Cartridge unit and image forming apparatus

Abstract

Without increasing the size of the device, the memory is positioned on the same side as the drive transmission section of the developing roller in the axial direction. [Solution] The system comprises a process cartridge having a photosensitive drum, a frame, a developing roller, and a drive transmission unit that transmits driving force transmitted from the image forming apparatus to the developing roller; a toner cartridge having a memory tag for storing information and a memory holder for holding the memory tag, which is detachably attached to the process cartridge and contains a developer. The frame has a bottom surface extending in the axial direction Da, and a left side wall 611 extending upward from the bottom surface, which is located in the axial direction Da inside the drive transmission unit and outside the toner cartridge attached to the process cartridge. The memory tag is positioned outside the left side wall 611 in the axial direction Da when the toner cartridge is attached to the process cartridge.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cartridge unit detachable from an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and an image forming apparatus equipped with the cartridge unit.

Background Art

[0002] In a laser beam printer, a copying machine, or the like as an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a toner image is formed on a photosensitive drum, and the toner image is transferred onto a sheet as a recording material to form an image on the sheet. In such an image forming apparatus, in order to facilitate maintenance, a method is widely adopted in which some components of the image forming apparatus are provided in a cartridge, the cartridge is taken out of the apparatus main body, and maintenance and replacement are performed. For example, as a cartridge unit detachable from the apparatus main body, there is known one having a photosensitive unit having a photosensitive drum, a developing unit having a developing roller, and a toner cartridge for storing toner (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In this cartridge unit, the developing unit and the toner cartridge are detachable from the photosensitive unit. Further, in this cartridge unit, a toner cartridge storing toner is detachably provided in a process cartridge having a developing unit and a photosensitive unit. The cartridge unit is configured by integrating a process cartridge and a toner cartridge. Further, in this cartridge unit, a memory is provided in the toner cartridge, and the memory is movably held with respect to the toner housing by a holder unit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the cartridge unit described in Patent Document 1, the memory overlaps the side wall of the photoreceptor unit in a plan view. Therefore, if the memory is to be placed on the same side as the drive transmission unit that transmits driving force to the developing roller in the developing unit in the axial direction, the holder unit and the drive transmission unit will interfere with each other, and avoiding this may result in the device becoming larger.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a cartridge unit and an image forming apparatus that allow the memory to be positioned on the same side as the drive transmission unit of the developing roller in the axial direction, without increasing the size of the apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The cartridge unit of the present invention is a cartridge unit that can be attached to and detached from the main body of an image forming apparatus, and comprises a photosensitive drum that carries a developer image, a frame that rotatably supports the photosensitive drum, a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum, the developing roller having one end in the axial direction and the other end opposite to the one end, and a drive transmission unit provided on the one end side of the developing roller in the axial direction for transmitting driving force transmitted from the image forming apparatus to the developing roller, and a first unit having a drive transmission unit provided on the one end side for storing information The frame comprises a storage member and a holder for holding the storage member, and a second unit which is detachably mounted to the first unit and contains a developer, wherein the frame has a bottom surface extending in the axial direction and a first side wall extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction from the bottom surface and located in the axial direction inside the drive transmission section and outside the second unit mounted on the first unit, and the storage member is arranged outside the first side wall in the axial direction when the second unit is mounted on the first unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the memory can be positioned on the same side as the drive transmission unit of the developing roller in the axial direction without increasing the size of the device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the cartridge unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the process cartridge in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of the developing unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the developing unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is an exploded perspective view of the developing unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a plan view of the developing unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view of the developing unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of the process cartridge in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a partial perspective view of the photoreceptor unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] This figure shows the photoreceptor unit and the developing unit in the first embodiment, where (a) is a perspective view from above and (b) is a perspective view from below. [Figure 12] This is a plan view of the photoreceptor unit and the developing unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] This is an exploded perspective view of the toner cartridge in the first embodiment, viewed from below. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view of the toner cartridge in the first embodiment, viewed from below. [Figure 15] This is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge in the first embodiment. [Figure 16]It is an explanatory diagram showing the process of attaching a toner cartridge to the process cartridge in the first embodiment, where (a) is the state before attachment, (b) is the state during attachment, and (c) is the state after attachment. [Figure 17] It is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 18] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the receiving port during the process of attaching the toner cartridge in the first embodiment, where (a) is the state where the receiving-side shutter is closed, and (b) is the state where the receiving-side shutter is open. [Figure 19] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the discharge port during the process of attaching the toner cartridge in the first embodiment, where (a) is the state where the discharge-side shutter is closed, and (b) is the state where the discharge-side shutter is open. [Figure 20] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the lift mechanism during the process of attaching the toner cartridge in the first embodiment, where (a) is the state where the toner cartridge is placed on the lift mechanism. (b) is the state where the toner cartridge opens the lift mechanism, and (c) is the state where the toner cartridge is completely attached. [Figure 21] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the lift mechanism for shifting the attached toner cartridge to the lifted-up state in the first embodiment, where (a) is the state where the toner cartridge is completely attached. (b) is the state where the toner cartridge is lifted up by the lift mechanism, and (c) is the state where the toner cartridge is lifted up. [Figure 22] It is an exploded perspective view of the toner cartridge in the first embodiment. [Figure 23] It is an exploded perspective view of the memory holder unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 24] It is a partial cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus in the first embodiment, where (a) is the start of attaching the toner cartridge, and (b) is the state after attachment. [Figure 25] It is a partial perspective view inside the apparatus main body in the first embodiment. [Figure 26] It is a partial cross-sectional view of the cartridge unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 27] (a) is a side view of the cartridge unit in the first embodiment, and (b) is a side view showing the left support portion. [Figure 28] (a) is a partial front view of the toner cartridge in the first embodiment, and (b) is a partial perspective view of the cartridge unit. [Figure 29] This is a disassembled perspective view of the toner cartridge in the second embodiment. [Figure 30] This is a perspective view of the memory holder unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 31] This is an explanatory diagram showing the process of installing the toner cartridge in the second embodiment. [Figure 32] (a) is an exploded perspective view of the toner cartridge in the third embodiment, and (b) is a perspective view of the memory holder unit. [Figure 33] This is a side view of the cartridge unit in the third embodiment. [Figure 34] This is an exploded perspective view of the developing unit in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 35] This is a cross-sectional view of the developing unit and toner cartridge in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 36] This is an exploded perspective view of a toner cartridge in a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 37] This is an exploded perspective view of a toner cartridge in another variation of the first embodiment. [Figure 38] This is an exploded perspective view of a toner cartridge in yet another modification of the first embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments relating to this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, "image forming apparatus" is not limited to single-function printers equipped only with printing capabilities, but broadly includes devices that form images on recording materials, such as photocopiers equipped with copying capabilities, multifunction devices equipped with multiple functions, and large-format commercial printers.

[0011] <First Embodiment> A first embodiment of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the orientation of the image forming apparatus 1 is defined in terms of the orientation relative to the user using the image forming apparatus 1. That is, the front side of the image forming apparatus 1 is "front", the back side is "rear", the top side is "up", and the bottom side is "down". Also, when viewing the image forming apparatus 1 from the front, the left side is "left" and the right side is "right". The orientation of the process cartridge 5 and the toner cartridge 9 is defined in the same way as the image forming apparatus 1, assuming they are in the same orientation as when installed in the image forming apparatus 1.

[0012] Each direction in each drawing is defined by the arrows indicated in the drawing. The front-to-back, up-and-down, and left-to-right directions indicated by these arrows are mutually orthogonal. These directions are the same in all drawings. The up-and-down direction is parallel to the vertical direction, and the left-to-right and front-to-back directions are parallel to the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the left-to-right direction is parallel to the rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum 61 and the rotation axis direction of the developing roller 71, respectively. In this embodiment, the left-to-right direction is denoted as the axial direction Da, the front-to-back direction as the insertion / removal direction Db, and the up-and-down direction as the up-and-down direction Dc.

[0013] In this embodiment, the integrated process cartridge 5 is formed by mounting the developing unit 7 onto the photoreceptor unit 6. The insertion direction S1 (mounting direction) and removal direction S2 when mounting the process cartridge 5 onto the device body 2 are parallel to the front-to-back direction (insertion / removal direction Db) and perpendicular to the left-to-right direction (axial direction Da) and the up-to-down direction Dc. Furthermore, a toner cartridge 9, which is an example of a second unit that supplies toner to the developing unit 7, is detachably mounted on the process cartridge 5, which is an example of a first unit. The integrated process cartridge 5 with the toner cartridge 9 mounted is referred to as the cartridge unit 10.

[0014] [Overall configuration of the image forming apparatus] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1, in which a cartridge unit 10 is detachably mounted on the main body 2 of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 performs an image forming operation to form an image on a recording material, a sheet S, based on image information received from an external device such as a personal computer. As the sheet S, a variety of sheet materials of different sizes and materials can be used, such as plain paper and cardboard, sheet materials with surface treatments such as coated paper, sheet materials with special shapes such as envelopes and index paper, plastic film, and cloth. As shown in Figure 2, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a feeding unit 3 for supplying the sheet S into the main body 2, an exposure device 4, a cartridge unit 10 for transferring a toner image (developer image) onto the sheet S, and a fixing device 8 for thermally fixing the toner image transferred onto the sheet S.

[0015] The feeding unit 3 is located in the lower part of the main body 2 of the device and includes a feeding tray 31 and a feeding mechanism 32. The sheets S contained in the feeding tray 31 are supplied by the feeding mechanism 32 towards the photosensitive drum 61 and transfer roller 63 of the cartridge unit 10.

[0016] The exposure apparatus 4 is located at the top of the apparatus body 2 and includes a laser light-emitting unit (not shown), a polygon mirror, lenses, a reflector, etc. (with reference numerals omitted). In this exposure apparatus 4, the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 is exposed by rapidly scanning the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 with laser light based on image data emitted from the laser light-emitting unit.

