Cartridge and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide a process cartridge that has a high degree of freedom in selecting a cleaning frame body.SOLUTION: An electrifying roller is supported on a cleaning frame body and used for a process of image formation. An electrode plate 901 is electrically connected with the electrifying roller. The electrode plate 901 has a contact part 901a that is exposed to the outside of a process cartridge, and configured to be in contact with a spring contact 911 of an apparatus body. The contact part 901a has a bottom face 901c that is a flat face, an outermost face 901f that is located outside the cleaning frame body relative to the bottom face 901c in the normal direction of the bottom face 901c, and an inner wall face 901d that connects the bottom face 901c and the outermost face 901f with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 20

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cartridge and an image forming apparatus including the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a configuration is known in which members (process members) used for image formation, such as a photosensitive drum, are grouped together in a frame and formed into a cartridge, and this cartridge is detachable from the apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus. In such a cartridge, in a state where it is mounted on the apparatus main body, the main body side electrode member provided on the apparatus main body and the electrode member of the cartridge are in contact with each other, and the process member is configured to be electrically connected to the apparatus main body. Here, Patent Document 1 discloses, as an example of the electrode member on the cartridge side, a configuration in which a conductive resin is injected into the frame constituting the cartridge.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, in a configuration in which an electrode member is provided on a cartridge, in order to further improve the electrical safety in the vicinity of the electrode member, there is a case where it is desirable to use a material having high flame retardancy as the frame of the cartridge. For this reason, there is a problem that the choice of the material of the frame material is limited.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge with a high degree of freedom in selecting the material of the frame.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention relates to a cartridge comprising: a frame; a process member supported by the frame and used in an image forming process; and an electrode member electrically connected to the process member, wherein the electrode member is exposed to the outside of the cartridge and has an electrical contact portion for power to be supplied to the process member from outside the cartridge, and the electrical contact portion has a first surface which is a flat surface; a second surface which is located outside the frame in the direction normal to the first surface; and a connecting surface which connects the first surface and the second surface. Furthermore, the connecting surface is provided so as to cover the entire perimeter of the first surface, and in a cross section perpendicular to the first surface, if any point on the boundary between the connecting surface and the second surface is designated as the first point, and a point on the boundary between the connecting surface and the second surface opposite the first point is designated as the second point, then the angle between the first line connecting the center of the first surface and the first point and the second line connecting the center and the second point is 120° or more. It is characterized by the following:

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a cartridge that is detachable from the main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising: a frame; a process member supported by the frame and used in the image forming process; and an electrode member electrically connected to the process member, wherein the electrode member has an electrical contact portion exposed to the outside of the cartridge and configured to contact a main body-side electrode member of the apparatus body, and the electrical contact portion has a first surface composed of a plurality of flat surfaces having different angles in the normal direction to each other, and a second surface located outside the frame than the first surface. Furthermore, the plurality of flat surfaces connect the vertex furthest from the second surface to the second surface, and when any point on the boundary between the plurality of flat surfaces and the second surface is designated as the first point, and a point on the boundary between the plurality of flat surfaces and the second surface that is opposite to the first point in a cross-section passing through the vertex and the first point is designated as the second point, the angle between the first line connecting the vertex and the first point and the second line connecting the vertex and the second point is 120° or more. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cartridge with a high degree of freedom in selecting the material of the frame. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A front view of a process cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view of aa in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of bb. [Figure 5] Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the CC section. [Figure 6](a) an exploded perspective view of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment, and (b) an exploded perspective view of the process cartridge viewed from a different direction than (a). [Figure 7] (a) Side view of the process cartridge showing the contact state of the developing unit with respect to the photosensitive drum, (b) Side view of the process cartridge showing the separation state of the developing unit with respect to the photosensitive drum. [Figure 8] A front view of a toner cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of dd. [Figure 10] Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of ee. [Figure 11] (a) an exploded perspective view of a toner cartridge according to the first embodiment, and (b) an exploded perspective view of a toner cartridge viewed from a different direction than (a). [Figure 12] (a) A schematic perspective view showing the insertion state of the process cartridge into the main unit of the device, (b) A schematic perspective view showing the insertion state of the toner cartridge into the main unit of the device. [Figure 13] (a) A schematic side view showing the insertion state of the process cartridge into the main unit of the device, (b) A schematic side view showing the insertion state of the toner cartridge into the main unit of the device, and (c) A schematic side view showing the state with the process cartridge and toner cartridge installed in the main unit of the device. [Figure 14] A side view of a process cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] A side view of the process cartridge seen from the opposite side of Figure 14. [Figure 16] An exploded perspective view of the area around the electrode member of a process cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 17] An exploded perspective view showing a portion of the configuration around the electrode member of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 18] A perspective view of a portion of the configuration around the electrode member of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment, as seen from the charging roller side. [Figure 19]Perspective view of a part of the configuration around the electrode member of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment, as viewed from the electrode member side. [Figure 20] (a) Front view showing the relationship between the electrode member of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment and the spring contact of the apparatus main body, (b) Cross-sectional view taken along line f-f of (a), (c) Cross-sectional view taken along line g-g of (a). [Figure 21] Cross-sectional view for explaining the spark regulation range in the electrode member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 22] (a) Front view of a part of the configuration around the electrical contact of the apparatus main body corresponding to the electrical contact of the developing unit of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment, (b) Cross-sectional view taken along line h-h of (a). [Figure 23] Side view of the process cartridge according to the first embodiment in a state where the photosensitive drum and the developing roller are separated. [Figure 24] Perspective view of the electrode member according to the second embodiment. [Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0011] <First Embodiment> The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 23. First, the schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0012] [Image Forming Apparatus] The image forming apparatus 200 of this embodiment is a laser printer using the electrophotographic method. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 200 includes an apparatus main body (printer main body) A, a process cartridge B as an image forming unit, and a toner cartridge C. In the apparatus main body A, a laser scanner 101, a sheet conveyance unit 102, a sheet feeding unit 103, a transfer roller 104, a fixing unit 105, a sheet discharge unit 110, a reverse conveyance unit 111, etc. are installed. Also, although it will be described in detail later, the process cartridge B and the toner cartridge C are detachably arranged in the apparatus main body A. For this purpose, the apparatus main body A has an open / close door 107.

[0013] Process cartridge B includes a photosensitive drum 11 as an image carrier and photoreceptor, a charging roller 12 as a charging member, a developing unit 15, and a cleaning blade 17 as a cleaning member. Above process cartridge B, a laser scanner 101 is positioned as an exposure device.

[0014] The charging roller 12 is positioned to contact the outer surface of the photosensitive drum 11, and charges the photosensitive drum 11 by applying a voltage from the main body A of the device. The charging roller 12 also rotates in conjunction with the photosensitive drum 11. The developing unit 15 includes a developing roller 16, which serves as a developer carrier for carrying and transporting toner as a developer. The developing roller 16 is positioned opposite the photosensitive drum 11.

