Electrophotography – Having particular structure – Modular or displaceable
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-22
2002-07-02
Pendegrass, Joan (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Having particular structure
Modular or displaceable
C264S261000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06415121
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
The present invention relates to a connecting method for molded resin products. Also, the present invention relates to a process cartridge detachably mounted to a main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and an assembling method of the process cartridge.
Here, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording material through an electrophotographic-image-formation-type process. Examples of electrophotographic image forming apparatus include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (a laser beam printer, an LED printer or the like), a facsimile machine and a word processor.
The above-described process cartridge contains as a unit an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a charging means, a developing means or a cleaning means in the form of a cartridge that is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus. The process cartridge may contain an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least one of a charging means, a developing means and a cleaning means in the form of a cartridge that is detachably mountably to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus. The process cartridge may contain an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least developing means in the form of a cartridge that is detachably mountably to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus.
The molded resin product is a molded material of resin material, and may be a frame of the above-described process cartridge, a cap of a toner container and a main body of the container.
A description will be provided as to a conventional toner container which is a molded resin product.
The toner container is used with an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and accommodates a developer (toner) for developing an electrostatic latent image.
FIG.
1
(
b
) schematically shows a conventional toner container
40
. More particularly, it shows a molding method wherein the toner container
42
and the toner container cap
41
are molded using a die slide injection molding method (the primary molding and the secondary molding are carried out using the same metal mold, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. HEI 2-38377, for example. In this molding method, a molten resin material, which is the same material as the toner container
42
and the cap
41
, is applied to the abutment portions
142
a
,
142
b
, by which the container
42
and the cap
41
are bonded).
The toner container
42
and the cap
41
have the abutment portions
142
a
,
142
b
and flanges
143
a
,
143
b
,
143
c
,
143
d
. In the surface of the flange, there are provided continuous or intermittent recesses or projections
144
a
,
144
b
,
144
c
,
144
d
extended along the longitudinal direction, which are projected or recessed in a direction not interfering with the removal of the mold. The recess or the projection are engaged in the mold at a predetermined position.
As shown in
FIG. 7
, a gate
72
which in this molding technique provides an inlet for the bonding material to the abutment portion is provided on a horizontal extension line of the abutment portion
142
a
, and more particularly, the gap formed between the frames. The molten resin material, as shown in the figure by an arrow
7
, flows perpendicularly into the abutment portion
142
a
through the gate
72
in the horizontal direction.
With this conventional structure, the projected area of the unit after the connection has to be significantly larger than the inside volume thereof (by approximately 3-4 mm) at the connecting portions at each sides.
Additionally, when the cap is manufactured (molded), the direction of the mold removal is limited, with the result that there is less latitude in the design of the product.
The position of the gate is as described in the foregoing. Therefore, the portion of the container not engaged with the metal mold due to the pressure of the resin material upon the resin material injection, is liable to deform inwardly of the container, that is, the direction of the resin material injection through the gate. Furthermore, a high fluid material has to be selected with an increased number of gates.
The resin-material injecting direction is necessarily determined with the result that there is less latitude in the design of the metal molds.
The DSI molding method, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. HEI 2-38377, carries out the primary molding and the secondary molding in the same metal molds. Therefore, the number of the containers which can be bonded is normally two, and if the number is larger, the configurations of the metal molds are very complicated. However, when parts are connected using connecting metal molds other than the molding molds, the container side for one connecting mold has a plurality of cavities (determined by the number of the metal molds and the number of the containers). Therefore, the matching is not good, and there is a liability that a gap results in the molded product and the metal mold and therefore the leakage of the resin material may occur.
The present invention is intended to provide a further development of the above-described conventional technique.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a connecting method for molded resin products, a process cartridge and an assembling method of a process cartridge, wherein molded resin parts are assuredly bonded.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a bonding method of molded resin products, a process cartridge, and an assembling method of a process cartridge, wherein molded resin parts having complicated configurations can be connected through a simple process.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bonding method of molded resin products, a process cartridge and an assembling method of a process cartridge, wherein molded resin parts can be connected without deformation.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bonding method for bonding molded resin products. The improvement resides in the bonding of a first one of the molded resin products and a second one of the molded resin products by injecting resin material through a resin material injection path to a bonding portion therebetween. The resin material injection path is formed in one of or both of the first resin material molded product and the second resin material molded product.
A first one of the molded resin products and a second one of the molded resin products are bonded by injecting resin material through a resin material injection path to a bonding portion therebetween, wherein the resin material injection path is formed in one of or both of the first resin material molded product and the second resin material molded product.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bonding method for bonding molded resin products, comprising a first molding step of forming a first resin material molded product by a first metal mold, a second molding step for forming a second resin material molded product by a second metal mold, and a positioning step of placing the first resin material molded product and the second resin material molded product in a third metal mold which is different from the first metal mold and second metal mold and positioning bonding portions of the first resin material molded product and the second resin material molded product. The method also comprises a bonding step of bonding the first resin material molded product and second resin material molded product with each other by injecting a resin material through a resin material injection path to a bonding portion between the first resin material molded product and second resin material molded product. The resin material injection path is provided in one of or both of the first resin material molded product and the second resin material molded product.
According to a further aspect of the present in
Abe Kenshiro
Hiratsuka Kouichi
Miyabe Shigeo
Sasaki Shin-ichi
Suzuki Akira
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Pendegrass Joan
LandOfFree
Connecting method of resin material molded product, process... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Connecting method of resin material molded product, process..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Connecting method of resin material molded product, process... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2873754