[0017] The cartridge unit 10 is located below the exposure apparatus 4. The apparatus body 2 is configured such that the cartridge unit 10 is inserted into the housing 23 of the apparatus body 2 in the insertion direction S1 through an opening created when the door 21 provided on the front of the apparatus body 2 is opened (shown by a dashed line in Figure 2), and is mounted on the apparatus body 2. To remove the cartridge unit 10 from the apparatus body 2, the cartridge unit 10 is moved in the removal direction S2 and removed.

[0018] The photoreceptor unit 6 includes a photosensitive drum 61 that carries a developer image, a corona charger 68, and a transfer roller 63. The developing unit 7 is configured to be detachably attached to the photoreceptor unit 6. Alternatively, the developing unit 7 may be integrated with the photoreceptor unit 6 in a non-detachable manner and replaced as a single unit. The developing unit 7 includes a developing roller 71, a supply roller 72, a layer thickness regulating blade 73, a toner storage section 74 (developer storage section) that houses toner (developer), a first agitator 75A provided within the toner storage section 74, and a drive transmission section 716.

[0019] Here, as shown in Figure 6, the developing roller 71 develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 and has one end 71a in the axial direction and the other end 71b opposite to the one end 71a. Furthermore, the direction from the one end 71a to the other end 71b in the axial direction Da is defined as the first direction D1.

[0020] [Image Formation Process] Next, the image formation process using the process cartridge 5 will be described. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the process cartridge 5. The photosensitive drum 61 is rotated during the execution of the image formation process. The corona charger 68 charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 non-contact. First, the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 is uniformly charged by the corona charger 68, and then it is exposed to laser light corresponding to the image data emitted from the exposure device 4 (see Figure 2), thereby forming an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data on the photosensitive drum 61.

[0021] Meanwhile, the toner in the toner storage section 74 is agitated by the first agitator 75A and then supplied to the developing roller 71 via the supply roller 72. The toner supplied to the developing roller 71 enters the space between the developing roller 71 and the layer thickness regulating blade 73 and is supported on the developing roller 71 as a thin layer of a certain thickness.

[0022] The toner supported on the developing roller 71 is supplied to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 61. As a result, the toner adheres to the electrostatic latent image and becomes a visible image, forming a toner image on the photosensitive drum 61. Subsequently, the sheet S is transported between the photosensitive drum 61 and the transfer roller 63, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum 61 is transferred onto the sheet S. The sheet S is discharged from the process cartridge 5 through the opening 610a provided in the frame 610.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the fuser unit 8 is located behind the process cartridge 5 and has a heating roller 82 and a pressure roller 81. The sheet S on which the toner image has been transferred passes through the fuser unit 8, where it is heated and pressurized between the heating roller 82 and the pressure roller 81, fixing the toner image onto the sheet S. The sheet S that has passed through the fuser unit 8 is discharged onto the discharge tray 22.

[0024] [Process cartridge configuration] Next, we will describe each unit of the process cartridge 5. The process cartridge 5 has a photoreceptor unit 6 and a developer unit 7.

[0025] [Developing Unit Configuration] First, the configuration of the developing unit 7 will be described. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the developing unit 7, specifically a cross-sectional view at cross-section AA in Figure 5. Note that cross-section AA is parallel in the vertical and front-to-back directions. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the developing unit 7. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the developing unit 7. Figure 7 is a plan view of the developing unit 7, showing the top surface of the housing 700 removed for explanatory purposes. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the developing unit 7 from below.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4, the developing unit 7 has a developing roller 71 rotatably supported at its rear. Hereafter, the configuration of the developing unit 7 will be described with reference to the rotation axis direction of the developing roller 71 as the axial direction Da. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the developing roller 71, the supply roller 72, and the first agitator 75A are rotatably supported at both ends by the left wall 706 and the right wall 707 of the housing 700, respectively. A drive transmission unit 716 is also provided to the left of the left wall 706 of the housing 700. The drive transmission unit 716 is provided downstream of the developing roller 71 in the first direction D1, that is, downstream of the roller portion of the developing roller 71, and transmits the driving force transmitted from the image forming apparatus 1 to the developing roller 71. The drive transmission unit 716 includes a developing coupling 710, a developing roller gear 711, a supply roller gear 712, a first agitator gear 713, and idler gears 715A and 715B. The developing roller gear 711 is fixed to the end of the rotating shaft of the developing roller 71, and the supply roller gear 712 is fixed to the end of the rotating shaft of the supply roller 72. In addition, the first agitator gear 713 is fixed to the end of the stirring rod 78A (see Figure 3) of the first agitator 75A.

[0027] Furthermore, the developing unit 7 is equipped with a toner cartridge 9 for supplying toner, and a toner receiving section 770 for receiving the toner supplied by the toner cartridge 9. In addition, the developing unit 7 has a lift mechanism 760 for holding and lifting up the toner cartridge 9.

[0028] As shown in Figure 5, the developing unit 7 is provided with a first electrical contact 720A that is electrically connected to the developing roller 71 and supplies the voltage applied to the developing roller 71. The developing unit 7 is also provided with a second contact 720B that is electrically connected to the supply roller 72 and supplies the voltage applied to the supply roller 72. These electrical contacts make contact with a power supply contact (not shown) provided on the main body of the device 2, thereby supplying power to the developing roller 71 and the supply roller 72.

[0029] Next, the drive configuration of the developing unit 7 will be explained using Figure 6. In conjunction with the closing of the door 21 (see Figure 2) provided on the main body 2 of the device, a developing drive transmission member (not shown) provided on the main body 2 of the device moves to the right to a position for engaging with the developing coupling 710. Conversely, in conjunction with the opening of the door 21 (see Figure 2), the developing drive transmission member (not shown) moves to the left to a position for disengaging from the developing coupling 710.

[0030] After closing the door 21 (see Figure 2), when the main body 2 of the device operates, driving force is transmitted (i.e., input) from a developing drive transmission member (not shown) to the developing coupling 710, which acts as a driving force receiving member. Next, the developing roller 71 becomes rotatable via the developing roller gear 711 from a gear provided on the circumferential surface of the developing coupling 710, and the supply roller 72 becomes rotatable via the supply roller gear 712. The developing drive transmission member (not shown) is configured to transmit driving force to the developing coupling 710 while allowing displacement of the developing coupling 710 within a predetermined range. The developing coupling 710, the developing roller gear 711, and the supply roller gear 712 are restricted from moving in the axial direction Da by a side holder 719 attached to the housing 700. The side holder 719 is an example of a second side wall and is located downstream of the drive transmission unit 716 in the first direction D1.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, the developing unit 7 employs a first agitator 75A to agitate the toner in the toner storage section 74, ensuring that it is used completely. The first agitator 75A has an agitator rod 78A and an agitator sheet 79A. The first agitator 75A is configured to be rotatable by receiving driving force from the developing coupling 710 via an idler gear 715A and a first agitator gear 713 (see Figure 7). Toner near the first agitator 75A in the toner storage section 74 is agitated by the first agitator 75A and then supplied to the supply roller 72, which in turn supplies it to the developing roller 71.

[0032] [Configuration of the photoconductor unit and support for the developer unit] Next, the detailed configuration of the photoconductor unit 6 will be described. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the process cartridge 5. Figure 10 is a partial perspective view of the photoconductor unit 6. Figures 11(a) and (b) are perspective views of the developing unit 7 and the photoconductor unit 6. Figure 12 is a plan view showing the left-right arrangement relationship between the photoconductor unit 6, the developing unit 7, and the developing roller 71.

[0033] As shown in Figures 11(a) and 11(b), the photoreceptor unit 6 includes a frame 610 having a bottom surface 613 and a pair of left side walls 611 and right side walls 612, a photosensitive drum 61 rotatably supported behind the frame 610, and a rotatably supported transfer roller 63. The photoreceptor unit 6 is an example of a drum unit. The bottom surface 613 has a shape that extends in the axial direction Da. The left side wall 611 is an example of a first side wall, extending from the bottom surface 613 in a second direction D2 (upward), which is a crossing direction intersecting the axial direction Da, and is located inside the drive transmission unit 716 in the axial direction Da. Also, the left side wall 611 is located outside the toner cartridge 9 mounted on the process cartridge 5 in the axial direction Da. That is, in the first direction D1, the left side wall 611 is located downstream of the drive transmission unit 716 and downstream of the toner cartridge 9.

[0034] The photosensitive drum 61 is constructed by coating the outer surface of an aluminum drum tube with a photosensitive layer (not shown), and the surface of the transfer roller 63 is in contact with the surface of the photosensitive drum 61. The frame 610 is provided with an opening 610a from which the transferred sheet is discharged (see Figure 3). As shown in Figure 17, the upper edge 610a1 of the opening is positioned within the projection of the drum axis 64b onto the vertical direction Z of the line Y connecting the center of the photosensitive drum 61 and the center of the transfer roller 63. This makes it possible to suppress both the user contact with the photosensitive drum 61 due to the opening 610a being too large and the sheet getting stuck when it comes out of the opening 610a.

[0035] As shown in Figure 11(a), the frame 610 has, at its front, a mounting section 615 on which the developing unit 7 can be mounted, a gripping section 617 for the user to grasp the photoreceptor unit 6, and a pressing member 640 for pressing the developing unit 7. As shown in Figure 9, in the left-right direction, the toner storage section 74 of the developing unit 7 mounted on the mounting section 615 is positioned between the left-right walls 611 and the left-right walls 611.

[0036] As shown in Figure 11(a), the left wall 611 and the right wall 612 of the frame 610 have receiving portions 641 that receive the rotating bearing members 746A and 746B (see Figure 9) of the developing roller 71, positioned in front of the photosensitive drum 61. The receiving portion 641 is a roughly U-shaped recess with an open front, into which the rotating shaft (not shown) of the developing roller 71 is inserted. The receiving portion 641 is an example of a unit positioning portion, and it positions and supports the developing unit 7 relative to the photosensitive unit 6.

