Developing device, process cartridge, electrophotographic...

Electrophotography – Having particular structure – Modular or displaceable

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C399S113000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06684040

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process cartridge being detachably mountable to the main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a developing device, a developer container, and a method of assembling the developer container.
Hereupon, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is an apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium using an electrophotographic image forming process. The electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (e.g. a laser beam printer, a light emitting diode (LED) printer, and the like), a facsimile machine, a word processor and the like.
Moreover, the process cartridge is a cartridge, into which an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least developing means are integrally incorporated, and which is detachably mountable to the main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Incidentally, the process cartridge may include at least one of charging means for charging an electrophotographic photosensitive member and cleaning means for cleaning the electrophotographic photosensitive member besides the developing means.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus has adopted a process cartridge system, in which an electrophotographic photosensitive member and process means acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally formed into a cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Because, according to the process cartridge system, a user himself or herself can perform the maintenance of the apparatus without relying on a service person, the operability of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus could remarkably be improved. Accordingly, the process cartridge system is widely adopted in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
As shown in
FIG. 15
, a conventional process cartridge B includes a developing device unit
119
integrally formed by welding a developer container
114
and a developing frame
113
together. The developer container
114
contains developer and an agitating member
115
disposed in the developer container
114
. The developing frame
113
holds developing means such as a developing blade
112
and a developing roller
111
as a developing member. The process cartridge B also includes a photosensitive member unit
120
composed of a photosensitive drum
109
, cleaning means
117
including a cleaning blade
117
a
and a removed developer reservoir
117
b
, a charging roller
110
, and the like, all being attached to a drum frame
118
. The process cartridge B is made to be a cartridge by the combination of the developing device unit
119
and the photosensitive member unit
120
in the state of being swingable or integrated.
In such a process cartridge B, the developing device, or the developing device unit
119
, is ordinarily composed as two-divided sections of the developing frame
113
supporting the developing roller
111
and the developing blade
112
as the developing members and the developer container
114
for containing developer therein. Moreover, ultrasonic-welding a container frame
122
and a lid frame
123
together at a welding plane U forms the developer container
114
in the shape of a container. After that, flanges
122
a
and
122
b
formed along a developer feeding opening of the developer container
114
(the container frame
122
) and welding ribs
113
a
and
113
b
formed on the developing frame
113
are abutted against each other, and the flanges
122
a
and
122
b
and the welding ribs
113
a
and
113
b
are connected to each other by the ultrasonic welding at connection portions X and Y.
The ultrasonic welding of the developer container
114
and the developing frame
113
of the aforesaid conventional process cartridge B is performed by the following method as shown in FIG.
16
. That is, the flanges
122
a
and
122
b
provided on the developer container
114
are supported on their under face by receiving jigs
170
a
and
170
b
, respectively. Then, the developing frame
113
is placed on the flanges
122
a
and
122
b
, and the developing frame
113
and the flanges
122
a
and
122
b
are welded by ultrasonic waves at the connection portions X and Y by the use of welding horns
171
a
and
171
b
, respectively, from the upper side of the developing frame
113
. That is, the developing frame
113
and the developer container
114
are put between the receiving jigs
170
a
and
170
b
and the welding horns
171
a
and
171
b
, respectively, and the developing frame
113
and the developer container
114
are welded and fixed at the connection portions X and Y. Consequently, the developing frame
113
and the developer container
114
need the flanges.
As such, in the developing frame
113
and the developer container
114
, the welding plane U is disposed between the two connection portions X and Y using the flanges. Therefore, spaces are required between the welding plane U and the two connection portions X and Y. These spaces are dead spaces in which developer cannot be contained. Consequently, the conventional process cartridge B has a problem that the process cartridge B and the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus become larger than necessary if the capacity of the developer container
14
in which developer can be contained is enlarged.
The present invention is a further development of the related art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a developer container including a developer containing portion being improved in the efficiency of the developer containing capacity of the developer containing portion, a developing device using the developer container, a process cartridge using the developer container, a method of assembling the developer container, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a developer container including a developer containing portion, the developer containing capacity of which is increased, a developing device using the developer container, a process cartridge using the developer container, a method of assembling the developer container, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a developer container capable of connecting its developer containing portion with its developing frame without forming a flange in at least one portion, a developing device using the developer container, a process cartridge using the developer container, a method of assembling the developer container, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a developer container capable of increasing its capacity not only without increasing the size of a developing device or a process cartridge but also without increasing the size of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the developing device using the developer container, the process cartridge using the developer container, a method of assembling the developer container, and the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a developer container formed by connecting a developer containing portion and a developing frame on the side opposite to the developer containing side of the developer containing portion when the developer containing portion and the developing frame are connected together, a developing device using the developer container, a process cartridge using the developer container, a method of assembling the developer container, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
According to the present invention, it becomes possible to increase the capacity of a developer container.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4757344 (1988-07-01), Idenawa et al

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