G03G21/1839

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.

IMAGE FORMING DEVICE
20230229109 · 2023-07-20 · ·

An image forming device, including: a housing; a drawer movable between an inside position at which the drawer is located inside the housing and an outside position at which the drawer is located outside the housing; a drum cartridge including a photoconductive drum and a developer roller and mountable on the drawer; a toner cartridge storing toner to be supplied to the developer roller and mountable on the drawer, wherein the drawer includes a first guide that guides the toner cartridge in mounting the toner cartridge on the drawer, and wherein the drum cartridge includes a second guide connected to the first guide in a state in which the drum cartridge is mounted on the drawer, the second guide being configured to guide the toner cartridge in mounting the toner cartridge on the drawer in the state in which the drum cartridge is mounted on the drawer.

IMAGE FORMATION DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD FOR IMAGE FORMATION DEVICE, AND CARTRIDGE
20230018544 · 2023-01-19 · ·

An image forming apparatus has a main body housing, a network interface for connecting to a network, a cartridge mountable to the main body housing and having a material or a component to be used for image formation in the image forming apparatus and a memory that stores contract information for permitting use of the cartridge in the image forming apparatus set to a contract mode, a communication unit for performing communication with using a mobile network different from the network, and a controller. The controller acquires the contract information from the memory, in a state where the cartridge is mounted to the main body housing, permits printing in the image forming apparatus using the cartridge based on the contract information, and transmits information about the image forming apparatus or the cartridge regarding the contract mode to a communication apparatus via the communication unit.

Image forming apparatus having toner replenishment

An apparatus includes a developer container to and from which a replenishment container is attachable and detachable and which includes an accommodating portion and a replenishment port, a transfer portion configured to transfer a developer image on an image bearing member onto a recording material, a supporting tray including a supporting surface configured to support the recording material thereon, and a discharge portion configured to discharge the recording material, onto which the developer image has been transferred, on the supporting surface, wherein the supporting surface has an opening portion opening such that the replenishment port is exposed through the supporting surface, and wherein an opening/closing member configured to be movable between a closed position where the opening/closing member covers the replenishment port and serves as a part of the supporting surface and an open position where the replenishment port is exposed is provided.

Process cartridge and image forming apparatus

A process cartridge comprises a photosensitive drum and a developing roller. A coupling member is provided adjacent to one axial end of the developing roller. The coupling member includes a driven portion, and an intermediary portion configured and positioned to engage with the driven portion. The intermediary portion is also configured to be movable relative to the driven portion in a direction crossing the axis of the developing roller while maintaining engagement with the driven portion. The coupling member further includes a driving portion configured and positioned to receive a driving force for rotating the developing roller. The driving portion is also configured to engage with the intermediary portion, and to be movable relative to the intermediary portion in a direction crossing the axis of the developing roller while maintaining engagement with the intermediary portion.

RESTRICTING MEMBER, DEVELOPING DEVICE, PROCESS CARTRIDGE, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
20220413425 · 2022-12-29 ·

A restricting member includes a blade portion and a supporting portion. A contact portion is provided at the blade portion, and, in a cross section orthogonal to a longitudinal direction, the contact portion includes a first portion extending in a first direction and a second portion extending toward a free end from an end of the first portion and extending in a second direction. When a region demarcated by connecting an intersection point, the end of the first portion, and an end of the second portion by a straight line is defined as a first region, the intersection point being where an imaginary line intersects an extension line of the first portion in the first direction, an area of the first region is smaller on a longitudinal end portion than on a longitudinal central portion of the blade portion.

Image forming apparatus that controls regulation unit to prevent or allow detachment of a cartridge mounted to the image forming apparatus
11520283 · 2022-12-06 · ·

The image forming apparatus includes a cartridge replaceable by detachably mounting to the image forming apparatus, a door that takes a closed state or an open state, a locking pin that switches a state of the regulation unit between a regulating state in which the replacement unit is prevented to be detached from the image forming apparatus and a release state in which the replacement unit is to be detachable from the image forming apparatus, and a lock control unit (a control unit) that makes a determination as to whether or not the state of the regulation unit is to be switched from the release state to the regulating state, at a predetermined timing when initial processing is completed after a power source is turned on or a state of the door becomes the closed state from the open state.

Image forming apparatus determining whether cartridge is usable based on two sets of consumption state information
11513471 · 2022-11-29 · ·

An image forming apparatus includes: a casing having an opening; a cover for opening and closing the opening; a cartridge attachable to the casing through the opening; and a controller. The casing includes a first memory. The cartridge includes a second memory storing consumption state information representing a consumption state of the cartridge. The controller performs: determining whether the cartridge attached to the casing is unused; storing, when the attached cartridge is unused, the consumption state information acquired from the second memory in the first memory; determining, when the image forming apparatus is powered on or the cover is closed, whether the consumption state information in the first memory and the consumption state information in the second memory match; permitting use of the cartridge when the two sets of consumption state information match; and prohibiting use of the cartridge when the two set of consumption state information does not match.

PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS
20230095168 · 2023-03-30 ·

A process cartridge comprises a photosensitive drum and a developing roller. A coupling member is provided adjacent to one axial end of the developing roller. The coupling member includes a driven portion, and an intermediary portion configured and positioned to engage with the driven portion. The intermediary portion is also configured to be movable relative to the driven portion in a direction crossing the axis of the developing roller while maintaining engagement with the driven portion. The coupling member further includes a driving portion configured and positioned to receive a driving force for rotating the developing roller. The driving portion is also configured to engage with the intermediary portion, and to be movable relative to the intermediary portion in a direction crossing the axis of the developing roller while maintaining engagement with the intermediary portion.

Image forming apparatus having an opening/closing member that is prevented from closing when a replenishment container is attached to a process unit

An image forming apparatus includes a developer container to and from which a replenishment container is attachable and detachable, the developer container including an accommodating portion, and a supporting portion, wherein the developer container includes a projection portion that is provided at one end portion thereof in the rotation axis direction of the developer bearing member and projects toward the supporting portion more than a center portion of the developer container in a crossing direction crossing the rotation axis direction, the projection portion communicates with the accommodating portion and includes, at a distal end portion thereof, an attachment portion configured such that the replenishment container is attachable thereto in a state of being exposed to the outside of the apparatus, and a replenishment port for replenishing the accommodating portion with developer from the replenishment container is defined in the attachment portion.