[0015] The cleaning blade 17 is an elastic component positioned to contact the outer surface of the photosensitive drum 11 and cleans the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. The cleaning blade 17 removes toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 11 after the sheet S (described later) has passed between the photosensitive drum 11 and the transfer roller 104 by elastically contacting the photosensitive drum 11 with its tip.

[0016] The sheet feeding unit 103 includes a cassette 103a, a pickup roller 103b for feeding the uppermost sheet S contained in the cassette 103a, and a separation roller 103c and separation pad 103d for separating the sheets S fed by the pickup roller 103b into individual sheets. The sheet transport unit 102 includes a transport roller pair 102a and a registration roller pair 102b for transporting the sheets S fed from the sheet feeding unit 103. The registration roller pair 102b transports the sheets S to the transfer section between the photosensitive drum 11 and the transfer roller 104 in time with the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 11.

[0017] The fixing unit 105 includes a fixing roller 105a heated by a heat source such as a heater, and a pressure roller 105b that forms a fixing nip that holds the sheet between itself and the fixing roller 105a. The sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred in the transfer unit is transported to the fixing unit 105, where it is heated and pressurized in the fixing nip. This fixes the toner image onto the sheet S.

[0018] The sheet discharge unit 110 has a pair of discharge rollers 110a, and discharges the sheet S on which the toner image has been fixed to the discharge tray 106 using the discharge rollers 110a. The inversion transport unit 111 has a pair of inversion transport rollers 111a, and when an image is formed on both sides of the sheet S, it inverts the front and back sides of the sheet S that has passed through the fixing unit 105 and transports it toward the registration rollers 102b.

[0019] Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 200 will be explained using Figure 1. The photosensitive drum 11, which is rotated by a drive source (motor) (not shown), is uniformly charged to a predetermined potential by the charging roller 12. After charging, the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 is exposed by a laser scanner 101 based on image information, and the charge in the exposed area is removed to form an electrostatic latent image. Toner is supplied from the developing roller 16 to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 11, and it is visualized as a toner image.

[0020] Meanwhile, in parallel with the toner image formation operation, the sheet S is fed from the sheet feeding unit 103. The sheet S fed from the sheet feeding unit 103 is transported to the transfer unit by the registration roller pair 102b in time to create a toner image on the photosensitive drum 11. As the sheet S passes through the transfer unit, voltage is applied to the transfer roller 104 from the main body A of the device, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum 11 is transferred to the sheet S as an unfixed image. After that, the sheet S with the transferred toner image is transported to the fixing unit 105, where the unfixed image is heated and pressurized to fix it to the surface of the sheet S. The sheet S with the fixed toner image is discharged to the discharge tray 106 by the sheet discharge unit 110 and stacked. When image formation is to be performed on both sides of the sheet S, the sheet S is transported to the inversion transport unit 111, and a toner image is formed on the back side of the sheet S in the same manner as described above.

[0021] [Processing cartridge] Process cartridge B will be explained using Figures 2 to 7. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, process cartridge B consists of a cleaning unit (first unit, drum unit) 10 equipped with a photosensitive drum 11, a cleaning blade 17, etc., and a developing unit (second unit) 15 equipped with a developing roller 16. The cleaning unit 10 has the aforementioned photosensitive drum 11, cleaning blade 17, charging roller 12, charging roller cleaner 14 as a cleaning member for the charging roller 12, a primary waste toner storage section 10a, a first waste toner transport path 10b, and a second waste toner transport path 10c. Toner (waste toner) removed from the photosensitive drum 11 by the cleaning blade 17 is transported from the primary waste toner storage section 10a to the toner cartridge C via the first waste toner transport path 10b and the second waste toner transport path 10c.

[0022] As shown in Figure 5, the developing unit 15 includes a developing roller 16, a supply roller 13, a developing blade 18, a developing chamber 151 in which the developing roller 16 is located, a developer storage chamber 152 for supplying toner to the developing chamber 151, and a toner receiving chamber 153 for receiving toner supplied from the toner cartridge C. The developing roller 16 rotates carrying toner, supplying toner to the developing area of ​​the photosensitive drum 11. The developing roller 16 then uses the toner to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 11. The supply roller 13 supplies toner from the developing chamber 151 to the developing roller 16. The supply roller 13 is positioned so that its rotation axis is parallel to the rotation axis of the developing roller 16, and an elastic layer such as a sponge is formed on its outer surface to facilitate the transport of the developer. The developing blade 18 contacts the circumferential surface of the developing roller 16 and regulates the thickness (amount) of the toner layer that adheres to (is carried on) the circumferential surface of the developing roller 16. It also imparts a triboelectric charge to the toner.

[0023] The developer storage chamber 152 communicates with the developing chamber 151 and stores the toner supplied to the developing chamber 151. The toner stored in the developer storage chamber 152 is sent to the developing chamber 151 by the rotation of the agitator 154 and supplied to the developing roller 16. The remaining amount of toner in the developer storage chamber 152 is detected by a remaining amount detection unit (not shown). When the amount of toner in the developer storage chamber 152 falls below a certain level, toner is supplied from the toner cartridge C to the process cartridge B.

[0024] The toner receiving chamber 153 communicates with the developer storage chamber 152 and supplies toner replenished from the toner cartridge C to the developer storage chamber 152. The toner is supplied from the toner cartridge C to the developing unit 15 of the process cartridge B via the replenishment port 21c of the stay 21, the toner receiving chamber 153, and the transfer port 21d, and is stored in the developer storage chamber 152.

[0025] Next, the configuration of process cartridge B will be described in more detail using Figures 3, 6(a) and (b), and 7(a) and (b). As mentioned above, the cleaning unit 10 has a photosensitive drum 11, a charging roller 12, and a cleaning blade 17. Similarly, the developing unit 15 has a developing roller 16, a developing blade 18, a developing chamber 151, a developer storage chamber 152, and a toner receiving chamber 153.

[0026] As shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), the cleaning unit 10 consists of a cleaning frame 20, a stay 21, and a side cover 7. The cleaning frame 20 supports the cleaning blade 17, the charging roller 12, and the charging roller cleaner 14. As shown in Figure 6(b), the photosensitive drum 11 is rotatably supported on one side by a drum pin 22 attached to the cleaning frame 20, and on the other side by a photosensitive drum support 7b provided on the side cover 7.

[0027] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), bearing members 4 and 5 are positioned at the axial ends of the developing roller 16, and the developing unit 15 is coupled to the cleaning unit 10 so as to be rotatable around a pivot axis 8 defined by a straight line including the support shafts 8a and 8b. The pivot axis 8 is positioned approximately parallel to the rotation axis 11b of the photosensitive drum 11.

[0028] The configuration in which the developing unit 15 is supported by the cleaning unit 10 will be described in detail. As shown in Figure 6(a), a cylindrical portion 5a provided on the bearing member 5 is supported by a cylindrical hole portion 7a provided on the side cover 7 of the cleaning unit 10. The support shaft 8a is defined by the common axis between the cylindrical hole portion 7a of the side cover 7 and the cylindrical portion 5a of the bearing member 5. Furthermore, a developing coupling 155 is provided at the rotation center of the cylindrical portion 5a of the bearing member 5 as a drive input member for receiving drive from the main body A of the device.

