Patent classifications
G03G21/1803
Process cartridge and image forming apparatus
A process cartridge and an image forming apparatus are provided. The process cartridge is detachably mountable in an apparatus body of the image forming apparatus, and includes a plurality of photosensitive drums, a first outer side plate which is provided on one side of the photosensitive drums in an axial direction of the photosensitive drum, a second outer side plate which is provided on the other side of the photosensitive drums in the axial direction, and opposes the first outer side plate with the photosensitive drums interposed therebetween, and a plurality of input parts which are provided on ends of the photosensitive drums at the one side, respectively. An end face of each of the input parts being provided inward with respect to the outer surface of the first outer side plate.
PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developing roller, a drum unit containing the drum, a developing unit containing the roller and being movable so the roller contacts and is spaced from the drum, and a first force receiver receiving a force from a main-assembly first force applier by movement of a door from open to closed positions when mounting the cartridge and a second force receiver movable from a stand-by position by movement of the first force receiver by a force received from the first force applier. The second force receiver takes a projected position receiving a force from the second force applier to move the developing unit so the roller moves out of contact with the drum, the projected position being higher than the stand-by position.
ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTOSENSITIVE MEMBER, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive support and a photosensitive layer disposed on the conductive support. A top surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member includes fluorine-containing resin particles, a fluorine-containing dispersant, and two or more charge transporting materials. When the charge transporting materials are listed in order of decreasing HOMO energy levels, a difference in HOMO energy level between each adjacent two of the charge The ratio A of the amount of each of the charge transporting materials to the total amount of the charge transporting materials satisfies the condition 1 below,
[(100/N)−(100/N×0.3)]≤A≤[(100/N)+(100/N×0.3)] Condition 1 where N represents the number of types of the charge transporting materials included in the top surface layer.
ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTOCONDUCTOR, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
An electrophotographic photoconductor includes: a conductive substrate; and a single-layer-type photoconductive layer that is provided on the conductive substrate, contains a binder resin, a charge generating material, a hole transporting material, and an electron transporting material, and has an index A represented by the following equation (1) in a range of −7.98 or more and −7.28 or less, Equation (1): A=(0.057×M)−(0.002×F)−(0.252×μ), in which, in the equation (1), M represents a Martens hardness of the single-layer-type photoconductive layer, F represents a Young's modulus of the single-layer-type photoconductive layer, and μ represents an elastic deformation ratio of the single-layer-type photoconductive layer.
Side member, cartridge, and image forming apparatus
A nondrive-side side member forms a part of a cartridge and includes a frame portion, and a regulation frame portion provided in the frame portion, to regulate movement of the cartridge. The frame portion has a hole provided to expose an electric contact. Further, a drive-side side member forms a part of a cartridge and includes a frame portion having a first hole and a second hole with a diameter larger than a diameter of the first hole, and a slit portion into which a memory for storing information is to be inserted.
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a body casing, a pressing member, a process cartridge, and a drawer. The body casing includes a positioning member. The pressing member is disposed inside the body casing. The process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum. The drawer is configured to support the process cartridge and to move, in a sliding direction orthogonal to an axis direction of the photosensitive drum, between an inside position that is a position inside the body casing and an outside position that is a position outside the body casing. The process cartridge includes an engagement portion and a spring. The engagement portion is configured to be positioned by the positioning member. The spring is configured to be pressed by the pressing member such that the engagement portion is pressed toward the positioning member.
ELECTROCONDUCTIVE ELASTIC BODY, ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC MEMBER, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS
An electroconductive elastic body includes: a cross-linked product of a first ionic electro-conductive rubber, a cross-linked product of a second ionic electro-conductive rubber, and at least one of a fatty acid and a fatty acid metal salt; wherein the electroconductive elastic body has a matrix that includes the cross-linked product of the first ionic electro-conductive rubber, and a domain that includes the cross-linked product of the second ionic electro-conductive rubber;
the cross-linked product of the second ionic electro-conductive rubber includes a polyether skeleton; an electrical resistance of the domain is lower than an electrical resistance of the matrix; in a waveform separation profile of the elastic body as obtained by a small-angle X-ray scattering method, A2 and A1 satisfy a relationship expressed by the following expression (1):
0.005≤(A2×C2/A1×C1)≤0.030 (1).
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
An image forming apparatus includes drum shafts supported by a main body, drum cartridges insertable and removable in an axial direction, a regulation side plate having bearings, a projecting portion provided to one of the regulation side plate and the main body, a fitting portion, and an urging force imparting portion. The urging force imparting portion is provided to the regulation side plate in an array direction of the bearings to impart an urging force that urges the regulation side plate toward the main body. At least a part of the urging force imparting portion is provided at a position for imparting the urging force on, with respect to the bearings, a side opposite to a position at which one of the projecting portion and the fitting portion is provided, in a direction orthogonal to the array direction of the bearings and the axial direction of each drum shaft.
PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
A process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum; a developing roller; a developer supplying roller, provided in contact with the developing roller; a driving force receiving portion provided at a shaft end of the supplying roller; a first driving force transmitting portion; a second driving force transmitting portion; flexible sheets provided adjacent to an engaging portion between the first portion and the second portion to intermittently contact the second portion with rotation of the second portion, wherein a rotational direction of the roller is opposite to that of the roller, and a peripheral speed of the roller is larger than that of the roller.
IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
A first side frame is apart from a second side frame in a first direction. A photosensitive drum is rotatable about a drum axis extending in the first direction. The photosensitive drum is rotatably supported between the first side frame and the second side frame. A grip portion extends in the first direction. A first connector extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first connector connects the first side frame and a first end portion of the grip portion. The second connector extends in the second direction. The second connector connects the second side frame and a second end portion of the grip portion. A scanner unit is configured to expose the photosensitive drum to light. The scanner unit is located between the photosensitive drum and the grip portion as viewed in a third direction which is perpendicular to the first and second directions.