Electrophotography – Internal machine environment – Particle or contaminant control
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-17
2004-03-30
Pendegrass, Joan (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Internal machine environment
Particle or contaminant control
C399S105000, C399S284000, C399S351000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06714749
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an cartridge mounted on an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer for forming an image by the use of a recording technique of the electrophotographic type, the electrostatic recording type or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
As a cartridge mounted on an image forming apparatus, there is, for example, one which comprises a photosensitive member, a charger, a developing device and a cleaner made into a unit. Besides this, there is one which is divided into a cartridge holding a photosensitive member and a cartridge holding a developing device.
As described above, the main portion of the image forming apparatus is made into a simply interchangeable cartridge and thus, even an ordinary user can effect the maintenance of the apparatus.
In present day image forming apparatuses, a powdered toner is generally used as a developer for depicting an image on recording paper. Because of being powder, the toner is liable to leak and particularly, a cartridge containing the toner therein is given vibration by the user handling and therefore the toner is liable to leak therefrom. For this reason various contrivances have been made so that the toner may not leak.
FIG. 27
of the accompanying drawings shows a cross-sectional view of a cartridge P which will be instructive for understanding the present invention. This cartridge P carries therein, as main constituents, a photosensitive member
103
, a charging roller
104
for charging the photosensitive member
103
, a developing roller
105
bearing thereon a toner for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member, a cleaning blade
106
abutting against the photosensitive member to thereby clean the photosensitive member, and a shutter
107
for protecting the photosensitive member. The reference numeral
108
designates a toner containing chamber, the reference numeral
109
denotes a developing chamber, the reference numeral
110
designates an opening for connecting the toner containing chamber and the developing chamber together, the reference numeral
111
denotes a seal for closing the opening
110
(this seal is stripped off when the cartridge begins to be used), the reference numeral
112
designates a layer thickness regulating blade (developing blade) for regulating the layer thickness of the toner formed on the developing roller
105
, and the reference numeral
113
denotes end portion seals for preventing the leakage of the toner from the opposite ends of the developing roller.
FIG. 29
of the accompanying drawings is an exploded view and an assembly view of a frame forming the toner containing chamber and the developing chamber. As shown in
FIG. 29
, the toner containing chamber and the developing chamber are formed by superposing frame parts
101
and
102
made of synthetic resin one upon the other. The frame parts
101
and
102
are coupled together by a coupling method such as ultrasonic welding, whereby the leakage of the toner from the gap between the two is prevented.
Now, the developing blade
112
comprises a blade
112
a
made of rubber and attached to a support member
112
b
made of a metal by such means as adhesive securing, and the lengthwisely opposite end portions of the support member
112
b
of the developing blade
112
are fixed to the frame part
101
by screws
114
.
FIGS. 26A and 26B
of the accompanying drawings show enlarged views of the attached portion of the developing blade. Between the frame part
101
and the developing blade
112
, an elastic seal
115
such as foamed polyurethane is compressed and sandwiched as shown in
FIG. 26A
, or a portion
101
a
of the frame part
101
is caused to eat into the blade
112
a
as shown in
FIG. 26B
, to thereby prevent the leakage of the toner from between the developing blade
112
and the frame part
101
.
FIG. 28A
of the accompanying drawings is a cross-sectional view of the lengthwisely central portion of a cartridge, and this cartridge somewhat differs in shape from the cartridge shown in
FIG. 27
, but is substantially the same as the cartridge of
FIG. 27
in the structure of the attached portion of the developing blade. The reference numeral
116
designates a toner agitating member provided in the toner containing chamber, and this toner agitating member
116
is rotated so that the tip end
116
a
thereof may describe a locus indicated by dot-and-dash line. Although not shown, on the left side of
FIG. 28A
, the photosensitive member, the cleaner, etc. are mounted as in FIG.
27
.
When as shown in
FIG. 28A
, the user holds the cartridge in his hand H, the frame is sometimes deformed by the force thereof as shown in
FIG. 28B
of the accompanying drawings. When the frame is deformed, a gap is created between the developing blade
112
and the frame part
101
as shown in
FIG. 28B
, and in the case of the seal construction as shown in
FIG. 26B
, the toner leaks from this gap (this gap is largest in the central portion of the developing blade which is not fixed by a screw because the lengthwisely opposite ends of the developing blade are fixed to the frame by the screws
114
). Even when the elastic seal
115
is sandwiched between the developing blade
112
and the frame part
101
as shown in
FIG. 26A
, a gap may be formed between the elastic seal
115
and the developing blade
112
. Also, even if a gap is not formed and the leakage of the toner can be prevented, a portion of the frame part
101
may contact which the toner agitating member
116
mounted in the toner containing chamber
108
due to the deformation of the frame part
101
and may damage the tip end
116
a
thereof. Even when due to the deformation of the frame, the toner agitating member and the frame do not interfere with each other, the deformation of the frame is not preferable in the sealing performance of the cartridge. It would occur to mind to make the thickness of the frame great in order to prevent the deformation of the frame, but this method will result in the increased weight of the cartridge.
In the case of the cartridge handled by the user, as described above, the compatibility of the increased sealing performance between the blade member and the frame and the increased rigidity of the frame is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above-noted problem and an object thereof is to provide a cartridge which achieves the compatibility of the increased sealing performance between a blade member and a frame and the increased rigidity of the frame.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge which achieves the compatibility of the increased sealing performance between a blade member and a frame and the increased rigidity of the frame by a simple method.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge comprising:
a frame; and
a blade member held by the frame;
wherein a double-sided adhesive tape is stuck between the frame and the blade member along the lengthwise direction of the blade member.
Further objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings.
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pa
Sasaki Teruhiko
Sato Minoru
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Pendegrass Joan
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