[0029] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(b), the pin 6 is inserted so as to straddle the cylindrical hole 20a of the cleaning frame 20 of the cleaning unit 10 and the cylindrical hole 4a of the bearing member 4. The pivot shaft 8b is defined by the common axis between the pin 6 and the cylindrical hole 4a of the bearing member 4. The pivot shafts 8a and 8b are arranged substantially coaxially, and as described above, the oscillation axis 8 is defined by a straight line that includes the pivot shafts 8a and 8b.

[0030] As described above, the developing unit 15 is supported on the cleaning unit 10 so as to be rotatable around the pivot axis 8. The developing unit 15 is then biased toward the photosensitive drum 11 of the cleaning unit 10 by elastic pressure springs 19a and 19b, and the developing roller 16 comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 11.

[0031] Next, the contact and separation operation of the developing unit 15 with respect to the cleaning unit 10 will be explained using Figures 7(a) and 7(b). Note that Figures 7(a) and 7(b) are explanatory diagrams in which the side cover 7 is omitted in order to show the separation mechanism 100 of the main body A of the apparatus. As shown in Figure 7(a), a protrusion 5b is provided on the bearing member 5 at a position opposite to the separation mechanism 100. In this embodiment, with the process cartridge B mounted on the main body A of the apparatus, the separation mechanism 100 is provided below the developing unit 15. The protrusion 5b is provided at the lower end of the bearing member 5. The separation mechanism 100 is provided on the main body A of the apparatus and is capable of swinging approximately vertically around the pivot axis 100a by a drive source such as a motor (not shown).

[0032] As shown in Figure 7(a), when the protruding portion 5b is not in contact with the separation mechanism 100, the developing roller 16 contacts the photosensitive drum 11 due to the biasing force of the pressure springs 19a and 19b. This position is the image formation position where the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 by the developing roller 16 can be developed.

[0033] As shown in Figure 7(b), the separation mechanism 100 provided on the main body A of the apparatus swings around the swing axis 100a and contacts the protruding part 5b. The protruding part 5b receives a force from the separation mechanism 100, causing the developing unit 15 to rotate in the direction of arrow R2 with the swing axis 8 as the pivot point. As a result, the developing roller 16 separates from the photosensitive drum 11 against the biasing force of the pressure springs 19a and 19b. This position becomes the non-image forming position, which is retracted from the image forming position.

[0034] When the separation mechanism 100 returns from the position shown in Figure 7(b) to its original position shown in Figure 7(a), the separation mechanism 100 separates from the protruding portion 5b. Then, due to the biasing force of the pressure springs 19a and 19b, the developing roller 16 comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 11 again. In this embodiment, the separation mechanism 100 makes it possible to switch the position of the developing unit 15 between a contact position (image forming position) and a separated position (non-image forming position). That is, the orientation of the developing unit 15 in the process cartridge B can be switched between a contact position and a separated position relative to the photosensitive drum 11. This suppresses toner degradation and reduces unnecessary toner consumption during non-image forming periods.

[0035] As described above, the developing unit 15 is configured to move between a contact position and a separated position by rotating around the pivot axis 8 relative to the cleaning unit 10. Therefore, when the developing unit 15 moves between a contact position and a separated position relative to the cleaning unit 10, the position change of the developing coupling 155 can be kept to a minute, about the size of the fitting play. Specifically, the cylindrical portion 5a of the bearing member 5 engages with the cylindrical hole portion 7a of the side cover 7 (Figure 6(a)), and the cylindrical portion 5a of the bearing member 5 and the cylindrical hole portion 7a of the side cover 7 engage with a fitting play of 0.13 mm or less. Therefore, when the developing unit 15 moves between a contact position and a separated position, the position of the developing coupling 155 does not change by more than the amount of fitting play.

[0036] [Toner Cartridge] Next, the toner cartridge C will be explained using Figures 8 to 11. As shown in Figure 8, the toner cartridge C comprises a toner supply unit 30 and a waste toner storage unit 40. The toner cartridge C is detachable from the device body A together with the process cartridge B, and is also detachable from the process cartridge B. The toner supply unit 30 is capable of supplying toner to the process cartridge B. The waste toner storage unit 40 is capable of storing the waste toner collected by the process cartridge B.

[0037] [Toner supply unit] As shown in Figure 9, the toner supply unit 30 includes a toner supply container 31 as a first storage container for toner, and a toner discharge port 31a for discharging toner from the toner supply container 31 to the outside. The toner supply container 31 is formed of a supply unit frame 32a having a toner storage section 30a and a supply unit lid 32b. The supply unit frame 32a also has a toner discharge port 31a for discharging toner from the toner storage section 30a. A shutter member 34 is provided that can open and close the toner discharge port 31a. The shutter member 34 opens and closes the toner discharge port 31a by rotating in the direction of arrow R1 in conjunction with the attachment and detachment operation of the toner cartridge C to the process cartridge B. The shutter member 34 is located outside the supply unit frame 32a.

[0038] Furthermore, the toner storage section 30a has a toner storage section screw member 35 that transports toner toward the toner discharge port 31a, acting as a toner transport member for transporting toner to the toner discharge port 31a. It also has a toner storage section stirring and transport unit 36 ​​that transports toner toward the toner storage section screw member 35.

[0039] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 11(a) and (b), the toner transported to the toner discharge port 31a is discharged outside the toner discharge port 31a by volume fluctuations of the pump 37a provided in the pump unit 37. The pump unit 37 consists of a pump 37a that changes volume by expanding and contracting, a cam 37b that expands and contracts the pump 37a by rotation, and a link arm 37c. Also, as shown in Figures 7, 11(a), and (b), the toner supply unit 30 has a toner transport drive unit that drives the toner transport section, which includes a stirring drive input unit 38 that drives the toner storage section stirring transport unit 36, and a pump / screw drive input unit 39 that drives the pump unit 37 and the toner storage section screw member 35. The pump / screw drive input unit 39 receives rotational driving force from the main body A to a pump / screw coupling section 39a which has a protruding shape. This rotational driving force is converted into reciprocating motion by the cam 37b and the link arm 37c. Then, by using this reciprocating motion to expand and contract the bellows shape of the pump 37a, volume changes are obtained.

[0040] [Waste Toner Storage Unit] As shown in Figure 10, the waste toner storage unit 40 has a waste toner receiving port 42 for receiving waste toner from process cartridge B, and a waste toner storage container 41 as a second storage container for storing the waste toner received from the waste toner receiving port 42.

[0041] The waste toner container 41 is formed of a waste toner container frame 41a having a waste toner storage section 40a and a waste toner storage lid 41b. The waste toner storage lid 41b is provided with a waste toner receiving port 42 for receiving waste toner recovered from the process cartridge. The waste toner storage lid 41b has a waste toner shutter member 43 that opens and closes the waste toner receiving port 42. The waste toner shutter member 43 opens and closes in the direction of arrow R3 in Figure 12 in conjunction with the attachment and detachment of the toner cartridge C to the device body A.

