Electrophotography – Image formation – Development
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-31
2001-06-12
Grimley, Arthur T. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Image formation
Development
C399S111000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06246853
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
The present invention relates to a toner cartridge, a development cartridge, and a process cartridge, which are used in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
The term “process cartride” refers to a cartridge which is removably installable in the main apparatus of an image forming apparatus, and integrally comprises an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a charging means, and either a developing means or a cleaning means. The combination of the components in the cartridge may be a combination composed of an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and at least a charging means, a developing means, or cleaning means, or a combination composed of an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and at least a developing means.
A term “electrophotographic image forming apparatus” refers to an image forming apparatus, for example, a laser printer or a copying machine, which employs an electrophotographic system.
First, referring to
FIG. 3
, a sectional view, a conventional color laser printer will be described. In
FIG. 3
, a reference character
105
designates a rotational developing apparatus. This rotational developing apparatus
105
holds developing devices
105
M,
105
C,
105
Y, and
105
B, which correspondingly hold magenta, cyan, yellow, and black toners. These four developing devices
105
M,
105
C,
105
Y, and
105
B for four different colors are disposed around a shaft
105
e
, enabled to be orbitally moved about the shaft
105
e
. The attitudes of the four developing devices are kept in the predetermined attitude by a driving structure which resembles a planetary gear system. In an image forming operation, the developing devices
105
M
105
C,
105
Y, and
105
B, which contain toners of different color, are individually moved to the position (development station) at which a developing device opposes the image bearing member
105
, leaving a microscopic gap between the peripheral surface of the development roller
105
b
and image bearing member
104
.
At the development station, as bias is applied to the development roller
105
b
while it is rotationally driven, a latent image on the image bearing member
104
is developed into a visible image (hereinafter, “toner image”) composed of toner.
The development roller
105
b
is disposed in each developing device (
105
M,
105
C,
105
Y, and
105
B) in contact with a supply roller
105
a
, which scrapes off the developer (residual toner), which did not contribute to the latent image development, so that the development roller
105
b
can bear a fresh supply of developer. A container which holds the toner to be supplied to the development roller
105
b
is an integral part of each developing device (
105
M,
105
C,
105
Y, and
105
B). At this point, a conventional toner container will be described.
FIG. 6
is a sectional view of a conventional toner container
40
. A portion designated by a reference character B is a part of the joint at the longitudinal ends of the toner container. This toner container essentially consists of a piece
42
, the main piece, and a piece
41
, the lid or cover. The two pieces are united with each other at the interface
46
by pouring resin formulated for joining, into the grooves
143
a
,
143
b
, and
143
c
, which are formed outside the interface
46
as the two pieces are joined. The main piece
42
, the lid
41
, and the joining resin are formed of high-impact polystyrene (hereinafter, “HI-PS”) in which fire-retardant is mixed to make the container fire resistant.
As for the fire retardant for the main and lid pieces
41
and
42
, and the joining resin, a derivative of tetrabromobisphenol A (bis (dibromopropyl) tetrabromobisphenol A ether) is used, the details of which are given in
FIG. 8
, (a).
However, the toner container design described above suffers from-the following problems:
1. The plane of the surface to which adhesive resin adheres coincides with the plane of the interface between the main and lid pieces of the toner container, making the toner container easy to break. More specifically, the toner container may be subject to the shocks which are generated as it is dropped during its shipment. Also it may be subjected to internal pressure change, and the like. In such cases, the force generated by the shocks, internal pressure, or the pressure generated by the toner itself, directly apply to the interface between the two pieces due to the way the two pieces are constructed. As a result, the two pieces may be become separated; the toner container may break.
2. The grooves which are created as the main and lid pieces of the toner container are joined, that is, the grooves in which the adhesive filler resin is poured has a cross sectional size of 1-5 mm×1-5 mm, and the resin must be evenly poured into the grooves that extend along the interface. Therefore, the HI-PS requires a high degree of fluency. In order to give the HI-PS the high degree of fluency, the level to which the temperature of the adhesive filler resin is set during the manufacture of the toner container must be set at a level higher than the normal level. As a result, the fire retardant becomes separated from the adhesive filler resin, forming gas. This gas remains, in the form of a bubble, between the surfaces to be joined, and reduces the effectiveness of the adhesive filler resin.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a toner container, a development cartridge, and a process cartridge, that consist of two or more components (sub-frames) joined together.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner container, a development cartridge, and a process cartridge, the sub-frames of which do not easily separate from each other.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner container, a development cartridge, and a process cartridge, that are designed so that the strength of the adhesive placed at the interface between the opposing sub-frames does not weaken.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a toner container, a development cartridge and a process cartridge, each comprises first and second sub-frames with a flange, and the flange of the first frame consists of a portion (margin) for adhesive and a portion with a groove, whereas the flange of the second sub-frame consists of a portion (margin) for adhesive and a portion with a tongue that fits into the groove of the flange of the first sub-frame.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a toner container, a development cartridge, and a process cartridge each comprises two sub-frames that can be adhered together by injecting melted adhesive into the joint formed as the two components are fitted with each other.
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Abe Kenshiro
Hashimoto Kouji
Sasaki Shin-ichi
Suzuki Akira
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Grimley Arthur T.
Ngo Hoang
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