Process cartridge

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention relates to a process cartridge incorporated in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, or a facsimile using electrophotographic technology.

【0002】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

The present invention is a further development of the conventional technique described later.

【0003】

An object of the present invention is to provide a process cartridge in which the amount of resin of a cleaning member supporting an electrophotographic photosensitive member drum is reduced and the strength and rigidity are ensured.

【0004】

Another object of the present invention is to provide a process cartridge having an axial regulating means for charging means in which the charging means supported by the cleaning frame does not move in the axial direction.

【0005】

An object of the present invention is to provide a process cartridge provided with means for preventing falling off due to handling of a shaft member which is a connecting member between a cleaning frame body and a developing frame body.

【0006】

[Means for solving problems]

The first invention according to the present application is a process cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the main body of an image forming apparatus, the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum, the charging means for charging the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum, and the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum . A developing means for developing the latent image formed in the above using toner, a cleaning means for removing the toner remaining after transfer on the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum, and the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum, charging means and cleaning means. It has a cleaning frame body that supports it, a developing frame body that supports the developing means, and a cartridge frame body connecting means that rotatably connects the cleaning frame body and the developing frame body. This is a process cartridge characterized in that box-shaped ribs are provided in front of the electrophotographic photosensitive drum on the side wall of the support portion of the photographic photosensitive drum in the transport direction of the recording medium and on the upper portion.

【0007】

The second invention according to the present invention is that the charging means is a charging roller that is in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum to charge, and the box-shaped rib serves as a position regulating portion in the longitudinal direction of the charging roller. The process cartridge according to the first invention.

【0008】

In the third invention according to the present application, the charging roller is integrally provided with a cylindrical charging member around the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is supported by a bearing having a thrust regulating portion in contact with the end of the rotating shaft. The process cartridge according to the second invention, wherein the outer side of the bearing in the longitudinal direction is in contact with the box-shaped rib.

【0009】

The fourth invention according to the present application is the process cartridge according to the third invention, wherein the rotating shaft has a shaft end surface as a sliding surface with a thrust regulating portion.

【0010】

A fifth invention according to the present application is a process cartridge that can be attached to and detached from the main body of an image forming apparatus, the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum, the charging means for charging the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum, and the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum. A developing means for developing the latent image formed in the above using toner, a cleaning means for removing the toner remaining after transfer on the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum, and the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum, charging means and cleaning means. The cartridge frame body has a cleaning frame body that supports it, a developing frame body that supports the developing means, and a cartridge frame body connecting means that rotatably connects the cleaning frame body and the developing frame body. The coupling means is a shaft member that is parallel to the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum and penetrates and fits through the fitting holes provided at both ends of the cleaning frame and the developing frame in the longitudinal direction. It is a process cartridge characterized in that a shaft member contactable portion is provided at a distance smaller than the length of the shaft member from the inner wall surface of the provided cleaning frame body to the inner side.

【0011】

The sixth invention according to the present application is the process cartridge according to the fifth invention, wherein the shaft member contactable portion is integrally formed with a cleaning frame body.

【0012】

In the seventh invention according to the present application, the developed frame body has an arm portion that protrudes into the cleaning frame body and enters the cleaning frame body, and the cleaning frame body has a wall member that sandwiches the arm portion in the longitudinal direction. A fitting hole for fitting the shaft member is provided through the wall member and the arm portion, and the rear end is the fitting hole for the wall member on the outer side in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning frame when viewed in the insertion direction of the shaft member into the fitting hole. From the inner surface of the position where the fitting hole of the wall member on the inner side in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning frame is located, the tip of the shaft member is seen in the insertion direction of the shaft member into the fitting hole in a state of matching the outer surface of the position. The process cartridge according to the fifth or sixth invention, which is characterized by being protruding.

【0013】

In the eighth invention according to the present application, when viewed in the direction of insertion of the shaft member into the fitting hole, the rear end is on the outer surface at the position where the fitting hole of the wall member on the outer side in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning frame is located in the assembled state. The process cartridge according to the fifth or sixth invention, characterized in that they match or enter the fitting hole.

【0014】

The ninth invention according to the present application is the process cartridge according to the eighth invention, wherein the entry amount of the fitting hole at the rear end of the shaft member is 0 to 1 mm.