[0042] As shown in Figures 10 and 11(a), the waste toner storage unit 40 contains a partition member 46 and a first waste toner storage screw 44 and a second waste toner storage screw 45, which serve as waste toner transport members for transporting waste toner in the waste toner storage section 40a. The partition member 46 divides the space inside the waste toner storage unit 40 into multiple storage sections. The first waste toner storage screw 44 transports the waste toner that has fallen from the waste toner receiving port 42 in the longitudinal direction of the toner cartridge C. The second waste toner storage screw 45 is driven by the first waste toner storage screw 44 and transports the waste toner transported by the first waste toner storage screw 44 diagonally upward.

[0043] As shown in Figures 11(a) and (b), the driving force input from the aforementioned stirring drive input unit 38 is transmitted to the non-driven side of the toner supply unit 30 via the toner storage stirring transport unit 36, and then transmitted to the non-driven side gear 38a of the toner storage stirring member. The drive is transmitted from the non-driven side gear 38a of the toner storage stirring member to the first waste toner storage screw 44 via the waste toner storage gear train 47. A driving side toner cartridge side cover 50 is attached to the toner supply unit 30 side, and a non-driven side toner cartridge side cover 60 is attached to the waste toner storage unit 40 side.

[0044] With the above configuration, the stirring drive input unit 38 can be driven even when the pump screw drive input unit 39 is not being driven. In other words, even when the toner supply unit 30 is not supplying toner to the process cartridge B, the first waste toner storage screw 44 and the second waste toner storage screw 45 in the waste toner storage unit 40 can be driven, maintaining a state where waste toner can be collected.

[0045] Furthermore, since the drive input from the main unit A can be directed to one end of the toner cartridge C, the gear train of the main unit A can be simplified. Also, by using the toner storage agitation and transport unit 36 ​​to transmit the drive from one end to the other of the supply unit frame 32, the drive can be transmitted to the waste toner storage unit 40 without increasing the number of parts for drive transmission. As a result, waste toner can be stored in the toner cartridge C while suppressing the increase in the rotational axis direction of the toner cartridge C and the photosensitive drum 11 of the main unit A due to the drive means of the toner cartridge C.

[0046] [How to install and remove process cartridge B and toner cartridge C] Next, the method for attaching and detaching process cartridge B and toner cartridge C to the device body A will be explained using Figures 6, 11(a), (b), 12(a), (b), 13(a)-(c), 14, and 15. As shown in Figure 12(a), the space inside the device body A is the mounting area for process cartridge B and toner cartridge C. The opening / closing door 107 is provided so as to be rotatable in the direction of arrow R5 about the pivot axis 107a relative to the device body A (see Figures 13(a)-(c)). Figure 12(a) shows the opening / closing door 107 in the open position.

[0047] Furthermore, the main body of the device A has guide sections 108 and 109. Guide sections 108 and 109 are provided on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the mounted process cartridge B and toner cartridge C, along the mounting direction D of the process cartridge B and toner cartridge C. As shown in Figures 6, 14, and 15, the process cartridge B has upper bosses 93 and 94 and lower bosses 95 and 96 on both sides in the longitudinal direction, and tip bosses 97 and 98 are provided on the downstream side in the mounting direction of the upper bosses 93 and 94.

[0048] The process cartridge B and toner cartridge C are installed into the device body A, starting with the process cartridge B. When installing the process cartridge B into the device body A, as shown in Figures 12(a) and 13(a), the upper boss 93 and tip boss 98 rest on the guide portion 108, and the guide portion 108 is sandwiched between these two points and the lower boss 96. Similarly, on the opposite side in the longitudinal direction, the upper boss 93 and tip boss 97 rest on the guide portion 109, and the guide portion 109 is sandwiched between these two points and the lower boss 95. In this way, by inserting the process cartridge B while sandwiching the guide portions 108 and 109 between the upper bosses 93 and 94 and the tip bosses 97 and 98 and the lower bosses 95 and 96, the process cartridge B is guided by the guide portions 108 and 109 into the mounting portion inside the device body A.

[0049] Let me explain in more detail. The mounting direction D of process cartridge B is the direction of the line connecting the lower end of the tip boss 97 and the lower end of the upper boss 93, as shown in Figure 14. When the user mounts process cartridge B to the device body A in a position where it is lifted using the tip boss 97 (98) as the pivot point, the position of process cartridge B is restricted by the lower boss 96 (95) contacting the guide part 109 (108). The amount of deviation between this direction and the mounting direction D is approximately the amount of play between the guide part 109 (108) and the lower boss 96 (95).

[0050] When the user attaches the process cartridge B to the device body A in a position where it is lifted using the upper boss 94(93) as a pivot point, the lower boss 96(95) contacts the guide section 108(109), thereby restricting the orientation of the process cartridge B. The amount of deviation between this orientation and the mounting direction D is approximately the amount of play between the guide section 108(109) and the lower boss 96(95).

[0051] As described above, the mounting direction D has a certain range of angles depending on the user's mounting method. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, another way to indicate the mounting direction D is to define it as the direction in which the angle α formed by the line connecting the axial centers of the photosensitive drum 11 and the developing roller 16 is 3.8°±5° when the photosensitive drum 11 and the developing roller 16 are in contact.

[0052] As shown in Figures 11(a) and (b), toner cartridge C has positioning bosses 50a and 60a on both sides in the longitudinal direction, in front of the mounting direction D (upstream side in the mounting direction). Toner cartridge C also has guided portions 50b and 60b on both sides in the longitudinal direction, behind the positioning bosses 50a and 60a in the mounting direction D (downstream side in the mounting direction). The positioning bosses 50a and guided portions 50b are provided on the outer end face in the axial direction E of the drive-side toner cartridge side cover 50. The positioning bosses 60a and guided portions 60b are provided on the outer end face in the axial direction E of the non-drive-side toner cartridge side cover 60. As shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), process cartridge B has toner cartridge positioning portions 21a and 21b on the stay 21.

[0053] As shown in Figures 12(b) and 13(b), when installing the toner cartridge C into the device body A, the guided parts 50b and 60b are placed on the guide parts 108 and 109, respectively, and installed in the installation direction D. As shown in Figure 13(c), when the toner cartridge C is installed to the completed installation position, the positioning bosses 50a and 60a of the toner cartridge C fit into the toner cartridge positioning parts 21a and 21b of the process cartridge B. At this time, the leading ends of the guided parts 50b and 60b in the installation direction are separated from the guide parts 108 and 109, while their rear ends are in contact with the guide parts 108 and 109. This positions the toner cartridge C within the process cartridge B. In addition, the position of the toner cartridge C within the device body A is determined by the contact of the rear ends of the guided parts 50b and 60b with the guide parts 108 and 109.

[0054] After installing process cartridge B and toner cartridge C, closing the opening / closing door 107 will enable the image forming apparatus 200 to perform image forming. To remove toner cartridge C and process cartridge B, follow the reverse procedure described above.

