranged so as to overlap when viewed in the S7 direction, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The same effect can be obtained even if at least two of the supply roller contact member 154n, the developing blade contact member 154p, and the developing roller contact member 154m are arranged so as to overlap when viewed in the S7 direction.

[0112] In this embodiment, the first and second detecting contact members 154e and 154f are arranged so that they at least partially overlap when viewed in the S7 direction (FIG. 1). Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 16, at least a portion of the first detecting contact member 154e is included in the area (shown by diagonal lines in FIG. 1) between lines S3 and S4 extending in the S7 direction and passing through the outermost point of the second detecting contact member 154f in the P7 direction. In other words, the area of ​​the first detecting contact member 154e projected in the S7 direction and the area of ​​the second detecting contact member 154f projected in the S7 direction have a common area. This common area is shown by diagonal lines in FIG. 1. This allows for a reduction in the installation space required for the first and second detecting contact members 154e and 154f in the developing unit 150. Note that the first and second detecting contact members 154e and 154f do not necessarily need to be arranged so that they at least partially overlap when viewed in the S7 direction.

[0113] 16, the developing pressure spring 167, the supply roller contact member 154n, the developing blade contact member 154p, and the developing roller contact member 154m are arranged so that they at least partially overlap when viewed in the S7 direction. This makes it possible to reduce the installation space for the developing pressure spring 167, the supply roller contact member 154n, the developing blade contact member 154p, and the developing roller contact member 154m in the developing unit 150. Note that the developing pressure spring 167 does not have to be arranged so that it at least partially overlaps with the supply roller contact member 154n, the developing blade contact member 154p, and the developing roller contact member 154m when viewed in the S7 direction.

[0114] According to the process cartridge 100 of this embodiment, when viewed in a direction (S7 direction) perpendicular to the movement direction (P7 direction) of the development unit 150, at least two or more contact members are arranged so as to overlap, thereby making it possible to arrange the contact members in a space-saving manner.

[0115] Also, as shown in Figures 1 and 16, the toner filling opening 151a and the toner cap 162 are positioned so as not to overlap any of the developing roller contact member 154m, supply roller contact member 154n, developing blade contact member 154p, first detecting contact member 154e, and second detecting contact member 154f provided on the non-drive side bearing 154 of the drum unit 120 when viewed in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0116] (Toner refilling during recycling) Next, the toner filling operation when recycling the process cartridge 100 will be described with reference to Figures 1, 13, 14, and 17. Figure 17 is a perspective view showing the developing unit 150 with the toner cap 162 removed. When recycling the process cartridge 100, the worker first removes the screws 168, 168 shown in Figure 14 to remove the drive-side cover 122 and the non-drive-side cover 123 from the drum frame 121. This is because the moving member 164 and the non-drive-side cover 123, which are positioned in the spaced apart position, are arranged to overlap the toner cap 162 when viewed in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0117] The worker also removes the developer pressure spring 167 from the non-drive-side bearing 154 of the developer unit 150, and separates the developer unit 150 from the drum unit 120, to the state shown in Figure 13. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the worker pushes down the moving member 164 in the direction of arrow W to position the moving member 164 at the recycle position. When positioned at the recycle position, the moving member 164 does not overlap with the toner filling opening 151a and the toner cap 162 when viewed in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0118] Then, the operator removes the toner cap 162 press-fitted into the toner filling opening 151a from the developing frame 150F, and fills the toner into the toner accommodating chamber 150a through the toner filling opening 151a.

[0119] 17, the toner filling opening 151a is provided on a side surface 151f1 of the first frame 151 of the developing device frame 150F. Therefore, when the developing device frame 150F is in a position such that the longitudinal direction Y is parallel to the direction of gravity, an operator can fill the toner accommodating chamber 150a with toner through the toner filling opening 151a. This allows the toner accommodating chamber 150a to be filled with toner efficiently.

