Electrophotography – Image formation – Photoconductive member
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-06
2001-10-09
Chen, Sophia S. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Image formation
Photoconductive member
C399S106000, C399S111000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301457
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
The present invention relates to a coupling member and a process cartridge, which are usable for an image forming apparatus. It also relates to an image forming apparatus.
In this specification, the term “image forming apparatus” refers to an apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, using a given image forming method, preferably, an electrophotographic image forming method. As for examples of such an image forming apparatus, there are electrophotographic copying machines, electrophotographic printers (laser beam printers, LED printers, and the like), facsimile apparatuses, word processors, and the like.
The term “process cartridge” refers to a cartridge that is removably installable in the main assembly of an image forming apparatus, and in which at least one means among a charging means, a developing means, and a cleaning means, and an image bearing member, are integrally disposed.
Conventionally, an image forming apparatus that employs an electrophotographic image formation process also employs a process cartridge system, according to which an electrophotographic photosensitive member as an image bearing member, and one or a plurality of processing means that act on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, are integrated into the form of a cartridge, which is removably installable in the main assembly of an image forming apparatus. Also according to this process cartridge system, an image forming apparatus can be maintained by a user alone, without relying on a service person, drastically improving operational efficiency. Therefore, the process cartridge system has been widely used in the image-forming-apparatus field.
A process cartridge such as the one described above comprises one or a plurality of processing means. One of such processing means is a developing means, which integrally comprises a developer storage container (toner container) in which toner is stored, and a developing means frame for supporting a developing member. Until a process cartridge is put to use for the first time, the passage between the toner container and developing means frame remains sealed with a sealing member (toner seal). This sealing member is torn open when a process cartridge is put to use for the first time.
It is common knowledge that some process cartridges or electrophotographic image forming apparatuses (hereinafter, “image forming apparatus”), are provided with a driving force transmitting means for receiving the driving force from the main assembly of an image forming apparatus to automatically wind up the sealing member to tear open it.
The sealing member winding driving force transmitting means of a conventional image forming apparatus, process cartridge, or toner container, is structured so that as the winding of the sealing member ends, it must stop transmitting the driving force, or it shuts down. Therefore, an apparatus main assembly, process cartridge, or toner container, must be provided with a driving force transmitting means dedicated to the winding of a sealing member. Further, in many image forming apparatus main assemblies, a toner seal winding unit and a toner stirring unit are simultaneously driven.
Such an arrangement complicates the driving means on the apparatus main assembly side. Further, the simultaneous driving of the stirring unit and toner seal winding unit leads to increase in power consumption.
The present invention is one of the results of the further development of the above described conventional technologies.
As a means for solving the above-described problems, it was conceivable to divide a driving force transmitting portion into a two portions, that is, a portion for transmitting a driving force to a photosensitive drum and a toner stirring member, and a portion for transmitting a driving force to a sealing-member winding unit, and to begin driving the photosensitive drum and toner stirring member after finishing driving the toner-seal winding unit. In addition to the above-described problems, the conventional structure suffers another problem. That is, when a sealing member begins to be wound, the process cartridge is yet to be securely positioned relative to the apparatus main assembly, and therefore, while the sealing member is wound to be torn open, the process cartridge is sometimes caused to vibrate by the driving force from the image-forming-apparatus main assembly.
As the process cartridge vibrates, the coupling member on the process cartridge side, through which the electrophotographic photosensitive drum is driven by the driving force from the image forming apparatus main assembly, fails to align with the coupling member on the image forming apparatus main assembly side, making it difficult for the coupling member on the cartridge side to be inserted into the coupling member on the main assembly side.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a driving force transmitting coupling member, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus, which make it possible to approximately fix the positional relationship between a driving force transmitting coupling member and a coupling member on the main assembly side when the driving force transmitting coupling member transmits driving force to a driving means for tearing open a sealing member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a driving force, transmitting-coupling member, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus, that make it possible to virtually unfix the previously fixed positional relationship between a driving-force, transmitting-coupling member and a coupling member on the main-assembly side when a driving-force, transmitting-coupling member transmits a driving force to a stirring member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a coupling member for driving a driving means which does not cause a process cartridge to vibrate when a sealing member is torn open, and allows the coupling member on the image forming apparatus main assembly side to easily engage with the coupling member of an image bearing member after the completion of the tearing of the sealing member, and driving a driving means for a stirring member, a process cartridge comprising such a coupling member, and an image forming apparatus in which such a process cartridge is removably installable.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4998140 (1991-03-01), Satou et al.
patent: 5943529 (1999-08-01), Miyabe et al.
patent: 5966567 (1999-10-01), Matsuzaki et al.
patent: 6178302 (2001-01-01), Nagashima et al.
patent: 09-006214 (1997-01-01), None
patent: 09-114352 (1997-05-01), None
Asano Naoki
Chadani Kazuo
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Chen Sophia S.
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
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