【0015】

A sixth invention according to the present application is characterized in that the distance between the tip in the insertion direction of the shaft member into the fitting hole and the contactable portion of the shaft member is 4 to 5 mm in the assembled state. The process cartridge described in 1.

【0016】

The process cartridge according to any one of the fifth to tenth inventions, wherein the eleventh invention according to the present application is characterized in that the tip of the shaft member protrudes from the press-fitting portion of the cleaning frame by about 2 to 3 mm. Is.

【0017】

In the twelfth invention according to the present application, the surface of the shaft member contactable portion facing the shaft member is opposed to the cleaning blade sheet metal, and the shaft member is further in contact with the shaft member contactable portion. The process cartridge according to any one of the fifth to eleventh inventions, characterized in that the shaft member contactable portion contacts the cleaning blade sheet metal when the insertion is continued.

【0018】

[Conventional technology]

An image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic recording method such as an electrophotographic copying machine or an electrophotographic printer forms an electrostatic latent image by uniformly charging the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum and then exposing the image according to the image information. Then, a developing agent is attached to the latent image by a developing means to obtain a visible image (toner image), and then the toner image is transferred to a recording medium to obtain an image.

【0019】

In such a device, the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum, charging means, developing means, cleaning means, etc. are collectively made into a cartridge in the frame, so that the user himself / herself can replace the process cartridge with the image forming apparatus main body. By doing so, a product with easy maintenance has been put into practical use.

【0020】

In such a process cartridge, the cleaning frame body that supports the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum, the charging means, and the cleaning means and the developing frame body that supports the developing means are rotatably coupled to each other by a shaft member to form a spring member. Therefore, the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum and both ends of the developing roller are pressed against each other.

【0021】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[Explanation of Embodiments of the Invention] Next, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. A laser beam printer will be described as an embodiment of the image forming apparatus. In the following description, the horizontal direction in which each member intersects in the direction of attachment / detachment to / from the image forming apparatus of the process cartridge is referred to as the longitudinal direction.

【0022】

(Embodiment 1) A process cartridge and an image forming apparatus to which the process cartridge can be mounted will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. It should be noted that FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are schematic explanatory views of the appearance of the process cartridge, FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the configuration of the image forming apparatus equipped with the process cartridge, and FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the configuration of the process cartridge. 7 to 7 are configuration explanatory views of the process cartridge mounting means, and FIGS. 8 to 12 are explanatory views of the mounting state of the process cartridge. Further, FIGS. 13 to 16 are detailed views for explaining the present invention.

【0023】

Here, first, the overall configuration of the process cartridge and the image forming apparatus using the process cartridge will be described.

【0024】

{Overall configuration} As shown in FIG. 3, this electrophotographic image forming apparatus (laser beam printer) A irradiates a drum-shaped electrophotographic photosensitive member with information light based on image information from the optical system 1 to photosensitize the photosensitizer. A latent image is formed on the body, and this latent image is developed with a developer (hereinafter referred to as "toner") to form a toner image. Then, in synchronization with the formation of the toner image, the recording medium 2 is separated and fed one by one from the paper feed cassette 3a by the pickup roller 3b and the pressure contact member 3c that is in pressure contact with the pickup roller 3b. By applying a voltage to the transfer roller 4 as the transfer means, the toner image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, which is conveyed by the transfer means 3 and is made into a cartridge as the process cartridge B, is transferred to the recording medium 2. The recording medium 2 is conveyed to the fixing means 5 by the conveying belt 3f. The fixing means 5 is composed of a fixing rotating body 5d composed of a driving roller 5a, a built-in heater 5b, and a tubular sheet rotatably supported by a support 5c, and applies heat and pressure to a passing recording medium 2. Then, the transfer toner image is fixed. Then, the recording medium 2 is conveyed by a pair of discharge rollers of 3 g and 3 h, and is discharged to the discharge unit 6 through the reverse transport path. The image forming apparatus main body A can be manually fed by the manual feed tray 3i and the roller 3j.

【0025】

{Process Cartridge} On the other hand, the process cartridge B includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least one process means. Here, as the process means, for example, a charging means for charging the electrophotographic photosensitive member, a developing means for developing a latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a cleaning means for cleaning the toner remaining on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member. And so on. In the process cartridge B of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the photoconductor drum 7 which is an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a photosensitive layer is rotated, and a voltage is applied to a charging roller 8 which is a charging means to apply a voltage to the photoconductor. The surface of the drum 7 is uniformly charged, and the light image from the optical system 1 is exposed to the charged photoconductor drum 7 through the opening 9 to form a latent image, and the latent image is developed. It is configured to be developed by means 10.