[0120] When the worker has finished filling the toner into the toner storage chamber 150a, he or she presses the toner cap 162 into the toner filling opening 151a to seal the toner storage space 180. Then, by assembling the removed developing unit 150, developing pressure spring 167, driving-side cover 122, and non-driving-side cover 123 to the drum unit 120, recycling of the process cartridge 100 is completed.

[0121] As described above, when the movable member 164 of this embodiment is located in the recycling position, it does not overlap the toner filling opening 151a and the toner cap 162 when viewed in the longitudinal direction Y. This allows the toner filling operation during recycling to be performed without removing parts of the developing unit 150, such as the contact / separation mechanism 200, thereby improving the workability and efficiency of the toner filling operation.

[0122] 13 or the contact / separation mechanism 200, and in these positions the moving member 164 overlaps at least the toner cap 162 when viewed in the longitudinal direction Y. In particular, when the moving member 164 is positioned at the separation position, it overlaps the toner filling opening 151a and the toner cap 162. Therefore, the developing unit 150 and the process cartridge 100 can be made smaller than in a configuration in which the moving member 164 is always positioned so as not to overlap the toner filling opening 151a and the toner cap 162 when viewed in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0123] In the present embodiment, the developing unit 150 is configured to be swingable (rotatable) about the swing axis DA1 relative to the drum unit 120 and to be linearly movable in the P7 direction, but is not limited to this. For example, the developing unit 150 may be configured to be swingable (rotatable) about the swing axis DA1 relative to the drum unit 120 but not to be linearly movable in the P7 direction.

[0124] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this second embodiment, a process cartridge 300 including a shutter unit 270 is applied instead of the process cartridge 100 of the first embodiment. Therefore, components similar to those of the first embodiment will not be shown in the drawings or will be described with the same reference numerals in the drawings. In addition, the image forming operation and the configuration for performing the image forming operation are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0125] Figure 18 is a side view showing the non-drive side of the process cartridge 300 according to the second embodiment when removed from the apparatus main body 2. Figure 19 is a side view showing the non-drive side of the process cartridge 300 when attached to the apparatus main body 2. As with the first embodiment, the process cartridge 300 according to the present embodiment has a drum unit 230 as an image carrier unit and a developing unit 250. The members that make up the drum unit 230 and the developing unit 250 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0126] As shown in FIG. 18, the drum unit 230 has a developing device frame 250F as a frame that forms a toner storage space that stores toner. A toner filling opening 251a is provided on a non-drive side surface 251f1 of the first frame 251 of the developing device frame 250F, through which toner is filled into a toner storage chamber 250a of the toner storage space. After the toner storage chamber 250a is filled with toner, the toner filling opening 251a is sealed with a toner cap 262 made of, for example, polyethylene. This prevents toner in the toner storage chamber 250a from scattering outside the developing device frame 250F.

[0127] The process cartridge 300 is also provided with a shutter unit 270 for protecting the photosensitive drum 101 provided in the drum unit 230. The shutter unit 270 may be supported by either the drum unit 230 or the developing unit 250, but in this embodiment, it is supported by the developing frame 250F of the developing unit 250.

[0128] The shutter unit 270 has link members 170 and 171 and a shutter member 169. One end of the link members 170 and 171 is rotatably supported by the developing frame 250F, and the other end of the link members 170 and 171 rotatably supports the shutter member 169. The shutter unit 270 is configured to be movable between a cover position shown in FIG. 18 and an open position shown in FIG. 19.

[0129] When the process cartridge 300 is removed from the apparatus main body 2 (FIG. 2), the shutter unit 270 is located in the cover position. At this time, the shutter member 169 covers and protects the surface of the photosensitive drum 101. This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the photosensitive drum 101 and to prevent the photosensitive drum 101 from being damaged.

[0130] 19, for example, when the image forming apparatus 1 performs an image forming operation or when toner is filled into the developing frame 250F when recycling the process cartridge 300. For example, when toner is filled, the shutter unit 270 is moved from the cover position to the open position with the process cartridge 300 removed from the apparatus main body 2. When the shutter unit 270 is located in the open position, the shutter member 169 is separated from the surface of the photosensitive drum 101. Note that when the process cartridge 300 is attached to the apparatus main body 2, the shutter unit 270 moves to the open position, allowing the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 101 to be transferred to the transfer belt 5a.