[0037] Next, the positioning of the developing unit 7 relative to the photoreceptor unit 6 in the axial direction Da will be described. As shown in Figure 11(b), a hole 613b is provided on the bottom surface 613 of the frame 610 on the developing coupling side (left side) in the axial direction Da. In the front-to-back direction, the edge 613b1 on the photoreceptor drum 61 side of this hole 613b is shorter in the left-to-right direction than the edge 613b2 on the opposite side. Also, as shown in Figure 8, a rib 730c corresponding to the hole 613b is provided on the lower side of the left support portion 730 of the housing 700 attached to the developing coupling side (left side) in the axial direction Da. The rib 730c is longer in the axial direction on the side furthest from the developing roller 71 (front side).

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction Da (front side), the hole 613b is located to the left (drive side) of the gear portion 980a of the transport screw gear 980 of the toner cartridge 9, which will be described later. In other words, since the hole 613b is located near the left side wall 611, the reduction in the strength of the frame 610 due to the hole 613b is suppressed. As shown in Figure 11(b), the rib 730c fits into the hole 613b, positioning the developing unit 7 relative to the photoreceptor unit 6 in the axial direction Da.

[0039] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, the frame 610 has projections 643 that protrude upward at both ends in the left-right direction of the bottom surface 613. The projections 643 abut against bosses 718 (see Figure 8) provided on the bottom of the housing 700 of the developing unit 7, thereby supporting the developing unit 7 so that it can move. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, a retaining member 650 is provided to prevent the developing unit 7 from being removed when it is mounted on the photoreceptor unit 6.

[0040] As shown in Figure 11(a), the pressing members 640 are provided at both ends of the frame 610 in the left-right direction on the front side, and are biased in the front-to-rear direction by a compression spring 640A (see Figure 12) acting as a biasing member. Therefore, due to the biasing force of the compression spring 640A (see Figure 12), the pressing members 640 press the bosses 718 (see Figure 8) provided on the housing 700 of the developing unit 7 in the front-to-rear direction. By pressing the developing unit 7 with the pressing members 640, the developing rollers 71 are biased toward the photosensitive drum 61.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, a photoreceptor gear 65 and a transfer gear 66 are fixed to the left end of the photosensitive drum 61, and are configured to rotate integrally with the photosensitive drum 61. When the process cartridge 5 is mounted in the main body 2, the drive gear (not shown) of the main body 2 and the photoreceptor gear 65 mesh, transmitting driving force to the photosensitive drum 61 and the transfer gear 66, making them rotatable. In addition, the transfer gear 66 meshes with a transfer roller gear 67 fixed to the left end of the transfer roller 63, making the transfer roller 63 rotatable as well.

[0042] [Toner cartridge configuration] Next, the configuration of the toner cartridge 9 will be described. Figure 13 is an exploded perspective view of the toner cartridge 9, Figure 14 is a perspective view of the toner cartridge 9 from below, and Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the toner cartridge 9.

[0043] As shown in Figure 13, the toner cartridge 9 includes a container member 911, a bottom member 912, a side cover 92, a side cover 93, an outlet forming member 94, an outlet side shutter 95, a transport screw 96, and a second agitator 97. The toner cartridge 9 also includes a memory holder unit 45 and, for transmitting drive, a transport screw gear 980 and a second agitator gear 982.

[0044] As shown in Figure 14, the toner container 910 is formed by a container member 911 and a bottom member 912, and contains toner inside. An outlet forming member 94 is fixed to one end of the toner container 910 in the longitudinal direction (axial direction Da). The outlet forming member 94 has an outlet forming surface 94C on its outer circumference, and an outlet 94A for discharging toner to the outside is formed on the outlet forming surface 94C.

[0045] As shown in Figure 15, the transport screw 96 and the second agitator 97 are rotatably mounted inside the toner container 910. The transport screw 96 and the second agitator 97 rotate by the transmission of driving force from the transport screw gear 980 and the second agitator gear 982, which are located outside the toner container 910 (see Figure 13). The second agitator 97 is composed of a second stirring rod 98 and a second stirring sheet 99, similar to the first agitator 75A (see Figure 3). The toner contained inside the toner container 910 is stirred by the second agitator 97, then transported towards the transport screw 96, and transported to the right by the transport screw 96 towards the discharge port 94A shown in Figure 13, and discharged from the discharge port 94A.

[0046] As shown in Figure 13, a discharge-side shutter 95 is rotatably provided inside the discharge port forming member 94. The discharge-side shutter 95 has a toner passage hole 95A and a closing part 95B, and allows toner to be discharged when the toner passage hole 95A and the discharge port 94A are aligned. On the other hand, the closing part 95B restricts toner discharge when it is facing the discharge port 94A, preventing the toner inside from leaking out during transport, etc. That is, the toner passage hole 95A is an example of a developer discharge port, and allows the developer to be discharged to the outside of the toner cartridge 9.

[0047] [Toner cartridge support] Next, the support configuration of the toner cartridge 9 will be described. Figures 16(a) to (c) are perspective views of the toner cartridge 9 and the process cartridge 5, where (a) shows the state before the toner cartridge 9 is installed, (b) shows the state during the installation of the toner cartridge 9, and (c) shows the state after the toner cartridge 9 has been installed.

[0048] As shown in Figures 16(a) to (c), the toner cartridge 9 is configured to be detachable from the developing unit 7. The container member 911 of the toner cartridge 9 has a handle portion 911A. Side covers 92 and 93 are fixed to both ends of the toner cartridge 9 in the longitudinal direction (axial direction Da). Side covers 92 and 93 each have support-receiving projections 92L and 93R, which are positioning parts for being supported by the developing unit 7. The developing unit 7 is also provided with a left support portion 730 and a right support portion 731 for supporting the support-receiving projections 92L and 93R. The support-receiving projections 92L and 93R are rotatably supported by the left support portion 730 and the right support portion 731.

[0049] When installing the toner cartridge 9 into the developing unit 7, as shown in Figure 16(a), the toner cartridge 9 is moved downwards in the S3 direction while gripping the handle portion 911A from above relative to the developing unit 7. As the toner cartridge 9 is moved in the S3 direction, the supported projections 92L and 93R are rotatably supported by the left support portion 730 and the right support portion 731, as shown in Figure 16(b). From this state, the toner cartridge 9 is rotated in the S4 direction with the supported projections 92L and 93R as the center of rotation, completing the installation as shown in Figure 16(c), and the cartridge unit 10 is formed.

[0050] Specifically, the left support portion 730 is an example of a rotatable support portion, and it rotatably supports the toner cartridge 9 when it is displaced between the first position (see Figure 18(a)) and the second position (see Figure 18(b)) as described later. The supported projection 92L is also an example of a rotatable supported portion, and it is rotatably supported by the left support portion 730.

[0051] Furthermore, in the completed mounting state shown in Figure 16(c), the transport screw gear 980 of the toner cartridge 9 engages with the idler gear 715B of the developing unit 7. This enables the driving force of the developing unit 7 to be transmitted to the toner cartridge 9. Also, as shown in Figure 17, when the toner cartridge 9 is mounted on the process cartridge 5, it is positioned perpendicular to line Y, which connects the center of the transfer roller 63 and the center of the photosensitive drum 61, and above line X, which passes through the center of the photosensitive drum 61.

[0052] [Opening and closing operation of the receiving side shutter] Next, the opening and closing operation of the receiving shutter 773 will be explained. Figures 18(a) and 18(b) show the opening and closing operation of the receiving shutter 773 of the developing unit 7. Figure 18(a) shows the receiving shutter 773 in the closed state, and Figure 18(b) shows the receiving shutter 773 in the open state.

[0053] As shown in Figure 6, the toner receiving section 770 of the developing unit 7 has a toner receiving port 771, a receiving-side shutter seal 772, a receiving-side shutter 773, a receiving port cover 774, and a connecting seal 775, all located on the upper surface of the housing 700. The receiving-side shutter seal 772, the receiving-side shutter 773, the receiving port cover 774, and the connecting seal 775 are each provided with holes 772A, 773A, 774A, and 775A, respectively. The holes 772A, 774A, and 775A of the receiving-side shutter seal 772, the receiving port cover 774, and the connecting seal 775 are assembled to coincide with the toner receiving port 771. In addition, the receiving-side shutter 773 has a shielding portion 773B in addition to the hole 773A and is assembled to allow for sliding movement. This sliding movement opens and closes the toner receiving port 771. In other words, the toner inlet 771 is an example of a developer inlet, and is capable of receiving the developer discharged from the toner passage hole 95A of the toner cartridge 9.

[0054] The opening and closing operation of the receiving-side shutter 773 is performed in conjunction with the installation or removal operation of the toner cartridge 9, as shown in Figures 18(a) and (b). A group of drive protrusions 94B is arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the discharge port forming member 94 of the toner cartridge 9. In addition, a group of driven protrusions 773C is arranged on the receiving-side shutter 773.

[0055] As mentioned above, the toner cartridge 9 transitions to the installed state by rotating during the installation process into the developing unit 7. Figure 18(a) shows the state before the rotation operation during the installation process, in which the shielding portion 773B of the receiving side shutter 773 faces the toner receiving port 771, and the toner receiving port 771 is closed. At this time, the drive projection group 94B and the driven projection group 773C are engaged.

[0056] Next, Figure 18(b) shows the toner cartridge 9 after it has been rotated and installed. At this time, the toner cartridge 9 is rotated downward while the drive projection group 94B and the driven projection group 773C maintain their engagement, and the receiving shutter 773 slides backward in conjunction with the rotation of the toner cartridge 9. As a result, the position of the hole 773A of the receiving shutter 773 and the toner receiving port 771 coincide, and the toner receiving port 771 is opened.