[0055] [Charging contact configuration of process cartridge] Next, the details of the electrostatic contact configuration of the process cartridge B of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 16 to 21. As shown in Figures 16 and 17, the cleaning unit 10 is provided with a cleaning frame 20 as a frame body and an electrostatic roller 12 as a process member and an electrostatic member. The process member is a member used for image formation, and the electrostatic roller 12 is a rotating body that is rotatably supported by the cleaning frame 20 and used for image formation. The cleaning frame 20 is made of a resin material, and in this embodiment, it is made of a resin material with a flame retardancy of HB according to the UL94 standard.

[0056] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the charging roller bearing 61 is connected to the cleaning frame 20 via the charging roller bearing spring 910, and the charging roller 12 is rotatably supported on the cleaning frame 20 via the charging roller bearing 61. The charging roller 12 rotates while being subjected to a predetermined bias, thereby uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 11.

[0057] As shown in Figures 16 and 19, the cleaning unit 10 has an electrode plate 901 as a metal electrode member in order to apply a predetermined bias to the charging roller 12. As shown in Figures 20(a) to (c), the electrode plate 901 has a conductive connection portion 901b that is electrically connected to the charging roller 12, and a contact portion (contact part) 901a that is electrically connected to a spring contact 911, which is a main body side electrode member provided on the main body side of the device.

[0058] The contact portion 901a is provided so as to be exposed to the outside of the cleaning frame 20 with respect to the rotation axis direction of the charging roller 12. On the other hand, the conductive connection portion 901b is inserted into the inside of the cleaning frame 20 and contacts the charging roller bearing spring 910. As shown in Figures 20(a) to (c), the contact portion 901a contacts the spring contact 911, which is a power supply member provided on the main body A of the device. With this configuration, the main body A of the device is electrically connected to the charging roller 12 via the spring contact 911, electrode plate 901, charging roller bearing spring 910, and charging roller bearing 61. The rotation axis direction of the charging roller 12 is approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the process cartridge B.

[0059] Next, the electrode plate 901 will be described in more detail. As shown in Figures 16 and 20, the contact portion 901a of the electrode plate 901 has a bottom surface 901c as the first surface, an inner wall surface 901d as a connecting surface provided around the bottom surface 901c, and an outermost surface 901f as the second surface. The outermost surface 901f is the surface that faces furthest out when attached to the cleaning frame 20. The bottom surface 901c is a single flat surface provided at a position one step lower than the outermost surface 901f.

[0060] That is, the outermost surface 901f is located outside the cleaning frame 20 in the direction normal to the bottom surface 901c. In this embodiment, the outermost surface 901f is located outside the cleaning frame 20 in the direction of the rotation axis of the charging roller 12 in the direction of the bottom surface 901c. Furthermore, the bottom surface 901c and the outermost surface 901f are formed substantially parallel to each other and are arranged to face outwards from the cleaning frame 20 in the direction of the rotation axis of the charging roller 12. In addition, the bottom surface 901c is set in a range of -30° to +30°, more preferably -10° to +10°, such that when the process cartridge B is mounted on the main body A of the apparatus, the angle of the bottom surface 901c is in the range of -45° to +45° with respect to the direction of gravity. In this embodiment, the bottom surface 901c is set parallel to the direction of gravity. Furthermore, the outermost surface 901f only needs to be located outside the cleaning frame 20 beyond the bottom surface 901c, and does not need to be parallel to the bottom surface 901c.

[0061] The spring contact 911, located on the device body A, is positioned to penetrate the device body A from a position facing the electrode plate 901 toward the bottom surface 901c. Specifically, the spring contact 911 is formed by bending a metal rod-shaped member, and this bent portion penetrates from the outside of the cleaning frame 20 beyond the outermost surface 901f toward the bottom surface 901c, making it possible to contact a part of the bottom surface 901c without contacting the outermost surface 901f. In this embodiment, the spring contact 911 is configured to penetrate toward the bottom surface 901c from the outside to the inside of the cleaning frame 20 with respect to the rotation axis direction of the charging roller 12.

[0062] The inner wall surface 901d is an inclined surface provided to connect the outermost surface 901f and the bottom surface 901c, and is inclined with respect to the normal direction of the bottom surface 901c. The inner peripheral edge (inner periphery) of the outermost surface 901f, which is on the bottom surface 901c side, is located outside the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface 901c. The inner wall surface 901d is an inclined surface that connects the outer peripheral edge of the bottom surface 901c and the inner peripheral edge of the outermost surface 901f, and the direction of the inclination is away from the bottom surface 901c as you move from the bottom surface 901c towards the outermost surface 901f.

[0063] Furthermore, the inner wall surface 901d covers the entire perimeter of the bottom surface 901c. In this embodiment, the bottom surface 901c, the inner wall surface 901d, and the outermost surface 901f are formed by recessing a part of a metal plate. Note that the inner wall surface 901d only needs to connect the outermost surface 901f and the bottom surface 901c, and does not need to cover the entire perimeter of the bottom surface 901c. However, from the viewpoint of suppressing the scattering of sparks as described later, it is preferable that the inner wall surface 901d covers the entire perimeter of the bottom surface 901c.

[0064] Here, it is desirable that the distance between opposing inner wall surfaces 901d (distances E1 and E2) be sufficiently longer than the width (widths E3 and E4) through which the spring contact 911 penetrates the contact portion 901a. This allows the spring contact 911 to contact the bottom surface 901c without contacting the inner wall surfaces 901d. Thus, the arrangement is such that the inner wall surfaces 901d surround the contact point 901e between the spring contact 911 and the bottom surface 901c, and the outermost surface 901f is located in the outward direction.

[0065] With this arrangement, as shown in Figure 21, even if a flammable foreign object becomes lodged at the contact point 901e and sparks are generated due to tracking, the metal inner wall surface 901d functions as a fire spread prevention barrier. In other words, by restricting the direction of the generated sparks to within the restricted range K, scattering onto the cleaning frame 20 can be suppressed. Here, the restricted range K is defined as follows.

[0066] That is, as shown in Figure 21, in a cross section perpendicular to the bottom surface 901c, if we define a first point α1 as an arbitrary point on the boundary between the inner wall surface 901d and the outermost surface 901f, and a second point α2 as a point on the boundary between the inner wall surface 901d and the outermost surface 901f opposite the first point, then the line connecting the center of the bottom surface 901c and the first point α1 is defined as the first line β1, and the line connecting the center of the bottom surface 901c and the second point α2 is defined as the second line β2. In the illustrated example, the contact point 901e between the bottom surface 901c and the spring contact 911 is located at the center of the bottom surface 901c. The range from the first line β1 to the second line β2 is defined as the restricting range K that restricts the scattering of sparks. In this embodiment, this restricting range K is set to 120° or more. That is, the angle between the first line β1 and the second line β2 is set to 120° or more. Preferably, the angle between the first line β1 and the second line β2 is 170° or less, more preferably 160° or less, and even more preferably 150° or less.