[0131] Furthermore, when the shutter unit 270 is in the cover position, at least a portion of the shutter unit 270 overlaps with the toner filling opening 251a and the toner cap 262 when viewed in the longitudinal direction Y. On the other hand, when the shutter unit 270 is in the open position, the shutter unit 270 does not overlap with the toner filling opening 251a and the toner cap 262 when viewed in the longitudinal direction Y. This allows toner filling during recycling to be performed without removing parts of the developing unit 250, such as the shutter unit 270, improving the workability and efficiency of the toner filling operation. Furthermore, the developing unit 250 and the process cartridge 300 can be made smaller.

[0132] <Third embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described, which is a modification of the process cartridge 100 of the first embodiment. In particular, in the third embodiment, the detailed configuration of each contact provided on the developing unit 150 will be described. Therefore, configurations similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted from the illustrations or will be described with the same reference numerals in the drawings.

[0133] (Explanation of contact member configuration and power supply path of process components) Figure 20 is a side view of the process cartridge 400 as viewed from the non-drive side. Figure 21(a) is a view of the non-drive side bearing 154 as viewed from the non-drive side, and Figure 21(b) is a view as viewed from the drive side. Figure 21(c) is a cross-sectional view parallel to the longitudinal direction of the sliding portion of the developing roller 103, the supply roller 104, and the non-drive side bearing 154 that rotatably supports them. Figure 22 is a perspective view for explaining the power supply path of the developing blade 156.

[0134] 20, the process cartridge 400 according to the present embodiment also has a developing roller contact member 154m, a supply roller contact member 154n, a developing blade contact member 154p, a first detecting contact member 154e, and a second detecting contact member 154f, similar to the first embodiment. In addition, in the present embodiment, the toner filling opening and the toner cap (not shown) are provided on the upper surface 150Fa of the developing frame 150F of the developing unit 150. Therefore, the toner filling opening and the toner cap are arranged so as not to overlap any of the developing roller contact member 154m, the supply roller contact member 154n, the developing blade contact member 154p, the first detecting contact member 154e, and the second detecting contact member 154f provided on the non-drive-side bearing 154 of the drum unit 120, as viewed in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0135] As shown in FIGS. 21(a) to 21(c), the developing roller contact member 154m has a developing roller support portion 154m1, a contact portion 154m2, and a flow path portion 154m3 connecting them. The developing roller support portion 154m1 supports the developing roller core portion 103a (FIG. 21(c)) at the longitudinal end of the developing roller 103. The contact portion 154m2 abuts against an electrode (e.g., a contact spring) corresponding to the developing roller contact member 154m for applying a developing roller bias from the apparatus main body 2 to the developing roller 103. The developing bias applied via the electrode of the apparatus main body 2 is supplied to the developing roller 103 via the contact portion 154m2, the flow path portion 154m3, and the developing roller support portion 154m1.

[0136] The supply roller contact member 154n has a supply roller support portion 154n1, a supply roller contact portion 154n2, and a flow path portion 154n3 connecting them. The supply roller support portion 154n1 supports the supply roller core portion 104a (FIG. 21(c)) at the longitudinal end of the supply roller 104. The supply roller contact portion 154n2 abuts against an electrode (e.g., a contact spring) corresponding to the supply roller contact member 154n, which applies a supply roller bias from the device main body 2 to the supply roller 104. The supply roller bias applied via the electrode of the device main body 2 is supplied to the supply roller 104 via the supply roller contact portion 154n2, the flow path portion 154n3, and the supply roller support portion 154n1.

[0137] To enhance the stability of the electrical contact path, a conductive lubricant is applied to the developing roller support portion 154m1 and the developing roller core portion 103a, and to the supply roller support portion 154n1 and the supply roller core portion 104a.