[0057] Similarly, when the toner cartridge 9 is detached from the developing unit 7, the receiving shutter 773 slides forward in conjunction with the upward rotation of the toner cartridge 9, closing the toner receiving port 771.

[0058] As described above, when the toner cartridge 9 is installed in the developing unit 7, the toner inlet 771 is open, allowing toner to be received into the developing unit 7. On the other hand, when the toner cartridge 9 is not installed in the developing unit 7, the toner inlet 771 is closed, preventing foreign matter from entering the developing unit 7 and preventing toner from leaking out. In other words, the toner cartridge 9 is displaceable relative to the process cartridge 5 between a first position shown in Figure 18(a) and a second position shown in Figure 18(b). The first position is a position where the toner passage hole 95A and the toner inlet 771 are not in communication. The second position is a position rotated around the rotation axis C1 (see Figure 16(c)) relative to the first position, where the toner passage hole 95A and the toner inlet 771 are in communication.

[0059] [Opening and closing operation of the discharge shutter] Next, the opening and closing operation of the discharge shutter 95 will be explained. Figures 19(a) and 19(b) show the opening and closing operation of the discharge shutter 95 of the toner cartridge 9, with Figure 19(a) showing the discharge shutter 95 in the closed state and Figure 19(b) showing the discharge shutter 95 in the open state.

[0060] As mentioned above, the discharge port 94A of the discharge port forming member 94 shown in Figure 13 is open when the positions of the discharge port 94A and the toner passage hole 95A of the discharge-side shutter 95 are aligned. Also, the discharge port 94A is closed when the closing part 95B of the discharge-side shutter 95 is facing the discharge port 94A. The opening and closing operation of the discharge-side shutter 95 is also performed in conjunction with the rotational operation when the toner cartridge 9 is installed or removed, similar to the opening and closing operation of the receiving-side shutter 773.

[0061] As shown in Figures 19(a) and (b), the discharge-side shutter 95 is provided with a locking projection 95C, which is located radially inward of the supported projection 93R. In addition, the right support portion 731 of the developing unit 7 is provided with a locking portion 731A and a notch portion 731B.

[0062] Figure 19(a) shows the state before rotational movement occurs during the installation process of the toner cartridge 9. In this state, the closing part 95B (see Figure 13) of the discharge-side shutter 95 and the discharge port 94A (see Figure 13) are facing each other, so the discharge port 94A (see Figure 13) is closed. At this time, the locking projection 95C is held in place by the locking part 731A, and the rotational movement of the discharge-side shutter 95 relative to the developing unit 7 is restricted.

[0063] Next, Figure 19(b) shows the toner cartridge 9 after it has been rotated and installed. At this time, the rotation of the discharge shutter 95 is prohibited, and the toner cartridge 9 is rotated relative to the developing unit 7. Since the supported projection 93R can fit into the notch 731B, the rotation of the toner cartridge 9 other than the discharge shutter 95 is not hindered.

[0064] As described above, the downward rotational movement during the installation process of the toner cartridge 9 causes the discharge-side shutter 95 to rotate relative to the toner cartridge 9 inside the toner cartridge 9. As a result, the positions of the toner passage hole 95A (see Figure 13) and the discharge port 94A (see Figure 13) of the discharge-side shutter 95 coincide, and the discharge port 94A (see Figure 13) becomes open.

[0065] Similarly, when the toner cartridge 9 is detached from the developing unit 7, the discharge shutter 95 rotates relative to the upward rotation of the toner cartridge 9, closing the discharge port 94A (see Figure 13).

[0066] [Toner cartridge lift mechanism] Next, the lift mechanism 760 of the toner cartridge 9 will be described. Figures 20(a) to (c) show the movement of the lift mechanism 760 during the installation of the toner cartridge 9. Figure 20(a) shows the state in which the toner cartridge 9 is placed on the lift mechanism 760 during the installation process. Figure 20(b) shows the state in which the lift mechanism 760 is opened during the installation process of the toner cartridge 9. Figure 20(c) shows the state in which the toner cartridge 9 has been fully installed. Figures 21(a) to (c) show the movement of the toner cartridge 9 being moved to the lifted state by the lift mechanism 760, and the side holder 719 of the developing unit 7 is omitted here for explanatory purposes. Figure 21(a) shows the state in which the toner cartridge 9 has been fully installed. Figure 21(b) shows the toner cartridge 9 being lifted up by the lift mechanism 760. Figure 21(c) shows the toner cartridge 9 in the lifted state.

[0067] As shown in Figures 21(a) to (c), the side cover 92 of the toner cartridge 9 is provided with a protrusion 92B, which has a contact surface 92C, a holding surface 92D, and a receiving surface 92E. Also, as shown in Figure 6, the lift mechanism 760 consists of a boss 719A, a lift member 761, and a torsion coil spring 762, which are provided on the side holder 719 of the developing unit 7. The lift member 761 and the torsion coil spring 762 are attached to the boss 719A and are rotatable about the boss 719A. The lift member 761 has a contact surface 761A, an operating surface 761B, and a holding surface 761C. Also, as shown in Figure 21(c), the lift member 761 is biased in the direction of arrow R1 by the torsion coil spring 762.

[0068] The movement of the lift mechanism 760 during the installation process of the toner cartridge 9 will be explained using Figures 20(a) to (c). As the toner cartridge 9 rotates downward during the installation process, the contact surface 92C and the contact portion 761A come into contact, as shown in Figure 20(a), and the toner cartridge 9 rests on the lift mechanism 760. Furthermore, as the rotation of the toner cartridge 9 continues, as shown in Figure 20(b), the lift member 761 is pushed by the contact surface 92C, causing the lift member 761 to rotate in the direction of arrow R2, allowing the toner cartridge 9 to continue rotating.

[0069] Furthermore, as the rotation continues and the toner cartridge 9 is installed, as shown in Figure 20(c), the contact portion 761A detaches from the contact surface 92C and comes into contact with the holding surface 92D. This allows the lift member 761 to hold the toner cartridge 9 in the installed state. In other words, the lift member 761 is an example of a locking lever for locking the toner cartridge 9 into the process cartridge 5. On the other hand, the protruding portion 92B is an example of a locked portion, and is locked to the lift member 761 when the toner cartridge 9 is installed into the process cartridge 5.

[0070] In this embodiment, the protrusion 92B and the lift member 761 are positioned downstream of the toner cartridge 9 in the first direction D1 (leftward direction). The memory tag 40 is positioned downstream of the protrusion 92B and the lift member 761 in the first direction D1.

[0071] Next, the movement of transitioning the toner cartridge 9 from the installed state to the lifted state will be explained using Figures 21(a) to (c). As shown in Figure 21(a), in the installed state of the toner cartridge 9, the contact portion 761A of the lift member 761 is in contact with the holding surface 92D, and the toner cartridge 9 cannot be removed. To remove the toner cartridge 9, as shown in Figure 21(b), the lift member 761 is rotated in the direction of arrow R2 by pushing down the operating portion 761B of the lift member 761. This causes the holding portion 761C of the lift member 761 to come into contact with the receiving surface 92E, allowing the toner cartridge 9 to rotate. After that, when the operating portion 761B is released, as shown in Figure 21(c), the lift member 761 rotates in the direction of arrow R1 due to the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 762. The contact surface 92C and the contact portion 761A come into contact, and the toner cartridge 9 is placed on the lift mechanism 760 in the lifted state. This makes it possible to remove toner cartridge 9.

[0072] [Placement of memory tags] Next, the memory tag in the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cartridge unit 10 viewed from diagonally above, Figure 22 is a perspective view of the assembly of the memory holder unit 45 viewed from diagonally above, and Figure 23 is a perspective view of the assembly of the memory tag viewed from diagonally below and from inside the axial direction Da. Figures 24(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams of the image forming apparatus 1 viewed from the left side to explain the two positions of the memory holder, and the exterior of the image forming apparatus 1 is omitted here. Figure 24(a) shows the cartridge unit 10 in the starting state of installation, and Figure 24(b) shows the installed state.

[0073] A memory tag 40, an example of a memory element, is capable of storing and transmitting various types of information. By making electrical contact with the main memory contact 104 of the device body 2 (see Figure 24(b)), it transmits information to, for example, a control unit provided in the device body 2. The information relating to the toner cartridge 9 includes at least one of the following: identification information that can identify the toner cartridge 9, and information about the lifespan of the toner cartridge 9.

[0074] The toner cartridge 9 has a memory holder unit 45 that guides the memory tag 40 so that it can move relative to the container member 911. As shown in Figure 22, the memory holder unit 45 has a memory tag 40, a memory holder 41 which is an example of a holder that holds the memory tag 40, a spring 42, a retractable member 43, and a memory cover 44. As shown in Figure 1, when the toner cartridge 9 is mounted in the housing 700, the memory tag 40 is located on the side of the developing coupling 710, which is the driving member, in the left-right direction, which is the axial direction Da. Also, in the insertion / removal direction Db (front-back direction) which intersects the axial direction Da, the memory tag 40 is located near the supported projection 92L of the toner cartridge 9. The side holder 719 of the developing unit 7 is located between the side cover 92 and the storage portion 41B of the memory holder 41 in the axial direction Da.

[0075] As shown in Figure 1, the memory tag 40 has an electrical contact surface 40A. The electrical contact surface 40A is located at a different position from the container member 911 in the axial direction Da. That is, the electrical contact surface 40A is located outside the container member 911. Furthermore, the electrical contact surface 40A has a shape that extends in the insertion / removal direction Db. The electrical contact surface 40A faces upward and intersects with a straight line in the vertical direction Dc.