[0067] By setting the angle between the first line β1 and the second line β2 in this way, the depth of the bottom surface 901c from the outermost surface 901f and the distance between the boundaries of the opposing inner wall surfaces 901d and the outermost surface 901f can be appropriately set. That is, if the depth of the bottom surface 901c from the outermost surface 901f is too deep, the dimension of the electrode plate 901 in this depth direction will increase, leading to an increase in the size of the device. Also, if the distance between the boundaries of the opposing inner wall surfaces 901d and the outermost surface 901f is too narrow relative to this depth, there is a risk that the scattering of sparks will not be sufficiently suppressed. For this reason, in this embodiment, the restricted range K is restricted as described above.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bottom surface 901c is positioned substantially parallel to the direction of gravity G. Therefore, scattered sparks fall in the direction of gravity G and are less likely to adhere to the cleaning frame 20. Note that the bottom surface 901c does not necessarily have to be parallel to the direction of gravity G; for example, the bottom surface 901c may be inclined with respect to the direction of gravity G so that it faces downwards.

[0069] In this embodiment, since the scattering of sparks to the cleaning frame 20 can be suppressed, a material with low flame retardancy can be selected as the resin material for the cleaning frame 20. Generally, compared to materials with low flame retardancy, resins with high flame retardancy have a high resin weight due to the addition of additives, resulting in a greater environmental burden. By restricting the diffusion of sparks and selecting a material with low flame retardancy, a configuration that is good in terms of safety and environmental friendliness can be obtained.

[0070] [Electrical contacts of the process cartridge's developing unit] Next, the electrical contacts of the developing unit 15 of process cartridge B will be explained using Figures 14, 15, 22, and 23. Figure 22 is a diagram showing the electrical contacts of the main body A of the device corresponding to the electrical contacts of the developing unit of process cartridge B. Figure 23 is a side view showing the position of the electrical contacts of the developing unit 15 when the developing roller 16 of process cartridge B is separated from the photosensitive drum 11.

[0071] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the process cartridge B has, in its longitudinal direction, a developing contact (first electrical contact) 16b that supplies power from the main body A to the developing roller 16, a developing blade contact (second electrical contact) 18a that supplies power to the developing blade 18, and a supply roller contact (third electrical contact) 13a that supplies power to the supply roller 13, at the end opposite the developing coupling 155. Specifically, the developing contact 16b is an electrical contact that is electrically connected to the developing roller 16 and supplies power to the developing roller 16 from outside the process cartridge B. The developing blade contact 18a is an electrical contact that is electrically connected to the developing blade 18 and supplies power to the developing blade 18 from outside the process cartridge B. The supply roller contact 13a is an electrical contact that is electrically connected to the supply roller 13 and supplies power to the supply roller 13 from outside the process cartridge B.

[0072] Here, the photosensitive drum 11 is configured to rotate about a first rotation axis 11a. The developing roller 16 is configured to rotate about a second rotation axis 16a. As shown in Figure 14, when viewed in the direction of the first rotation axis 11a, the imaginary line passing through the first rotation axis 11a and the second rotation axis 16a is called the first imaginary line L1. In this case, the developing contact 16b, the developing blade contact 18a, and the supply roller contact 13a are located on a second imaginary line L2 parallel to the first imaginary line L1, and are aligned in the direction in which the second imaginary line L2 extends. Of the developing contact 16b, the developing blade contact 18a, and the supply roller contact 13a, the developing contact 16b is in the position closest to the developing roller 16. Also, in the direction in which the second imaginary line L2 extends, the developing contact 16b, the developing blade contact 18a, and the supply roller contact 13a are arranged in that order from the side closest to the developing roller 16. Furthermore, the developing contact 16b, developing blade contact 18a, and supply roller contact 13a are such that the further away the contact is from the developing roller 16 in the direction in which the second virtual line L2 extends, the longer the length of the contact in the direction perpendicular to the second virtual line L2.

[0073] In this embodiment, each contact is positioned upstream of the pivot axis 8 in the mounting direction D. The contacts are arranged in the order of developing contact 16b, developing blade contact 18a, and supply roller contact 13a from downstream in the mounting direction, and their heights H16b, H18a, and H13a in the direction perpendicular to the mounting direction D are arranged in the order H13a > H18a > H16b. Furthermore, the lengths of the developing contact 16b, developing blade contact 18a, and supply roller contact 13a in the direction of oscillation around the pivot axis 8 (pin 6), which is the pivot center of the developing unit 15, are also arranged in order, with the distance from the pivot axis 8 increasing with respect to the pivot axis 8. In Figure 14, a virtual arc M1 centered on the pivot axis 8 passes through the developing contact 16b, a virtual arc M2 passes through the developing blade contact 18a, and a virtual arc M3 passes through the supply roller contact 13a. The directions indicated by these virtual arcs represent the oscillation direction of the developing unit 15 around the oscillation axis 8 (pin 6), and the further away from the oscillation axis 8, the shorter the length in this direction. In this embodiment, when viewed in the direction of the first rotation axis 11a, the position of the oscillation axis 8 (pin 6) of the developing unit 15 in the direction in which the second virtual line L2 extends is between the second rotation axis 16a and the developing contact 16b.

[0074] As shown in Figure 22(a), the main body A has a main body developing contact 108a, a main body developing blade contact 108b, and a main body supply roller contact 108c, which correspond to the developing contact 16b, developing blade contact 18a, and supply roller contact 13a. With respect to the mounting direction D, the contacts are arranged so that they become higher in the direction perpendicular to the mounting direction D as you move upstream in the mounting direction D. That is, the main body developing contact 108a, the main body developing blade contact 108b, and the main body supply roller contact 108c are arranged in that order of increasing height.

[0075] As shown in Figure 22(b), the main supply roller contact 108c is biased to protrude toward the process cartridge B by a biasing spring 108d that biases toward the supply roller contact 13a. When the process cartridge B is installed, the tapered shape 108c2 of the main supply roller contact 108c allows the process cartridge B to be received. After the process cartridge B is installed, the tip 108c1 of the main supply roller contact 108c contacts the supply roller contact 13a to supply power. The main development contact 108a and the main development blade contact 108b have a similar configuration. With the main contacts arranged in this way, as shown in Figure 14, when the development roller 16 contacts the photosensitive drum 11, the points where each contact of the process cartridge B contacts the tip of the main contact (108a1, 108b1, 108c1) are positioned such that the contacts on the upstream side in the installation direction are higher.

[0076] As shown in Figure 23, even when the developing roller 16 is separated from the photosensitive drum 11, the amount of movement of each contact increases as it moves further upstream in the mounting direction. As mentioned above, the height of each contact in the direction perpendicular to the mounting direction D is set to H13a > H18a > H16b, so the tips of each main body contact (108a1, 108b1, 108c1) do not detach from the contacts (16b, 18a, 13a) of the process cartridge B. In other words, power can be supplied to each contact even when separated.

[0077] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 23, the position of the upstream contact in the mounting direction between the photosensitive drum 11 and the developing roller 16 when they are in contact and when they are separated is arranged such that at least a portion of them overlaps when viewed from the axial direction of the developing roller 16. As a result, a stable power supply contact can be obtained even when they are separated without increasing the size of the process cartridge B. In this embodiment, the contacts are arranged in the order of developing contact 16b, developing blade contact 18a, and supply roller contact 13a from the downstream side in the mounting direction, but the order may be different.