[0138] The developing blade contact member 154p has a developing blade contact spring support portion 154p1, a developing blade contact portion 154p2, and a flow path portion 154p3 connecting them. The developing blade contact spring support portion 154p1 supports a developing blade contact spring 176, which will be described later. The developing blade contact portion 154p2 abuts against an electrode (e.g., a contact spring) corresponding to the developing blade contact member 154p, which is used to apply a developing blade bias from the apparatus main body 2 to the developing blade 156.

[0139] The developing blade contact spring 176 has one end press-fitted into the developing blade contact spring support portion 154p1, and the other end abuts against the non-drive side end 156a1 of the support member 156a with a predetermined pressure (FIG. 22). Because the non-drive side end 156a1 of the support member 156a is the cutting surface when the support member 156a is manufactured, a conductive lubricant is applied to the contact portion between the developing blade contact spring 176 and the support member 156a to increase the stability of the electrical contact path.

[0140] The developing blade bias applied via an electrode (for example, a contact spring) for applying the developing blade bias in the apparatus main body 2 is supplied to the developing blade 156 via the developing blade contact portion 154p2, the flow path portion 154p3, and the developing blade contact spring 176.

[0141] Next, the contact configuration and power supply path of remaining toner amount detection unit 152a will be described using Figure 23. Figure 23(a) is a side view of development unit 150 as seen from the non-drive side. For convenience of explanation, only parts related to the contact configuration of remaining toner amount detection unit 152a are shown. Figure 23(b) is a cross section taken along FA-FA in Figure 23(a) and is a diagram for explaining the power supply path of remaining toner amount detection unit 152a.

[0142] First detecting contact member 154e and second detecting contact member 154f have remaining toner detection contact spring support portions 154e1 and 154f1, remaining toner detection contact portions 154e2 and 154f2, and flow path portions 154e3 and 154f3 connecting them (FIG. 21). Remaining toner detection contact spring support portions 154e1 and 154f1 support remaining toner detection contact springs 177 and 178, which will be described later. Remaining toner detection contact portions 154e2 and 154f2 abut against electrodes (e.g., contact springs) corresponding to first detecting contact member 154e and second detecting contact member 154f, which are used to apply a remaining toner detection bias from apparatus main body 2 to remaining toner amount detection unit 152a.

[0143] 23(b), one end of the remaining detection contact springs 177, 178 is press-fitted and supported by the remaining detection contact spring support portions 154e1, 154f1, and the other end is arranged to abut with a predetermined pressure against the conductive member 152b provided on the second frame 152. Here, the conductive member 152b is molded in the second frame 152 by two-color molding, and is configured to have connection portions 152b1, 152b2 to be electrically connected to the conductive sheets 174, 175.

[0144] The remaining toner detection bias applied from the electrode of the apparatus main body 2 is supplied to the conductive sheets 174 and 175 via the remaining toner detection contact portions 154e2 and 154f2, the flow paths 154e3 and 154f3, the remaining toner detection contact springs 177 and 178, the conductive member 152b, and the connecting portions 152b1 and 152b2.

[0145] Each electrode (contact spring, not shown) provided in the main body 2 of the apparatus is configured to contact and separate from each contact member provided on the cartridge side in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the front door 10 when the process cartridge mounted in the cartridge tray 20 is mounted in the main body 2 of the apparatus (FIG. 4).

[0146] (Developing unit movement direction and contact point arrangement) Next, the movement direction of the developing unit 150 and the arrangement of the contact members will be described with reference to Figures 21, 24, and 25. Figure 24 is a cross-sectional view of the process cartridge 400 at a longitudinal position where the non-drive-side bearing 154 of the developing unit 150 is supported by the non-drive-side cover 123. Figure 25 is a side view of the process cartridge 400 as viewed from the drive side.

[0147] Similar to the first embodiment, the developing unit 150 of this embodiment is configured to be swingable (rotatable) about the swing axis DA1 relative to the drum unit 120 and to be linearly movable in the P7 direction. The configuration that enables the developing unit 150 to swingable (rotatable) about the swing axis DA1 relative to the drum unit 120 and to be linearly movable in the P7 direction is similar to that of the first embodiment.