[0076] As shown in Figure 22, the memory holder 41 is a holder that holds the memory tag 40. The memory holder 41 holds the memory tag 40 such that the electrical contact surface 40A of the memory tag 40 is movable relative to the container member 911. The memory holder 41 holds the memory tag 40 on its outer surface. Also, as shown in Figure 1, the memory holder 41 is positioned alongside the container member 911 in the axial direction Da.

[0077] Here, the container member 911 has a first side surface 911b. The first side surface 911b is located at one end of the container member 911 in the axial direction Da. The first side surface 911b is the side surface facing the outside of the container member 911 in the axial direction Da. The frame 610 of the cartridge unit 10 also has a left side wall 611 facing the first side surface 911b. In the axial direction Da, the left side wall 611 is located between at least a part of the memory holder 41 and the container member 911, and has a notch 611a in which a portion corresponding to the memory cover 44 is cut out. The memory holder 41 is movable relative to the container member 911. In this embodiment, the memory holder 41 is movable in the insertion / removal direction Db and in the vertical direction Dc.

[0078] As shown in Figure 22, the memory holder 41 is a component that holds the memory tag 40. The memory holder 41 has a memory base portion 41A, a storage portion 41B, a first boss 41C (see Figure 23), a second boss 41D (see Figure 23), and a third boss 41E. The memory base portion 41A is the part that holds the memory tag 40 and protrudes axially in Da from the storage portion 41B toward the memory cover 44. The storage portion 41B has a hollow rectangular portion 41F (see Figure 23) and extends away from the memory base portion 41A toward the memory tag 40.

[0079] Two walls of the storage section 41B facing each other in the axial direction Da have elongated holes 41B1 and 41B2 (see Figures 22 and 23) that extend in the vertical direction Dc and penetrate through to the axial direction Da. The first boss 41C and the second boss 41D are substantially cylindrical in shape and protrude from the storage section 41B toward the side cover 92 in the axial direction Da (right side). The second boss 41D is located at a predetermined distance from the first boss 41C in the vertical direction Dc. In this embodiment, the second boss 41D is located above the first boss 41C. The third boss 41E protrudes from the storage section 41B toward the memory cover 44 in the axial direction Da (left side).

[0080] The retractable member 43 has a shape that extends in the vertical direction Dc and has a space inside that is surrounded by four walls on the front, back, left, and right sides. A spring 42, which is a compression coil spring with the vertical direction Dc as its longitudinal direction, is housed and mounted in this space. Of the four walls forming the space, the two walls facing the axial direction Da have snap-fits 43a and 43b at the top. The retractable member 43 is inserted into the rectangular portion 41F (see Figure 23) of the memory holder 41 while being pressed upward, and the snap-fits 43a and 43b engage with the elongated holes 41B1 and 41B2 that are open on the side of the memory holder 41, and are held in place. In this way, the memory holder 41 holds the retractable member 43 so that it can move in the vertical direction Dc.

[0081] The memory cover 44 has a first elongated hole 44D on the right side and a second elongated hole 44E on the left side. By inserting the memory holder 41 while pressing it through the opening 44B of the memory cover 44, the first boss 41C and the second boss 41D engage with the first elongated hole 44D, and the third boss 41E engages with the second elongated hole 44E. As a result, the memory tag 40 is held movably relative to the toner cartridge 9. That is, the memory cover 44 is an example of a support member that supports the memory holder 41 so that it can move in a direction intersecting the axial direction Da relative to the toner cartridge 9.

[0082] Furthermore, the configuration of the memory cover 44 is not limited to that shown in Figure 22. For example, as shown in Figure 36, the roughly cylindrical third boss 41E1 may be chamfered to facilitate press-fitting the memory holder 41 into the memory cover 44. The first boss 41C and the second boss 41D may also be chamfered in the same way as the third boss 41E1, although they are not shown in the figure. By chamfering these bosses, assembly can be improved. Specifically, by cutting off the edges of the protruding tips of each boss, each boss can be made to flex more easily inward into the memory holder 41, contributing to improved assembly.

[0083] Furthermore, to improve ease of assembly, the memory cover 44 may be configured as a two-part structure, consisting of a cover body 440 and a cover 441, as shown in Figure 37. In this case, the memory holder 41 can be inserted into the cover body 440 and then covered with the cover 441. In this configuration, the third boss 41E engages with the elongated hole 441E of the cover 441.

[0084] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 38, the memory holder 41 may have a leaf spring portion 41G that elastically supports the third boss 41E1 in the axial direction Da. The first boss 41C and the second boss 41D may also be supported by leaf spring portions, similar to the third boss 41E1, although these are not shown in the figure. This allows the bosses to elastically extend and retract in the axial direction Da, enabling a snap-fit ​​configuration with respect to the elongated hole 441E and improving ease of assembly.

[0085] As shown in Figures 24(a) and (b), the first elongated hole 44D and the second elongated hole 44E are elongated holes that are longer in the vertical direction Dc. The first elongated hole 44D has a lower end portion 44D1 and an upper end portion 44D2 that is separated from the lower end portion 44D1 in the vertical direction Dc. The length of the upper end portion 44D2 in the insertion / removal direction Db is longer than the length of the lower end portion 44D1 in the insertion / removal direction Db. When the cartridge unit 10 is mounted on the device body 2, the lower end portion 44D1 is located below the upper end portion 44D2. The lower end portion 44D1 restricts the movement of the first boss 41C in the insertion / removal direction Db. The upper end portion 44D2 allows the movement of the first boss 41C in the insertion / removal direction Db.

[0086] Furthermore, the second elongated hole 44E has a lower end portion 44E1 and an upper end portion 44E2 that is separated from the lower end portion 44E1 in the vertical direction Dc. The length of the upper end portion 44E2 in the insertion / removal direction Db is longer than the length of the lower end portion 44E1 in the insertion / removal direction Db. When the cartridge unit 10 is mounted on the device body 2, the lower end portion 44E1 is located below the upper end portion 44E2. The lower end portion 44E1 restricts the movement of the second boss 41D in the insertion / removal direction Db. The upper end portion 44E2 allows the movement of the second boss 41D in the insertion / removal direction Db.

[0087] As shown in Figure 24(a), when the toner cartridge 9 is not installed in the image forming apparatus 1, the electrical contact surface 40A is located in a first position on the toner cartridge 9. When the electrical contact surface 40A is in the first position, the memory holder 41 is held by the memory cover 44. Specifically, when the electrical contact surface 40A is in the first position, the memory base portion 41A of the memory holder 41 contacts the holding surface 44A of the memory cover 44. Also, when the electrical contact surface 40A is in the first position, the third boss 41E approaches or contacts the lower end portion 44E1 of the second elongated hole 44E. When the electrical contact surface 40A is in the first position, the first boss 41C approaches or contacts the lower end portion 44D1 of the first elongated hole 44D. That is, when the electrical contact surface 40A is in the first position, the memory holder 41 is restricted from moving in the insertion / removal direction Db relative to the side cover 92.

[0088] [Installing the cartridge unit into the main unit of the device] Next, the mounting of the cartridge unit 10 to the device body 2 will be explained using Figure 25. Figure 25 is a perspective view showing the inside of the device body 2. As shown in Figure 25, the device body 2 has a lower guide 106b, an upper guide 106a, and a main body memory contact 104. The lower guide 106b is a guide that contacts the lower end of the reciprocating member 43 and guides the reciprocating member 43. The upper guide 106a is a guide that contacts the upper end of the memory holder 41 and guides the memory holder 41. The main body memory contact 104 is a contact that can contact the electrical contact surface 40A of the memory tag 40.

[0089] As shown in Figure 24(b), when the cartridge unit 10 is mounted on the device body 2, the memory holder 41 is lifted by the upper guide 106a of the device body 2 via the reciprocating member 43 and the spring 42. In other words, the memory base portion 41A of the memory holder 41 is separated upward from the holding surface 44A of the memory cover 44. As a result, the memory tag 40 is positioned in the second position and biased against the main body memory contact 104 by the biasing force of the spring 42, and the electrical contact surface 40A contacts the main body memory contact 104. At this time, the third boss 41E is separated from the inner surface of the lower end portion 44E1 of the second elongated hole. Also, the first boss 41C is separated from the lower end portion 44D1 of the first elongated hole 44D. As a result, with the electrical contact surface 40A in the second position, the memory holder 41 is allowed to move in the insertion / removal direction Db relative to the side cover 92. Therefore, when the electrical contact surface 40A contacts the main body memory contact 104, sliding contact in the insertion / removal direction Db can be reduced, and wear and damage to the electrical contact surface 40A can be suppressed.

[0090] With the memory holder 41 configured as described above, the memory tag 40 is movable between the first position shown in Figure 24(a) and the second position shown in Figure 24(b) relative to the container member 911 in the insertion / removal direction Db and the vertical direction Dc.

[0091] [Attaching the memory holder unit to the side cover] The attachment of the memory holder unit 45 to the side cover 92 will be explained using Figures 22 and 23. As shown in Figure 22, the end face of the supported projection 92L extending in the axial direction Da from the side surface of the side cover 92 is provided with a recess 92L3 having a wall in the insertion / removal direction Db, a rib 92L2 formed in front of the recess 92L3 and extending in the insertion / removal direction Db, and a screw hole 92L4. In the supported projection 92L, the radius from the rotation center (rotation axis C1) during the mounting operation to the rear end and the radius to the front end are set to be the same distance (L1).

[0092] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 22, the supported projection 92L has a first supported portion 92La and a second supported portion 92Lb. The first supported portion 92La is positioned at a first distance L1 away in a first intersecting direction (e.g., rearward direction) that intersects the axial direction Da from the rotation axis C1. The second supported portion 92Lb is positioned at a first distance L1 away in a second intersecting direction (e.g., forward direction) that intersects the axial direction Da from the rotation axis C1 and is different from the first intersecting direction. Also, as shown in Figure 27(b), the left support portion 730 has a first support portion 730a and a second support portion 730b. The first support portion 730a guides the first supported portion 92La when the toner cartridge 9 is displaced between a first position and a second position, and positions the first supported portion 92La when the toner cartridge 9 is in the second position. The second support portion 730b guides the second supported portion 92Lb when the toner cartridge 9 is displaced between the first and second positions, and positions the second supported portion 92Lb when the toner cartridge 9 is in the second position.