【0026】

The developing means 10 is a developing rotating body in which the toner in the toner storage portion 10a of the developer storage container is fed by the rotatable first feeding member 10b1 and the second feeding member 10b2, which are feeding means, and has a fixed magnet 10c built-in. Toner is formed by rotating a developing roller 10d and applying a frictionally charged charge by the developing blade 10e on the surface of the developing roller 10d, and transferring the toner to the photoconductor drum 7 according to the latent image. It forms an image and makes it a visible image.

【0027】

Then, after applying a voltage having the opposite polarity to the toner image to the transfer roller 4 to transfer the toner image to the recording medium 2, the toner remaining on the photoconductor drum 7 is scraped off by the cleaning blade 11a and scooped by the squeeze sheet 11b. The cleaning means 11 that collects the toner and collects it in the waste toner storage unit 11c is configured to remove the residual toner on the photoconductor drum 7.

【0028】

The contact portion of the photoconductor drum 7 with the transfer roller 4 has an opening in the cartridge frame, and this opening is closed by the shutter 28. The shutter 28 is a four-node chain mechanism in which the cartridge frame is a fixed node, and the shutter 28 is supported by a link member 29 and an arm member 27 (see FIGS. 3 and 8 to 12) which is another link. There is.

【0029】

Each member such as the photoconductor drum 7 includes a developing frame body 12 in which an integrated developing upper frame 12a, a developing lower frame 12b, an integrated toner storage portion 10a, and a lid member 12c are welded and integrated. It is housed in a cartridge frame formed by combining the cleaning frame 13 which is a cleaning container to form a cartridge, and is detachably attached to the cartridge mounting means provided in the apparatus main body 14.

【0030】

{Process cartridge attachment / detachment configuration} Next, a configuration for attaching / detaching the process cartridge B to / from the image forming apparatus main body 14 will be described.

【0031】

As shown in FIG. 5, the process cartridge B is attached / detached by opening the opening / closing member 15. When the opening / closing member 15 is opened around the shaft 15a (see FIG. 3), the cartridge mounting means is lowered forward on both the left and right sides of the cartridge mounting space and bulges downward, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Guide rails 16 formed in a curved shape (substantially arcuate shape in the present embodiment) are provided substantially symmetrically, and a guide member 17 is attached above the guide rails 16. Further, on the inlet side of the guide rail 16, the first inclined surface 16a and this as a hooking portion with which the protruding portion 29b (see FIG. 1) of the link member 29 provided for opening and closing the shutter 28 of the process cartridge B is engaged. Subsequently, a second inclined surface 16b having an inclination larger than that of the first inclined surface 16a is formed.

【0032】

On the other hand, guide portions that are guided along the guide rail 16 are formed on both outer surfaces of the process cartridge B in the longitudinal direction corresponding to the guide rail 16. This guide portion is configured to project from substantially symmetrical positions on both outer surfaces in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge frame, and as shown in FIG. 1, a boss 18a serving as a first guide portion and a second guide The rib 18b, which is the part, is integrated. A guide portion (not shown) is also provided on the cartridge frame on the opposite side surface in the longitudinal direction. The boss 18a is located on an extension of the rotation axis of the photoconductor drum 7, and the rib 18b is continuously viewed from the boss 18a in the direction of insertion of the process cartridge B and downward in accordance with the shape of the guide rail 16. It extends in a bulging curved shape (substantially arcuate shape in this embodiment). In the above configuration, when the process cartridge B is mounted, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 12, the boss 18a and the rib 18b are aligned with the guide rail 16 and the tip of the process cartridge B is placed under the optical system 1 of the apparatus. Insert it so that it sneaks into. Since the guide rail 16 is formed in a substantially arc shape, the guide member 17 above it is also shaped in a similar shape, and the rib 18b is also in a substantially arc shape, the process is performed as it is inserted. Cartridge B is approximately horizontal. When the process cartridge B is further pushed in, the abutting member 19 provided on the apparatus main body 14 abuts on both ends of the tip of the cleaning frame 13 as shown in FIG. 12 through the processes of FIGS. 9 to 11. It abuts on the surface 20, and then the boss 18a of the process cartridge B falls into the receiving recess 16c formed at the end of the guide rail 16. As a result, the drive transmission unit 7a integrally provided on the drum gear (see reference numeral 7b in FIG. 13), which is not shown in FIG. 12 and is fixed to the side end of the photoconductor drum 7, and the drive transmission means 22 on the device main body 14 side (FIG. 13). 7) and can be connected. At the same time that the process cartridge B is mounted as described above, the protruding portions 29b of the link member 29 that supports the shutter 28 are the first and second inclined surfaces 16a,