[0148] As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the cylindrical portion 155a is a cylindrical first protrusion protruding from one end of the developing frame in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller 103, and the cylindrical portion 155a constitutes a first supported portion. The cylindrical portion 154a is a cylindrical second protrusion protruding from the other end of the developing frame in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller 103, and the cylindrical portion 154a constitutes a second supported portion. The support hole 122b is a first recess into which the cylindrical portion 155a can be fitted. The support hole 122b constitutes a first support portion that supports the cylindrical portion 155a rotatably about the swing axis DA1 parallel to the rotation axis of the developing roller 103 when the cylindrical portion 155a is fitted in the support hole 122b. The support hole 123b is a second recess into which the cylindrical portion 154a can be fitted. The support hole 123b constitutes a second support portion that supports the cylindrical portion 154a so that it can rotate around the swing axis DA1 parallel to the rotation axis of the developing roller 103 and move in the first direction (P7 direction) when the cylindrical portion 154a is fitted into the support hole 123b.

[0149] As a result, the developing frame (first frame 151, second frame 152) and the drum frame 121 are connected together such that the developing frame can rotate relative to the drum frame 121 and move in the first direction (direction P7) when the process cartridge 400 is attached to the apparatus main body 2. In other words, the developing unit 150 and the drum unit 120 are connected together such that the developing unit 150 can rotate relative to the drum unit 120 and move in the first direction (direction P7) when the process cartridge 400 is attached to the apparatus main body 2. The developing roller 103 can move between the contact position and the separation position by rotating the developing frame (developing unit 150) relative to the drum frame 121 (drum unit 120) and moving in the first direction (direction P7). At the contact position, the developing roller 103 contacts the photosensitive drum 101, and at the separation position, the developing roller 103 is separated from the photosensitive drum 101.

[0150] If both support holes 122b and 123b have a circular cross section, variations in the dimensions of cylindrical portion 155a and cylindrical portion 154a in the P7 direction may cause the rotational axes of developing roller 103 and photosensitive drum 101 to become non-parallel. In this case, the developing roller 103 may not abut uniformly against the photosensitive drum 101 over the entire area in the rotational axis direction at the abutment position, which may result in a decrease in the quality of image formation. Also, a biasing member may be provided that biases developing roller 103 toward photosensitive drum 101. In this case, if the rotational axis of developing roller 103 is not parallel to the rotational axis of photosensitive drum 101, the biasing force may deform developing unit 150, and the drum unit 120 may no longer be able to stably support developing unit 150.

[0151] In this embodiment, the support hole 123b has an oval shape that is long in the P7 direction, which can accommodate dimensional variations in the P7 direction between the cylindrical portion 155a of the drive-side developing cover 155 and the cylindrical portion 154a provided on the non-drive-side bearing 154. Specifically, even if there is dimensional variation in the P7 direction between the cylindrical portion 155a and the cylindrical portion 154a, when the cylindrical portion 154a is at a predetermined position in the first direction in the support hole 123b, the rotational axis of the developing roller 103 and the rotational axis of the photosensitive drum 101 become parallel. In other words, the length in the first direction of the oval shape of the support hole 123b is determined so that the rotational axes of the developing roller 103 and the photosensitive drum 101 become parallel when the cylindrical portion 154a is at any position in the first direction in the support hole 123b. At this time, the length in the first direction of the oval shape can be determined taking into account manufacturing tolerances of the parts, etc. This prevents the developing unit 150 from being deformed in the P7 direction, and allows the developing unit 150 to be stably supported.

[0152] The position of the developing unit 150 relative to the drum unit 120 when the developing roller 103 and the photosensitive drum 101 are in contact with each other is referred to as the contact position. The position of the developing unit 150 relative to the drum unit 120 when the developing roller 103 and the photosensitive drum 101 are in a spaced-apart state is referred to as the spaced-apart position. When the developing unit 150 is moved between the contact position and the spaced-apart position, the cylindrical portion 154a moves in a first direction inside the support hole 123b, causing a movement in which the cylindrical portion 154a comes into contact with one of the ends of the support hole 123b in the first direction. In addition, the cylindrical portion 154a rotates inside the support hole 123b, and the cylindrical portion 155a rotates inside the support hole 123b. These rotational movements and the linear movement in the first direction cause the developing unit 150 to move relative to the drum unit 120. Furthermore, since the developing unit 150 is movable in the P7 direction relative to the drum unit 120, the developing roller 103 can be brought into contact with and separated from the photosensitive drum 101 with good movement efficiency.