[0093] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 23, the right side surface of the memory cover 44 in the axial direction Da is provided with an oval-shaped protrusion 44A3 with the insertion / removal direction Db as the longitudinal direction, a groove 44A2 with the insertion / removal direction Db as the longitudinal direction, and a screw hole 44A4. The memory cover 44 is positioned by the protrusion 44A3 and groove 44A2 fitting into the recess 92L3 and rib 92L2 of the side cover 92, respectively. The rib 92L2 is an example of an engaging part. The groove 44A2 is an example of an engaged part, and when attached to the supported projection 92L, it engages with the rib 92L2 and restricts rotation of the supported projection 92L around the rotation axis C1.

[0094] The memory cover 44 is fixed to the side cover 92 by screws 46, etc., being screwed into the screw holes 92L4 of the side cover 92 via screw holes 44A4. That is, the memory cover 44 is fastened to the supported projection 92L by screws 46, which are an example of screw members, on the rotation axis C1. As a result, when viewed from the axial direction Da, at least a part of the memory holder unit 45 overlaps with the supported projection 92L of the side cover 92.

[0095] Here, as shown in Figure 26, let M1 be the length of the gap in the axial direction Da between the left side of the side cover 92 and the right side of the memory cover 44 in the axial direction Da. Also, let M2 be the thickness in the axial direction Da of the side holder 719 of the developing unit 7 in the part other than the left support portion 730. Furthermore, let M3 be the thickness in the axial direction Da of the left wall 611 of the photoreceptor unit 6. In this case, M1 is set to be greater than M2 + M3. That is, the memory cover 44 is located outside the cartridge unit 10 in the axial direction Da in the part other than the convex portion 44A3 attached to the supported projection 92L. In other words, the memory holder unit 45, left wall 611, side holder 719, and side cover 92 are arranged in order from left to right in the axial direction Da. To put it another way, the memory tag 40 is located downstream of the left wall 611 and side holder 719 in the first direction D1. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the memory holder 41 is located on the rotation axis C1 (on the rotation axis), and when viewed from the axial direction Da, at least a portion of it overlaps with the supported projection 92L.

[0096] Next, the shape of the left side wall 611 of the frame 610 will be explained using Figures 27(a) to 28(b). Figure 27(a) is a side view of the cartridge unit 10 as seen from the left side (drive side). Figure 28(a) is a front view of the toner cartridge 9 as seen from the front. Figure 28(b) is a perspective view of the cartridge unit 10 as seen from diagonally above.

[0097] As shown in Figure 27(a), the left side wall 611 of the frame 610 has a notch 611a that, when viewed from the axial direction Da, has been cut out in a shape corresponding to the memory cover 44. That is, the left side wall 611 does not overlap with the memory holder 41 when viewed from the axial direction Da.

[0098] As shown in Figure 28(a), the memory cover 44 may tilt toward the side cover 92 in the axial direction Da due to tolerances or warping during molding. If such tilting occurs, as shown in Figure 28(b), if there is no notch 611a, the ridge 44F at the lower end of the memory cover 44 may come into contact with the ridge 6110F of the left side wall 6110 when the toner cartridge 9 is installed into the process cartridge 5. If the ridge 44F at the lower end of the memory cover 44 comes into contact with the ridge 6110F of the left side wall 6110, the toner cartridge 9 may not be installed into the process cartridge 5 smoothly, potentially resulting in poor workability.

[0099] In contrast, in this embodiment, a notch 611a is formed in the left side wall 611 of the frame 610. As a result, even if the memory holder unit 45 is tilted, the memory cover 44 is less likely to catch on the left side wall 611 when the toner cartridge 9 is mounted onto the process cartridge 5, allowing for smooth mounting.

[0100] [Effects of this embodiment] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be explained using Figure 26. Figure 26 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge unit 10 as seen from the rear, obtained by cutting the cartridge unit 10 in the front-rear direction at the center of the supported projection 92L. As shown in Figure 22, in the axial direction Da, the memory holder unit 45 is positioned away from the side cover 92 of the toner cartridge 9, except for the supported projection 92L. Therefore, the toner cartridge 9 can be mounted without interfering with the process cartridge 5 by sandwiching the side holder 719 of the developing unit 7 between the side cover 92 and the memory holder unit 45. As a result, when the toner cartridge 9 is mounted, interference between the memory holder unit 45 and the side holder 719 can be suppressed except for the supported projection 92L, which is the mounting part of the memory holder unit 45.

[0101] As described above, according to this embodiment, the memory holder unit 45 is positioned outward in the axial direction Da from the side holder 719 and the left side wall 611 in the portion of the memory cover 44 other than the protrusion 44A3. This eliminates the need to reduce the area of ​​the side holder 719 and the left side wall 611 more than necessary to avoid interference with the memory holder unit 45, and allows the toner cartridge 9 to be covered over a wide area by the side holder 719 and the left side wall 611. Therefore, the side holder 719 and the left side wall 611 can protect the toner cartridge 9 from physical contact from the outside.

[0102] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the memory cover 44 is positioned in the axial direction Da on the drive unit side, such as the developing coupling 710, developing roller gear 711, supply roller gear 712, first agitator gear 713, idler gears 715A, and 715B. Therefore, since the drive unit side can be covered by the side holder 719 and the left side wall 611, impact on the drive train can be suppressed.

[0103] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the memory holder 41 is located on the rotation axis C1. Therefore, compared to the case where the memory holder 41 is not located on the rotation axis C1, the amount of pivotal movement of the memory holder 41 when inserting or removing the toner cartridge 9 can be reduced. As a result, there is no need to remove more material from the side holder 719 and the left side wall 611 than necessary, and the toner cartridge 9 can be protected from physical contact from the outside.

[0104] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a notch 611a is formed in the left side wall 611 of the frame 610. As a result, even if the memory holder unit 45 is tilted towards the left side wall 611 than its design position, the memory cover 44 is less likely to catch on the left side wall 611 when the toner cartridge 9 is attached to the process cartridge 5, allowing for smooth attachment.

[0105] In this embodiment, the case in which a notch 611a is formed in the left wall 611 as shown in Figure 27(a) has been described, but it is not limited to this. For example, if the assembly accuracy of the memory cover 44 is improved so that the memory cover 44 is less likely to get caught on the left wall 611, the notch 611a may not be provided, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 27(a). In this case, when viewed from the axial direction Da, at least a part of the memory cover 44 and the left wall 611 can overlap, so that the left wall 611 can protect the toner cartridge 9 and the drive unit over a wider area.

[0106] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 29 to 31. The second embodiment is a modification of the shape of the supported projection 92L of the first embodiment. Components similar to those of the first embodiment will be omitted from the illustration or will be described using the same reference numerals in the figures. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the lengths of the supported projection 922L are different on the front and rear sides from the rotation center 922L1, whereas they are the same.

[0107] Figure 29 is an exploded perspective view of the toner cartridge 902, seen from the upper left. Figure 30 is a perspective view of the memory holder unit 452, seen from the inside along the axial direction Da. Figure 31 is a side view from the left, showing the toner cartridge 902 being installed into the process cartridge 502.

[0108] As shown in Figure 29, the side of the side cover 922 is provided with a supported projection 922L that protrudes to the left in the axial direction Da from the side. The supported projection 922L is provided for positioning on the process cartridge 502, similar to the first embodiment. The supported projection 922L has a recess 922L3 with a wall in the insertion / removal direction Db, a rib 922L2 formed in front of the recess 922L3 with the insertion / removal direction Db as its longitudinal direction, and a screw hole 922L4. The supported projection 922L has a rear end surface 922L5 and a front end surface 922L6 in the insertion / removal direction Db. These rear end surface 922L5 and front end surface 922L6 are formed in an arc shape centered on the rotation center 922L1 during the mounting operation when viewed from the axial direction Da.

[0109] In this embodiment, the supported projection 922L has different radius distances: a first distance L1, which is the radius from the rotation center 922L1 to the rear end surface 922L5 during the mounting operation, and a second distance L2, which is the radius to the front end surface 922L6. The second distance L2 to the front end surface 922L6 is longer than the first distance L1 to the rear end surface 922L5. This is because there is not much space to lengthen the projection at the rear due to the presence of the drive transmission section 716 of the developing unit 702, and because the front portion of the supported projection 922L is more susceptible to a larger load when the toner cartridge 902 is mounted, it is desirable to improve its strength.

[0110] Thus, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 29, the supported projection 922L has a rear end surface 922L5 which is an example of a first supported portion, and a front end surface 922L6 which is an example of a second supported portion. The rear end surface 922L5 is positioned at a first distance L1 in a first intersecting direction (e.g., rearward direction) that intersects the axial direction Da from the rotation axis C1. The front end surface 922L6 is positioned at a second distance L2 which is longer than the first distance L1 in a second intersecting direction (e.g., forward direction) that intersects the axial direction Da from the rotation axis C1 and is different from the first intersecting direction.

[0111] As shown in Figure 30, the memory cover 442 is provided with a protrusion 442A3 whose longitudinal direction is the insertion / removal direction Db, and a groove 442A2 for preventing rotation. The memory cover 442 is positioned relative to the side cover 922 by the protrusion 442A3 fitting into the recess 922L3 and the groove 442A2 engaging with the rib 922L2. The memory cover 442 is then fixed to the supported projection 922L of the side cover 922 by screws or the like.