【0033】

In the process cartridge B according to the present embodiment, as described above, the developing frame body 12 and the cleaning frame body 13 in which the toner storage portion 10a which is a toner frame body, the developing upper frame 12a and the developing lower frame 12b are integrated are combined. The housing is configured. Next, the configuration will be described.

【0034】

As shown in FIG. 4, a toner feed member 10b2 is rotatably attached to the toner storage portion 10a. Further, a developing roller 10d and a developing blade 10e are attached to the developing lower frame 12b, and a toner feeding member 10b1 for circulating toner in the developing chamber is rotatably attached in the vicinity of the developing roller 10d. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, an antenna rod 10g is attached to the developing lower frame 12b so as to face the longitudinal direction of the developing roller 10d and substantially parallel to the developing roller 10d. Then, the toner frame body in which the lid member 12c is welded to the toner storage portion 10a, the developing frame body 12 including the developing upper frame 12a and the developing lower frame 12b are welded (ultrasonic welding in the present embodiment) to form an integrated development unit. It constitutes D.

【0035】

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, each member of the photoconductor drum 7, the charging roller 8 and the cleaning means 11 is attached to the cleaning frame body 13 to form a cleaning unit C.

【0036】

Then, the process cartridge B is formed by rotatably connecting the developing unit D and the cleaning unit C to each other by a shaft member 24 having a round pin. That is, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 15, at the tip of the arm portion 23 formed on both sides of the developing frame 12 in the longitudinal direction (the axial direction of the developing roller 10d), a rotating hole having a round shape parallel to the developing roller 10d 25 is provided. On the other hand, recesses 21 for entering the arm portion 23 are provided at two locations on both sides of the cleaning frame 13 in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 15). The arm portion 23 is inserted into the recess 21, the shaft member 24 is inserted from the mounting hole 13e1 of the outer wall member 13w1 in the longitudinal direction of the cleaning frame body 13, and the arm portion 23 is fitted into the rotation hole 25 at the end of the arm portion 23. By press-fitting into the press-fitting portion 13e2, the developing unit D and the cleaning unit C are rotatably coupled around the shaft member 24. The press-fitting portion 13e2 is provided on the boss 13w4 protruding outward from the wall member 13w2 inside the wall member 13w1 in the longitudinal direction. At this time, the compression coil spring 26 inserted and attached to the dowel (not shown) erected at the base of the arm portion 23 hits the upper wall 13j of the recess 21 of the cleaning frame body 13, and the developing frame body 12 (12a) is formed by the compression coil spring 26. By urging (12b) downward, the developing roller 10d is securely pressed against the photoconductor drum 7. By attaching spacer rollers (not shown) having a diameter larger than that of the developing roller 10d to both ends of the developing roller 10d in the longitudinal direction, the spacer rollers are pressed against the photoconductor drum 7 and the photoconductor drum 7 and the developing roller 10d are placed at regular intervals (not shown). Approximately 300 μm) to face each other. Therefore, the developing unit D and the cleaning unit C are rotatable about the shaft member 24, and the elastic force of the compression coil spring 26 causes the peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 7 and the peripheral surface of the developing roller 10d. The positional relationship of the surfaces can be maintained.