[0153] 20, the non-drive-side cover 123 and the non-drive-side bearing 154 are provided with spring-loaded bosses, and a developing pressure spring 167 is provided to stably press the developing roller 103 against the photosensitive drum 101. The developing pressure spring 167 is an example of an urging member having one end connected to the drum frame and the other end connected to the developing frame. The developing pressure spring 167 applies force to the drum frame and the developing frame so as to urge the developing roller 103 toward the photosensitive drum 101.

[0154] The contact members of this embodiment have the same arrangement relationship as in the first embodiment. That is, as shown in Fig. 1, the contact members (154m, 154n, 154p) are arranged so as to overlap when viewed in a direction (S7 direction) perpendicular to the first direction (P7 direction) which is the direction of the oval shape of the support hole 123b. Furthermore, the first detecting contact member 154e and the second detecting contact member 154f are arranged so as to at least partially overlap when viewed in the S7 direction.

[0155] According to the process cartridge 400 of this embodiment, when viewed in a direction (S7 direction) perpendicular to the movement direction (P7 direction) of the development unit 150, at least two or more contact members are arranged so as to overlap, thereby making it possible to arrange the contact members in a space-saving manner.

[0156] The detailed configurations of the developing roller contact member 154m, the supply roller contact member 154n, the developing blade contact member 154p, the first detecting contact member 154e, and the second detecting contact member 154f described in this embodiment may also be applied to the first embodiment.

[0157] <Other embodiments> The contact / separation mechanism 200 of the first embodiment and the shutter unit 270 of the second embodiment may be provided in the drum units 120 and 230, not limited to the developing units 150 and 250.

[0158] In any of the above-described embodiments, the developing units 150 and 250 may be supported so as to be detachable from the drum units 120 and 230. In this case, the drive-side cover 122 and the non-drive-side cover 123 do not have to connect the two units.

[0159] In addition, in any of the above-described embodiments, the developing frame 150F, 250F of the developing unit 150, 250 is configured by the first frame and the second frame, but is not limited to this. That is, the developing frame 150F, 250F may be configured by only one frame member, or may be configured by three or more frame members.

[0160] In the first embodiment, the contact / separation mechanism 200 is provided in the developing unit 150, but the present invention is not limited to this. The contact / separation mechanism 200 may be movably supported by the drum unit 120 or the developing unit 150.

[0161] In the first embodiment, the toner storage space 180 formed by the developing frame 150F is partitioned into the toner storage chamber 150a and the developing chamber 150b by the partition wall 150W, but this is not limiting. For example, the partition wall 150W may be omitted, and the toner storage space 180 may be configured not to be partitioned into the toner storage chamber 150a and the developing chamber 150b.

[0162] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the contact / separation mechanism 200 is moved to the recycle position with the developing unit 150 separated from the drum unit 120, and the toner filling operation is performed in this state, but this is not limiting. In other words, the contact / separation mechanism 200 may be configured to be able to move to the recycle position without separating the developing unit 150 from the drum unit 120 when the process cartridge 100 is removed from the apparatus main body 2.