[0078] In the example described above, the case where the electrode plate 901, which is the electrostatic contact, is a metal plate was explained. However, the electrode plate 901 may also be made of conductive resin, and in this case as well, the same effects as described above can be obtained.

[0079] <Second Embodiment> A second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 24. Note that the configuration of the electrode plate 902, which is a charge contact, differs from that of the first embodiment. Since the other configurations and operations are the same as in the first embodiment, components similar to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their illustration and description are omitted or simplified. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0080] The contact portion 902a of the electrode plate 902 in this embodiment has an inner wall surface 902d as a first surface and an outermost surface 902f as a second surface, which is located further outside the cleaning frame 20 than the inner wall surface 902d with respect to the longitudinal direction of the process cartridge B. The inner wall surface 902d is composed of a plurality of flat surfaces with different normal directions to each other. The plurality of flat surfaces connect the vertex P furthest from the outermost surface 902f with respect to the longitudinal direction of the process cartridge B to the outermost surface 901f. In this embodiment, the plurality of flat surfaces constitute a polygonal pyramidal shape (excluding the base). The outermost surface 902f is located outside the cleaning frame 20 than the vertex P of the polygonal pyramidal shape with respect to the longitudinal direction of the process cartridge B. In addition, in this embodiment, the inner wall surface 902d is composed of four flat surfaces, each of which is triangular in shape.

[0081] In this shape, the spring contact 911 and the electrode plate 902 come into contact at the contact point 902e on the inner wall surface 902d. As a result, if sparks are generated from the contact point 902e on the inner wall surface 902d, the other surfaces of the inner wall surface 902d, not the surface where the sparks occurred, can each restrict the scattering of the sparks. For example, as shown in Figure 24, suppose there is a contact point 902e on a surface 902d1 of the inner wall surface 902d, and sparks are generated on this surface 902d1. Even in that case, because the inner wall surface 902d has the shape of a polygonal pyramid described above, the other surfaces 902d2, 902d3, and 902d4 of the inner wall surface 902d function as fire spread prevention walls. This suppresses the scattering of sparks to the cleaning frame 20.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the restricted range K is defined as follows: When any point on the boundary between the multiple flat surfaces and the outermost surface 902f is defined as the first point, and a point on the boundary between the multiple flat surfaces and the outermost surface 902f that is opposite to the first point in a cross-section passing through vertex P and the first point is defined as the second point, the restricted range K is defined as the range between the first line connecting vertex P and the first point and the second line connecting vertex P and the second point. The angle between the first line and the second line is defined as 120° or more.

[0083] In other words, if any of the multiple flat surfaces constituting the inner wall surface 902d is designated as the first flat surface and the flat surface located opposite the first flat surface as the second flat surface, then the range from the first flat surface to the second flat surface is defined as the restricting range K for restricting the scattering of sparks. In this embodiment, this restricting range K is set to 120° or more. That is, the angle between the first flat surface and the second flat surface is set to 120° or more. Specifically, the angle between surface 902d1 and 902d3 opposite to surface 902d1 is set to 120° or more, and the angle between surface 902d2 and 902d4 opposite to surface 902d2 is set to 120° or more. The upper limit of the angle of the restricting range K is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0084] In the example above, the inner wall surface 902d is a concave shape with a polygonal pyramidal shape, but the inner wall surface 902d may also be conical. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the inner wall surface 902d parallel to the outermost surface 902f may be not only a polygon or a circle, but also an ellipse or a shape that combines an arc and a plane.

[0085] <Other Embodiments> In the embodiments described above, the electrode plate configuration provided in the process cartridge B was used as an example, but this is just one example of a configuration, and its effects are not limited to the process cartridge B. For example, it could also be a conductive contact part provided in the developing unit 15. In this case, for example, at least one of the developing roller 16, the supply roller 13, and the developing blade 18 corresponds to a process component.

[0086] Here, "cartridge" refers to a device that has at least one of the following process components: a developer, an image carrier such as a photosensitive drum, and a charging member that acts on the photosensitive drum, and is detachable from the main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Typical examples of cartridges include process cartridges that combine a photosensitive drum and a developing unit, drum cartridges (the cleaning unit described above) having a photosensitive drum, a charging roller and a cleaning member, developing cartridges (the developing unit described above), and toner cartridges that contain toner. The present invention is applicable to these various types of cartridges.

[0087] Furthermore, although the above embodiments have described an image forming apparatus having one photosensitive drum, the present invention is not limited thereto and can also be applied to, for example, a tandem-type color image forming apparatus having multiple photosensitive drums.

[0088] Furthermore, although a laser printer was used as an example of the image forming apparatus in each of the embodiments described above, an LED printer or the like may also be used. The image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium (for example, plain paper, a synthetic resin sheet that is a substitute for plain paper, cardboard, a sheet material such as an overhead projector sheet, etc.) using an electrophotographic image forming method. Therefore, the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes copiers, printers, facsimile machines, and multifunction devices that have multiple functions of these.