[0112] As shown in Figure 31, the side holder 7192 of the developing unit 702 is provided with a left support portion 7302 that rotatably supports the supported projection 922L. The radius of the left support portion 7302 from the rotation center 7302A1 when attaching or detaching the toner cartridge 902 is different in the front-rear direction, similar to the supported projection 922L. Therefore, when the toner cartridge 902 is installed, the radius of the surface 7302A5 that the rear end surface 922L5 of the supported projection 922L contacts is L1, and the radius of the surface 7302A6 that the front end surface 922L6 of the supported projection 922L contacts is L2. As a result, the rotation center during the installation operation of the toner cartridge 902 is determined by the engagement such that the rear end surface 922L5 of the supported projection 922L of the toner cartridge 902 contacts surface 7302A5, and the front end surface 922L6 contacts surface 7302A6.

[0113] Specifically, the left support portion 7302 has a surface 7302A5 which is an example of a first support portion, and a surface 7302A6 which is an example of a second support portion. Surface 7302A5 guides the rear end surface 922L5 when the toner cartridge 902 is displaced between a first position and a second position, and positions the rear end surface 922L5 when the toner cartridge 902 is in the second position. Surface 7302A6 guides the front end surface 922L6 when the toner cartridge 902 is displaced between a first position and a second position, and positions the front end surface 922L6 when the toner cartridge 902 is in the second position.

[0114] As described above, according to this embodiment, since the front side of the supported projection 922L is made longer, the strength when the toner cartridge 902 is mounted on the developing unit 702 can be improved. Also, since the rear side of the supported projection 922L is made shorter, interference with the drive transmission part of the developing unit 702 can be avoided, and the size of the device can be suppressed.

[0115] <Third Embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 32(a) to 33. The third embodiment is a modification of the configuration of the attachment portion of the memory cover 44 to the side cover 92 in the first embodiment. For this reason, the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted from the illustration or will be described using the same reference numerals in the figures.

[0116] Figure 32(a) is an exploded perspective view of the toner cartridge 903 seen from the upper left. Figure 32(b) is a perspective view of the memory cover 443 seen from the inside in the axial direction Da. Figure 33 is a side view from the left side showing the cartridge being installed in the cartridge unit 103.

[0117] In this embodiment, the configuration of the attachment portion of the memory cover 443 to the side cover 923 differs from that of the first embodiment. As shown in Figures 32(a) and (b), the memory cover 443 has a square boss 443D for preventing rotation, a screw hole 443C, and a boss 443B for positioning. The square boss 443D is positioned above the retaining surface 443A of the memory cover 443. On the other hand, the side cover 923 has a supported projection 923L protruding to the left, a recess 923B facing to the left, and a screw hole 923C. A square hole 923L1 into which the square boss 443D fits is formed in the supported projection 923L. The boss 443B fits into the recess 923B. Here, the square hole 923L1 is an example of a first positioning portion, and the recess 923B is an example of a second positioning portion.

[0118] When attaching the memory cover 443 to the side cover 923, the memory cover 443 is positioned by fitting the square bosses 443D and 443B of the memory cover 443 into the square hole 923L1 and recess 923B of the side cover 923, respectively. That is, the memory cover 443 has a square boss 443D, which is an example of a first positioning part, and a boss 443B, which is an example of a second positioning part. The square boss 443D engages with the square boss 443D and restricts rotation around the screw member 463. The boss 443B engages with the recess 923B and restricts rotation around the screw member 463.

[0119] Then, the memory cover 443 is fixed to the side cover 923 by fastening the screw member 463 through the screw hole 443C of the memory cover 443 to the screw hole 923C of the side cover 923. Here, the screw hole 923C is located above the axis of rotation C1 when the toner cartridge 903 is attached or detached. That is, in the second direction D2 (upward), the memory cover 443 is fastened to the toner cartridge 903 by the screw member 463 downstream of the axis of rotation C1. As a result, as shown in Figure 33, the notch 7193A of the side holder 7193 that is used to avoid interference with the memory cover 443 can be made smaller.

[0120] As described above, in this embodiment, in the configuration for attaching the memory cover 443 to the side cover 923, the corner bosses 443D and 443B of the memory cover 443 are fitted into the corner hole 923L1 and recess 923B of the side cover 923, respectively. That is, the memory cover 443 is fixed not only by the supported projection 923L of the side cover 923, but also by screw members on the side surface of the side cover 923. Therefore, since positioning and rotation prevention are achieved at two points centered on the screw hole 923C, a more robust configuration can be achieved in the mounting configuration of the memory cover 443.

[0121] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting position of the memory cover 443 is set above the rotation axis C1 when the toner cartridge 903 is attached or detached, so the notch 7193A that avoids interference between the side holder 7193 and the memory cover 443 can be made smaller. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the strength of the side holder 7193.

[0122] <Fourth Embodiment> Next, a fourth embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 34 and 35. Figure 34 is a perspective view taken from the upper left to illustrate the assembly of the developing unit 704, and Figure 35 is a cross-sectional view of the area around the lift mechanism 764, cut by a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction. The fourth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment in which the position of the lift mechanism 760 is changed from the left side to the right side. The operation of the lift mechanism 764 in this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment described with reference to Figures 20(a) to (c) and 21(a) to (c), so a detailed explanation will be omitted. For this reason, components similar to those in the first embodiment will not be shown, or will be described using the same reference numerals in the figures.

[0123] As shown in Figure 35, the right-side holder 934 of the toner cartridge 904 is provided with a protrusion 934B. The protrusion 934B is an example of a locked portion and has a contact surface 934C, a holding surface 934D, and a receiving surface 934E. Also, as shown in Figure 34, the lift mechanism 764 has a boss 7194A, a lift member 7614, and a torsion coil spring 7624 provided on the side holder 7194 of the developing unit 704. The lift member 7614 and the torsion coil spring 7624 are attached to the boss 7194A and are rotatable about the boss 7194A. The lift member 7614 is an example of a lock lever and has a contact portion 7614A, an operating portion 7614B, and a holding portion 7614C. The lift member 7614 is biased in the direction of arrow R1 by the torsion coil spring 7624. In this embodiment, the protrusion 934B and the lift member 7614 are positioned upstream of the toner cartridge 904 in the first direction D1 (leftward direction).

[0124] As described above, according to this embodiment, the lift mechanism 764 is positioned to the right of the toner cartridge 904. Therefore, the degree of design freedom regarding the placement of the lift mechanism can be improved.

[0125] In the embodiments described above, the process cartridge 5, which is an example of the first unit, is shown as a photoreceptor unit 6 with a developing unit 7 attached, but it is not limited to this. For example, a process cartridge in which the photosensitive drum and developing roller are integrated so that they cannot be separated may be used.

[0126] Furthermore, the disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration examples and method examples. (Composition 1) In a cartridge unit that can be attached to and detached from the main body of an image forming apparatus, A first unit comprising: a photosensitive drum that carries a developer image; a frame that rotatably supports the photosensitive drum; a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum, the developing roller having one end in the axial direction and the other end opposite to the one end; and a drive transmission unit provided on the one end side of the developing roller in the axial direction, which transmits a driving force transmitted from the image forming apparatus to the developing roller; The first unit comprises a storage member provided on one end for storing information, a holder for holding the storage member, and a second unit which is detachably attached to the first unit and contains a developer. The frame has a bottom surface extending in the axial direction, and a first side wall extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction from the bottom surface, and located in the axial direction inside the drive transmission section and outside the second unit mounted on the first unit. The memory member is positioned outside the first side wall in the axial direction when the second unit is mounted on the first unit. A cartridge unit characterized by the following features. (Configuration 2) The first unit includes a drum unit comprising the photosensitive drum and the frame, and a developing unit comprising the developing roller and the drive transmission unit, which is detachably mounted to the drum unit. The first side wall of the frame has a unit positioning section for positioning the developing unit relative to the drum unit. A cartridge unit according to configuration 1, characterized by the features described above. (Composition 3) The developing unit has a second side wall extending in the intersecting direction, the second side wall located outward from the drive transmission unit in the axial direction when the second unit is mounted on the first unit, The memory member is positioned outside the second side wall in the axial direction. The cartridge unit according to configuration 2, characterized by the features described above. (Composition 4) The second unit has a developer discharge port for discharging the developer to the outside of the second unit, The first unit has a developer receiving port capable of receiving the developer discharged from the developer discharge port of the second unit, The second unit is displaceable relative to the first unit, with respect to a first position in which the developer receiving port and the developer discharging port are not in communication, and a second position which is rotated around the axis of rotation relative to the first position and in which the developer receiving port and the developer discharging port are in communication. The holder is located on the axis of rotation, A cartridge unit according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized by the above. (Composition 5) The first unit has a rotating support portion that rotatably supports the second unit when the second unit is displaced between the first and second positions. The second unit has a rotatable supported portion that is rotatably supported by the rotatable support portion, The holder, when viewed from the axial direction, has at least a portion that overlaps the rotating support portion. The cartridge unit according to configuration 4, characterized by the features described above. (Composition 6) The rotating support portion includes a first support portion positioned at a first distance from the rotation axis in a first intersecting direction that intersects the axial direction, and a second support portion positioned at a first distance from the rotation axis in a second intersecting direction that intersects the axial direction from the rotation axis and is different from the first intersecting direction. The rotation support portion includes a first support portion that guides the first supported portion when the second unit is displaced between the first and second positions and positions the first supported portion when the second unit is in the second position, and a second support portion that guides the second supported portion when the second unit is displaced between the first and second positions and positions the second supported portion when the second unit is in the second position. The cartridge unit according to configuration 5, characterized by the features described herein. (Composition 7) The rotating support portion includes a first support portion positioned at a first distance from the rotation axis in a first intersecting direction that intersects the rotation axis in the axial direction and faces the drive transmission portion, and a second support portion positioned at a second distance longer than the first distance in a second intersecting direction that intersects the rotation axis in the axial direction and is different from the first intersecting direction. The rotation support portion includes a first support portion that guides the first supported portion when the second unit is displaced between the first and second positions and positions the first supported portion when the second unit is in the second position, and a second support portion that guides the second supported portion when the second unit is displaced between the first and second positions and positions the second supported portion when the second unit is in the second position. The cartridge unit according to configuration 5, characterized by the features described herein. (Composition 8) The second unit has a support member that supports the holder so that it is movable in a direction intersecting the axial direction with respect to the second unit. A cartridge unit according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, characterized by the above. (Composition 9) The second unit has a support member that supports the holder so that it is movable in a direction intersecting the axial direction with respect to the second unit. The support member is attached to the rotating support portion. A cartridge unit according to configuration 6 or 7, characterized by the above. (Composition 10) The support member is fastened to the rotating support portion by a screw member on the same axis as the rotation axis, The second supported portion has an engaging portion, The support member has an engaging portion that, when attached to the rotating support portion, engages with the engaging portion to restrict rotation of the rotating support portion around the rotation axis. The cartridge unit according to configuration 9, characterized by the features described herein. (Composition 11) The rotating support portion has a first positioning portion, The second unit has a second positioning section, The aforementioned support member is In the aforementioned intersecting direction, the second unit is fastened by a screw member downstream of the rotation axis, It has a first positioning portion that engages with the first positioning portion and restricts rotation around the screw member, and a second positioning portion that engages with the second positioning portion and restricts rotation around the screw member, The cartridge unit according to configuration 9, characterized by the features described herein. (Composition 12) The first unit has a locking lever, The second unit has a locking portion that is locked by the lock lever when the second unit is mounted on the first unit, The locked portion and the lock lever are positioned on the outside of the second unit at one end in the axial direction. The memory member is positioned outside the locked portion and the lock lever in the axial direction. A cartridge unit according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, characterized by the features described herein. (Composition 13) The first unit has a locking lever, The second unit has a locking portion that is locked by the lock lever when the second unit is mounted on the first unit, The locked portion and the locking lever are positioned on the other end side of the second unit in the axial direction. A cartridge unit according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, characterized by the features described herein. (Composition 14) The first side wall does not overlap with the holder when viewed from the axial direction. A cartridge unit according to any one of configurations 1 to 13, characterized by the features described herein. (Composition 15) The first side wall overlaps with at least a portion of the holder when viewed from the axial direction. A cartridge unit according to any one of configurations 1 to 14, characterized by the features described herein. (Composition 16) A cartridge unit described in any one of configurations 1 to 15 attached to the main body of the device, A fixing device for fixing the developer image formed on the recording material, An image forming apparatus characterized by the following: [Explanation of Symbols]