[0163] The disclosure of the present embodiment also includes the following configuration examples and method examples. (Configuration 1) A cartridge that is detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus main body, an image carrier unit having an image carrier that carries a toner image; a developing unit that is movable relative to the image carrier unit and includes: a frame that forms a toner storage space that stores toner, the frame communicating the toner storage space with the outside of the frame and having a toner filling opening for filling the toner storage space with toner; and a developing roller that is rotatably supported by the frame and carries the toner stored in the toner storage space; a moving section supported to be movable between a first position and a second position different from the first position, the moving section having a force receiving section that receives a force from the image forming apparatus main body for moving the developing unit relative to the image carrier unit so that the developing roller abuts against or separates from the image carrier; the moving portion is configured so that, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller, at least a portion thereof overlaps with the toner filling opening when positioned at the first position, and so that at least a portion thereof does not overlap with the toner filling opening when positioned at the second position. A cartridge characterized by: (Configuration 2) the developing unit is configured to be movable between a contact position where the developing roller contacts the image carrier and a separation position where the developing roller is separated from the image carrier, the moving portion is located at the first position when the cartridge is removed from the image forming apparatus main body and the developing unit is located at the separated position, and is located at the third position when the cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus main body and the developing unit is located at the abutting position; The second position of the moving part is a position moved from the third position to the opposite side of the first position. 2. The cartridge according to claim 1. (Configuration 3) the moving portion is a moving member that moves downward in conjunction with closing of a door provided in the image forming apparatus main body when the cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus main body, and includes the force receiving portion; the moving member is configured so that, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller, at least a portion thereof overlaps with the toner filling opening when the moving portion is located at the first position, and so that the moving portion does not overlap with the toner filling opening when the moving portion is located at the second position. 3. The cartridge according to claim 1 or 2. (Configuration 4) the developing unit has a cover member supported by the frame and disposed outside the frame in the direction of the rotation axis, The moving portion is movably supported by the cover member. 4. The cartridge according to any one of configurations 1 to 3. (Configuration 5) the toner filling opening is disposed so as not to overlap the cover member when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis; 5. The cartridge according to claim 4. (Configuration 6) the moving section is movable to the second position in a state in which the developing unit is separated from the image carrier unit. 6. The cartridge according to configuration 4 or 5. (Configuration 7) the developing unit has a contact member that can come into contact with an electrode provided in the image forming apparatus main body when the cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus main body, the toner filling opening is disposed so as not to overlap the contact member when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis; 7. The cartridge according to any one of configurations 4 to 6. (Configuration 8) A cartridge that is detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus main body, an image carrier that carries a toner image; a frame body that forms a toner storage space that stores toner, the frame body having a toner filling opening that connects the toner storage space to the outside of the frame body and through which toner is filled into the toner storage space; a developing roller rotatably supported by the frame and carrying the toner contained in the toner containing space; a moving unit supported to be movable between a first position and a second position different from the first position, the moving unit covering a surface of the image carrier at the first position; the moving portion is configured so that, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller, at least a portion thereof overlaps with the toner filling opening when positioned at the first position, and so that at least a portion thereof does not overlap with the toner filling opening when positioned at the second position. A cartridge characterized by: (Configuration 9) the moving section is movable from the first position to the second position in a state in which the cartridge is removed from the image forming apparatus main body. 9. The cartridge according to claim 8. (Configuration 10) a cover member configured to be able to open and close the toner filling opening, The cover member is disposed so as to at least partially overlap the moving portion located at the first position and not to overlap the moving portion located at the second position when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis. 10. The cartridge according to any one of configurations 1 to 9. (Configuration 11) the toner filling opening is provided on a first side surface of the frame in the direction of the rotation axis; 11. The cartridge according to any one of configurations 1 to 10. (Configuration 12) the frame body has a second side surface provided on the opposite side to the first side surface in the direction of the rotation axis, a drive train provided on the second side surface side for transmitting drive to the developing roller; 12. The cartridge according to claim 11. [Explanation of symbols]

[0164] 2: Image forming apparatus main body (apparatus main body) / 10: Door (front door) / 100, 150, 300, 400: Cartridge (process cartridge, developing unit) / 101: Image carrier (photosensitive drum) / 103: Developing roller / 120, 230: Image carrier unit (drum unit) / 150, 250: Developing unit / 150a, 250a: Toner storage space / 150F, 250F: Frame (developing frame) / 151a, 251a: Toner filling opening / 151f1: First side surface (side surface) / 151f2: second side surface (side surface) / 154: cover member (non-drive side bearing) / 154e, 154f, 154m, 154n, 154p: contact member (first detection contact member, second detection contact member, developing roller contact member, supply roller contact member, developing blade contact member) / 157, 158, 159, 160: drive train / 162: cover member (toner cap) / 164: moving member / 164f: force receiving portion (protrusion) / 200: moving portion (contact / separation mechanism) / Y: direction of rotation axis (longitudinal direction)