[0089] Furthermore, the disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration. (Composition 1) It is a cartridge, Frame and, A process member supported by the frame and used in the image forming process, The process member comprises an electrode member electrically connected to the process member, The electrode member is exposed to the outside of the cartridge and has an electrical contact portion for power to be supplied to the process member from outside the cartridge. The electrical contact portion has a first surface which is a flat surface, a second surface which is located outside the frame in the direction normal to the first surface, and a connecting surface which connects the first surface and the second surface. A cartridge characterized by the following features. (Configuration 2) The connecting surface is inclined with respect to the direction normal to the first surface. A cartridge according to configuration 1, characterized by the features described above. (Composition 3) In a cross-section perpendicular to the first surface, if any point on the boundary between the connecting surface and the second surface is designated as the first point, and a point on the boundary between the connecting surface and the second surface opposite the first point is designated as the second point, then the angle between the first line connecting the center of the first surface and the first point and the second line connecting the center and the second point is 120° or greater. A cartridge according to configuration 1 or 2, characterized by the above. (Composition 4) The aforementioned cartridge is configured to be detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus. The first surface is provided such that, with the cartridge mounted on the main body of the device, the angle of the first surface is within the range of -45° to +45° with respect to the direction of gravity. A cartridge according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized by the above. (Composition 5) The connecting surface is provided so as to cover the entire perimeter of the first surface. A cartridge according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized by the above. (Composition 6) The aforementioned frame is made of a resin material with a flame retardancy of HB according to the UL94 standard. A cartridge according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized by the above. (Composition 7) The electrode member is made of metal. A cartridge according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, characterized by the above. (Composition 8) The process component is a charging roller that charges the surface of the photoreceptor. A cartridge according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, characterized by the above. (Composition 9) A cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the main body of an image forming apparatus, Frame and, A process member supported by the frame and used in the image forming process, The process member comprises an electrode member electrically connected to the process member, The electrode member has an electrical contact portion that is exposed to the outside of the cartridge and is configured to contact the main body side electrode member of the device body. The electrical contact portion has a first surface composed of a plurality of flat surfaces with different angles in the normal direction to each other, and a second surface located outside the frame body relative to the first surface. A cartridge characterized by the following features. (Composition 10) The plurality of flat surfaces connect the vertex furthest from the second surface to the second surface. The cartridge according to configuration 9, characterized by the features described therein. (Composition 11) If we define a first point as any point on the boundary between the plurality of flat surfaces and the second surface, and a second point as a point on the boundary between the plurality of flat surfaces and the second surface that is opposite to the first point in a cross-section passing through the vertex and the first point, then the angle between the first line connecting the vertex and the first point and the second line connecting the vertex and the second point is 120° or more. A cartridge according to configuration 10, characterized by the features described above. (Composition 12) The aforementioned frame is made of a resin material with a flame retardancy of HB according to the UL94 standard. A cartridge according to any one of configurations 9 to 11, characterized by the above. (Composition 13) The electrode member is made of metal. A cartridge according to any one of configurations 9 to 12, characterized by the above. (Composition 14) The process component is a charging roller that charges the surface of the photoreceptor. A cartridge according to any one of configurations 9 to 13, characterized by the above. (Composition 15) The main body of the device, The apparatus comprises a process cartridge that is detachable from the main body of the apparatus and includes a photoreceptor, a charging member for charging the surface of the photoreceptor, a developing unit for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor with toner, and a cleaning member for cleaning the surface of the photoreceptor. The process cartridge is the cartridge described in any one of items 1 to 14 of the configuration. An image forming apparatus characterized by the following: (Composition 16) It is a cartridge, A photosensitive drum configured to rotate around a first axis of rotation, A developing roller configured to supply toner to the photosensitive drum and to rotate around a second rotation axis, A developing blade configured to regulate the thickness of the toner layer supported on the developing roller, A supply roller configured to supply toner to the developing roller, A first electrical contact portion electrically connected to the developing roller, wherein power for supplying power to the developing roller is supplied from outside the cartridge; A second electrical contact portion electrically connected to the developing blade, wherein power for supplying power to the developing blade is supplied from outside the cartridge, A third electrical contact portion electrically connected to the supply roller, wherein power for supplying power to the supply roller is supplied from outside the cartridge, Equipped with, When viewed from the direction of the first rotation axis, if the first imaginary line passing through the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis is defined as the first imaginary line, The first electrical contact portion, the second electrical contact portion, and the third electrical contact portion are provided on a second virtual line parallel to the first virtual line when viewed in the direction of the first rotation axis, and are aligned in the direction in which the second virtual line extends. A cartridge characterized by the following features. (Composition 17) When viewed in the direction of the first rotation axis, the first electrical contact is located closest to the developing roller among the first, second, and third electrical contacts. A cartridge according to configuration 16, characterized by the features described above. (Composition 18) In the direction in which the second virtual line extends, the first electrical contact, the second electrical contact, and the third electrical contact are arranged in that order from the side closest to the developing roller. A cartridge according to configuration 16 or 17, characterized by the above. (Composition 19) The first, second, and third electrical contacts are such that the further away they are from the developing roller in the direction in which the second virtual line extends, the longer their length is in the direction perpendicular to the second virtual line. A cartridge according to any one of configurations 16 to 18, characterized by the above. (Composition 20) The system comprises a drum unit having a photosensitive drum, and a developing unit having a developing roller, a supply roller, and a developing blade, wherein the developing roller is supported on the drum unit so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis in a direction toward the photosensitive drum. When viewed in the direction of the first rotation axis, the position of the oscillation axis in the direction in which the second imaginary line extends is located between the position of the second rotation axis and the position of the first electrical contact. A cartridge according to any one of configurations 16 to 19, characterized by the above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 12. Electrostatic roller (process component) 20. Cleaning frame (frame) 901, 902... Electrode plates (electrode components) 901c...Bottom (first side) 901d...Interior wall surface (connecting surface) 901f, 902f...Outermost surface (2nd surface) 902d...Interior wall surface (first surface) 911... Spring contact (electrode component on the main body side) 200...Image forming apparatus A...Main unit of the device B... Process cartridge

Claims

1. It is a cartridge, Frame and, A process member supported by the frame and used in the image forming process, The process member comprises an electrode member electrically connected to the process member, The electrode member is exposed to the outside of the cartridge and has an electrical contact portion for power to be supplied to the process member from outside the cartridge. The electrical contact portion has a first surface which is a flat surface, a second surface which is located outside the frame in the direction normal to the first surface, and a connecting surface which connects the first surface and the second surface. The connecting surface is provided so as to cover the entire perimeter of the first surface, In a cross-section perpendicular to the first surface, if any point on the boundary between the connecting surface and the second surface is designated as the first point, and a point on the boundary between the connecting surface and the second surface opposite the first point is designated as the second point, then the angle between the first line connecting the center of the first surface and the first point and the second line connecting the center and the second point is 120° or more. A cartridge characterized by the following features.

2. The connecting surface is inclined with respect to the direction normal to the first surface. The cartridge according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned cartridge is configured to be detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus. The first surface is provided such that, with the cartridge mounted on the main body of the device, the angle of the first surface is within the range of -45° to +45° with respect to the direction of gravity. The cartridge according to feature 1.

4. The frame is made of a resin material with a flame retardancy of HB according to the UL94 standard. The cartridge according to feature 1.

5. The electrode member is made of metal. The cartridge according to feature 1.

6. The process component is a charging roller that charges the surface of the photoreceptor. The cartridge according to feature 1.

7. A cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the main body of an image forming apparatus, Frame and, A process member supported by the frame and used in the image forming process, The process member comprises an electrode member electrically connected to the process member, The electrode member has an electrical contact portion that is exposed to the outside of the cartridge and is configured to contact the main body side electrode member of the device body. The electrical contact portion has a first surface composed of a plurality of flat surfaces with different angles in the normal direction to each other, and a second surface located outside the frame body relative to the first surface. The plurality of flat surfaces connect the vertex furthest from the second surface to the second surface, If we define a first point as any point on the boundary between the plurality of flat surfaces and the second surface, and a second point as a point on the boundary between the plurality of flat surfaces and the second surface that is opposite to the first point in a cross-section passing through the vertex and the first point, then the angle between the first line connecting the vertex and the first point and the second line connecting the vertex and the second point is 120° or more. A cartridge characterized by the following features.

8. The frame is made of a resin material with a flame retardancy of HB according to the UL94 standard. The cartridge according to feature 7.

9. The electrode member is made of metal. The cartridge according to feature 7.

10. The process component is a charging roller that charges the surface of the photoreceptor. The cartridge according to feature 7.

11. The main body of the device, The apparatus comprises a process cartridge that is detachable from the main body of the apparatus and includes a photoreceptor, a charging member for charging the surface of the photoreceptor, a developing unit for developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor with toner, and a cleaning member for cleaning the surface of the photoreceptor. The process cartridge is the cartridge described in any one of claims 1 to 10. An image forming apparatus characterized by the following:

Images