[0127] 1: Image forming apparatus / 2: Apparatus body / 5, 502: Process cartridge (first unit) / 6: Photoconductor unit (drum unit) / 7, 702, 704: Developing unit / 8: Fixing unit / 9, 902, 903, 904: Toner cartridge (second unit) / 10: Cartridge unit / 40: Memory tag (storage element) / 41: Memory holder (holder) / 44: Memory cover (support element) / 44 A2: Groove / 46: Screw (screw member) / 61: Photosensitive drum / 71: Developing roller / 71a: One end / 71b: Other end / 95A: Toner passage hole (developer discharge port) / 92B: Protrusion (locked part) / 92L, 922L: Supported projection (rotating supported part) / 92La, 922La: First supported part / 92Lb, 922Lb: Second supported part / 92L2: Rib (engaging part) / 443B: Boss (first positioning part) / 443D: Corner Boss (first positioning part) / 463: Screw member / 610: Frame / 611: Left side wall (first side wall) / 613: Bottom surface / 641: Receiving part (unit positioning part) / 716: Drive transmission part / 719, 7192, 7193, 7194: Side holder (second side wall) / 730: Left support part (rotation support part) / 730a: First support part / 730b: Second support part / 761, 7614: Lift member (lock lever) / 771: Toner receptacle (developer receptacle) / 922L5: Rear end surface (first supported part) / 923B: Recess (second positioning part) / 923L1: Square hole (first positioning part) / 934B: Protrusion (locked part) / 992L6: Front end surface (second supported part) / 7302A5: Surface (first support part) / 7302A6: Surface (second support part) / C1: Rotation axis / Da: Axial direction / D2: Second direction (intersecting direction) / L1: First distance / L2: Second distance

Claims

1. In a cartridge unit that can be attached to and detached from the main body of an image forming apparatus, A first unit comprising: a photosensitive drum that carries a developer image; a frame that rotatably supports the photosensitive drum; a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum, the developing roller having one end in the axial direction and the other end opposite to the one end; and a drive transmission unit provided on the one end side of the developing roller in the axial direction, which transmits a driving force transmitted from the image forming apparatus to the developing roller. The first unit comprises a storage member provided on one end for storing information, a holder for holding the storage member, and a second unit which is detachably attached to the first unit and contains a developer. The frame has a bottom surface extending in the axial direction, and a first side wall extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction from the bottom surface, and located in the axial direction inside the drive transmission section and outside the second unit mounted on the first unit. The memory member is positioned outside the first side wall in the axial direction when the second unit is mounted on the first unit. A cartridge unit characterized by the following features.

2. The first unit comprises a drum unit including the photosensitive drum and the frame, and a developing unit including the developing roller and the drive transmission unit, which is detachably mounted to the drum unit. The first side wall of the frame has a unit positioning section for positioning the developing unit relative to the drum unit. The cartridge unit according to feature 1.

3. The developing unit has a second side wall extending in the intersecting direction, the second side wall located outward from the drive transmission unit in the axial direction when the second unit is mounted on the first unit, The memory member is positioned outside the second side wall in the axial direction. The cartridge unit according to claim 2.

4. The second unit has a developer discharge port for discharging the developer to the outside of the second unit, The first unit has a developer receiving port capable of receiving the developer discharged from the developer discharge port of the second unit, The second unit is displaceable relative to the first unit, with respect to a first position in which the developer receiving port and the developer discharging port are not in communication, and a second position which is rotated about the axis of rotation relative to the first position, and in which the developer receiving port and the developer discharging port are in communication. The holder is located on the axis of rotation, The cartridge unit according to feature 1.

5. The first unit has a rotating support portion that rotatably supports the second unit when the second unit is displaced between the first and second positions. The second unit has a rotatable supported portion that is rotatably supported by the rotatable support portion, The holder, when viewed from the axial direction, has at least a portion that overlaps the rotating support portion. The cartridge unit according to feature 4.

6. The rotating support portion includes a first support portion positioned at a first distance from the rotation axis in a first intersecting direction that intersects the axial direction, and a second support portion positioned at a first distance from the rotation axis in a second intersecting direction that intersects the axial direction from the rotation axis and is different from the first intersecting direction. The rotation support portion includes a first support portion that guides the first supported portion when the second unit is displaced between the first and second positions and positions the first supported portion when the second unit is in the second position, and a second support portion that guides the second supported portion when the second unit is displaced between the first and second positions and positions the second supported portion when the second unit is in the second position. The cartridge unit according to claim 5, characterized in that it is a cartridge unit according to feature 5.

7. The rotating support portion includes a first support portion positioned at a first distance from the rotation axis in a first intersecting direction that intersects the rotation axis in the axial direction and faces the drive transmission portion, and a second support portion positioned at a second distance longer than the first distance in a second intersecting direction that intersects the rotation axis in the axial direction and is different from the first intersecting direction. The rotation support portion includes a first support portion that guides the first supported portion when the second unit is displaced between the first and second positions and positions the first supported portion when the second unit is in the second position, and a second support portion that guides the second supported portion when the second unit is displaced between the first and second positions and positions the second supported portion when the second unit is in the second position. The cartridge unit according to claim 5, characterized in that it is a cartridge unit according to feature 5.

8. The second unit has a support member that supports the holder so that it is movable in a direction intersecting the axial direction with respect to the second unit. The cartridge unit according to feature 1.

9. The second unit has a support member that supports the holder so that it can move in a direction intersecting the axial direction with respect to the second unit. The support member is attached to the rotating support portion. The cartridge unit according to feature 6.

10. The support member is fastened to the rotating support portion by a screw member on the same axis as the rotation axis, The second supported portion has an engaging portion, The support member has an engaging portion that, when attached to the rotating support portion, engages with the engaging portion to restrict rotation of the rotating support portion around the rotation axis. The cartridge unit according to feature 9.

11. The rotating support portion has a first positioning portion, The second unit has a second positioning section, The aforementioned support member is In the aforementioned intersecting direction, the second unit is fastened by a screw member downstream of the rotation axis, It has a first positioning portion that engages with the first positioning portion and restricts rotation around the screw member, and a second positioning portion that engages with the second positioning portion and restricts rotation around the screw member, The cartridge unit according to feature 9.

12. The first unit has a locking lever, The second unit has a locking portion that is locked by the lock lever when the second unit is mounted on the first unit, The locked portion and the locking lever are positioned on the outside of the second unit at one end in the axial direction. The memory member is positioned outside the locked portion and the lock lever in the axial direction. The cartridge unit according to feature 1.

13. The first unit has a locking lever, The second unit has a locking portion that is locked by the lock lever when the second unit is mounted on the first unit, The locked portion and the locking lever are positioned on the other end side of the second unit in the axial direction. The cartridge unit according to feature 1.

14. The first side wall does not overlap with the holder when viewed from the axial direction. The cartridge unit according to feature 1.

15. The first side wall overlaps with at least a portion of the holder when viewed from the axial direction. The cartridge unit according to feature 1.

16. A cartridge unit according to any one of claims 1 to 15, mounted on the main body of the device, A fixing device for fixing the developer image formed on the recording material, An image forming apparatus characterized by the following:

Images