Claims

1. A cartridge that is detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus main body, an image carrier unit having an image carrier that carries a toner image; a developing unit that is movable relative to the image carrier unit and includes: a frame that forms a toner storage space that stores toner, the frame communicating the toner storage space with the outside of the frame and having a toner filling opening for filling the toner storage space with toner; and a developing roller that is rotatably supported by the frame and carries the toner stored in the toner storage space; a moving section supported to be movable between a first position and a second position different from the first position, the moving section having a force receiving section that receives a force from the image forming apparatus main body for moving the developing unit relative to the image carrier unit so that the developing roller abuts against or separates from the image carrier; the moving portion is configured so that, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller, at least a portion thereof overlaps with the toner filling opening when positioned at the first position, and so that it does not overlap with the toner filling opening when positioned at the second position. A cartridge characterized by:

2. the developing unit is configured to be movable between a contact position where the developing roller contacts the image carrier and a separation position where the developing roller is separated from the image carrier, the moving portion is located at the first position when the cartridge is removed from the image forming apparatus main body and the developing unit is located at the separated position, and is located at the third position when the cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus main body and the developing unit is located at the abutting position; The second position of the moving part is a position moved from the third position to an opposite side to the first position.

2. The cartridge according to claim 1.

3. the moving portion is a moving member that moves downward in conjunction with closing of a door provided in the image forming apparatus main body when the cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus main body, and includes the force receiving portion; the moving member is configured so that, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller, at least a portion thereof overlaps with the toner filling opening when the moving portion is located at the first position, and so that the moving portion does not overlap with the toner filling opening when the moving portion is located at the second position.

2. The cartridge according to claim 1.

4. the developing unit has a cover member supported by the frame and disposed outside the frame in the direction of the rotation axis, The moving portion is movably supported by the cover member.

2. The cartridge according to claim 1.

5. the toner filling opening is disposed so as not to overlap the cover member when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis; 5. The cartridge according to claim 4.

6. the moving section is movable to the second position in a state in which the developing unit is separated from the image carrier unit.

5. The cartridge according to claim 4.

7. the developing unit has a contact member that can come into contact with an electrode provided in the image forming apparatus main body when the cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus main body, the toner filling opening is disposed so as not to overlap the contact member when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis; 5. The cartridge according to claim 4.

8. A cartridge that is detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus main body, an image carrier that carries a toner image; a frame body that forms a toner storage space that stores toner, the frame body having a toner filling opening that connects the toner storage space to the outside of the frame body and through which toner is filled into the toner storage space; a developing roller rotatably supported by the frame and carrying the toner contained in the toner containing space; a moving unit supported so as to be movable between a first position and a second position different from the first position, the moving unit covering a surface of the image carrier at the first position; the moving portion is configured so that, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the developing roller, at least a portion thereof overlaps with the toner filling opening when positioned at the first position, and so that it does not overlap with the toner filling opening when positioned at the second position. A cartridge characterized by:

9. the moving section is movable from the first position to the second position in a state in which the cartridge is removed from the image forming apparatus main body.

9. The cartridge according to claim 8.

10. a cover member configured to be able to open and close the toner filling opening, the cover member is disposed so as to at least partially overlap the moving portion located at the first position and not to overlap the moving portion located at the second position when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis.

10. A cartridge according to claim 1.

11. the toner filling opening is provided on a first side surface of the frame in the direction of the rotation axis; 10. A cartridge according to claim 1.

12. the frame body has a second side surface provided on the opposite side to the first side surface in the direction of the rotation axis, a drive train provided on the second side surface side for transmitting drive to the developing roller; 12. The cartridge of claim 11.

Images