【0037】

The cleaning frame 13 described above is an integral resin molded product and has a container shape with the right side open as shown in FIG. 14, and the side surfaces 11c1 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the waste toner storage portion 11c are the paper surface of FIG. It is a flat plate that is almost parallel to. Both side surfaces 11c1 of the cleaning frame 13 are bent in a crank shape when viewed from above, extend in a plate shape toward the side of the photoconductor drum 7, and form a side wall 13b on the side of the photoconductor drum 7. (See Figure 13). The lower part of the photoconductor drum 7 is open to the transfer roller 4. The side surface 11c1 of the waste toner storage portion 11c is substantially at the same position in the longitudinal direction as the inner wall member 13w2 shown in FIG. 13, and is substantially at the same position as the longitudinal position of the wall member 13w2 below the wall member 13w2. A guide member 13s that guides the charging roller bearing 8a so as to be movable up and down is integrally provided, and a covering roller portion 8b of the charging roller 8 is provided inside the guide member 13s. Further, near the inner side of the inner wall member 13w2, the support sheet metal 11a1 of the cleaning blade 11a is arranged close to the rib 13i with the rib 13i integrated with the cleaning frame body 13 in between. The cleaning blade 11a has the rubber blade 11a2 fixed to the support sheet metal 11a1 by adhesion or the like, and the rubber blade 11a2 is pressed against the bus of the photoconductor drum 7 by fixing the support sheet metal 11a1 to the cleaning frame 13 (FIG. 4). (See) The transfer roller 4 is used to scrape off the residual toner on the surface of the photoconductor drum 7 after transfer.

【0038】

The recess 21 provided in the cleaning frame 13 for connecting the cleaning frame 13 and the developing frame 12 will be described later, but the outer wall member 13w1 arranged in the longitudinal direction constituting the recess 21 is in the longitudinal direction. It is almost flush with the side wall 13b to which the bearing 18 that rotatably supports the photoconductor drum 7 and integrally has the boss 18a and the rib 18b is mounted (see FIGS. 13 and 15). The upper wall 13j of the recess 21 of the cleaning frame 13 described above extends above the developing frame 12.

【0039】

As described above, the cleaning frame body 13 is widened and opened from the toner storage portion 11c toward the developing frame body 12 side in a substantially stepped shape, and the photoconductor drum 7 has a single wall and a charging roller 8 on both sides in the longitudinal direction. It has a basic structure that forms a double wall on both sides in the longitudinal direction.

【0040】

As already described with reference to FIG. 12, when the process cartridge B is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body 14, the receiving recess 16c in which the boss 18a coaxial with the rotation axis 7a of the photoconductor drum 7 is provided in the apparatus main body 14 The abutting member 19 provided in the device main body 14 and the contact surface 20 provided in the cleaning frame 13 come into contact with each other to determine the posture in the device main body 14. Then, when the drive is transmitted and the photoconductor drum 7 tries to rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3, a frictional force is generated due to friction with the cleaning blade 11a in contact with the photoconductor drum 7. Due to this frictional force, the process cartridge B generates a clockwise moment around the boss 18a in FIGS. 3 and 12, and the cleaning frame 13 receives this moment. In addition, the moment due to the gravity of the developing unit D centering on the boss 18a is applied to the cleaning frame 13. Further, a moment opposite to the above is applied to the wall member around the recess 21 of the cleaning frame 13 based on the compression coil spring 26 contracted between the cleaning frame 13 and the developing frame 12.

【0041】

Since the process cartridge B is a consumable item, there is a strong demand for low cost. Therefore, the amount of resin used in the process cartridge B is reduced to reduce the cost. In the cleaning frame 13, the wall member of the frame constituting the waste toner storage portion 11c, the side wall 13b supporting the drum shaft 7a of the photoconductor drum 7, and the recess 21 of the joint between the developing frame 12 and the cleaning frame 13 Simply reducing the basic wall thickness of the wall members and the like constituting the above may cause deformation of the cleaning frame 13 due to the force generated by the above-mentioned frictional force and the like, which may adversely affect the image forming operation.

【0042】

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 16, the side surface 11c1 (see FIG. 1) of the waste toner storage portion 11c of the cleaning frame body 13 and the side surface 11c1 are located outward in the longitudinal direction. The plate surface connecting the side wall 13b shown in FIG. 14 of a certain cleaning frame body 13 faces the longitudinal direction and the connecting portion 13c in the vertical direction, and the connecting portion 13c and the tooth tip circle of the drum gear 7b fixed to the photoconductor drum 7 An intermediate wall 13d that is approximately parallel to the connecting portion 13c is provided between the two. As a result, a box-shaped space is created that is open outward in the longitudinal direction by the connecting portion 13c, the intermediate wall 13d, and the side surface 11c1 at the upper and lower positions 13u and 13v.

【0043】

Since the box-shaped ribs closed on all sides can be formed by the connecting portion 13c and the intermediate wall 13d in this way, a force such as being based on the friction between the cleaning blade 11a and the photoconductor drum 7 as described above is applied. However, the cleaning frame body 13 is not deformed. When it is necessary to further increase the rigidity, an appropriate number of partition ribs 13d1 perpendicular to both may be provided between the connecting portion 13c and the intermediate wall 13d to form a fine box-shaped rib.

【0044】

Further, a rib 13h1 substantially parallel to the lower surface 13g of the recess is provided between the lower surface 13g of the recess 21 of the cleaning frame 13 into which the arm portion 23 of the developing frame 12 is inserted and the drum gear 7b, and vertically vertically above and below the rib 13h1 and the intermediate wall 13d. Ribs 13h2 perpendicular to ribs 13h2 and ribs 13h1 in the direction and parallel to the intermediate wall 13d are provided. By providing a box-shaped rib formed by the lower surface 13 g of the recess and the ribs 13h1, 13h2, 13h3, and a box-shaped rib formed by the connecting portion 13c, the intermediate wall 13d, and the partition rib 13d1 described above, the ribs are provided outside the longitudinal direction. A box-shaped space that is open to the direction is created. As a result, the rigidity of the cleaning frame 13 that supports the photoconductor drum 7 can be made to be the same as that before the basic wall thickness is thinned, and the amount of resin for molding the cleaning frame 13 can be reduced. ..

【0045】

Furthermore, the vertical rib 13h2, which is perpendicular to the intermediate wall 13d (see FIG. 14) whose wall surface faces in the vertical direction and whose wall surface is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, prevents the charging roller 8 from moving in the axial direction. Therefore, it is provided at a position where it can come into contact with the thrust regulating portion 8a1 provided on the bearing 8a of the charging roller 8. The thrust regulating portion 8a1 is integrally attached to the charged roller bearing 8a that rotatably supports the charged roller shaft 8c, and slides on the sliding surface 8d of the end surface of the charged roller shaft 8c. Further, the charging roller bearing 8a is vertically movablely fitted to the vertical guide member 13s provided in the cleaning frame body 13, and a compression coil spring contracted between the end of the guide groove of the guide member 13s and the charging roller bearing 8a. The charging roller 8 is pressed against the photoconductor drum 7 by the 8e via the charging roller bearing 8a. With such a configuration, even if a drop impact is applied in the longitudinal direction of the charging roller 8 during distribution, the thrust regulating portion 8a1 of the charging roller bearing 8a and the rib 13h2 are in contact with each other on the surface, so that the impact of the drop causes charging. There is no possibility that the roller 8 will move in the axial direction to damage the thrust regulating portion 8a1 or the charged roller bearing 13a will come off from the guide member 13s.

【0046】

FIG. 16 is a side view for showing the appearance of the cleaning frame body 13, and the end face or plate surface of the connecting portion, the intermediate wall, each rib, and the outer wall member according to the embodiment of the present invention described above appears outward. ..

【0047】

The end faces of the ribs 13h1, 13h3, the lower ribs 13d1 and the intermediate wall 13d below the ribs 13h1 are orthogonal to each other in the longitudinal direction. The end faces are orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and the former end face is in a position retracted in the longitudinal direction when viewed from the outside of the latter end face. The side wall 13b is bordered by a rib 13k having the same height as the end face of the connecting portion 13c, and the rib 13k and the upper wall 13j are connected by a rib 13m. Further, the upper end of the rib 13h3 above the position of the photoconductor drum 7 and the upper wall 13j are connected by the rib 13n.

【0048】

Next, the shaft member 24 that connects the cleaning frame body 13 and the developing frame body 12 will be described. As described above, the process cartridge B is formed by rotatably connecting the developing unit D and the cleaning unit C to each other by a shaft member 24 having a round pin.

【0049】

As shown in FIG. 15, the recess 21 of the cleaning frame 13 into which the arm portion 23 of the developing frame 12 enters is surrounded by the recess upper wall 13j, the recess lower surface 13g, the outer wall member 13w1, and the inner wall member 13w2. As shown in Fig. 14, a part of the intermediate wall 13d is partitioned so as to be a dead end wall of this space (see Fig. 14 and Fig. 15). The inner wall member 13w2 is provided with a boss 13w4 facing outward in the longitudinal direction, and a press-fitting portion 13e2 is provided at the center of the boss 13w4. The arm portion 23 of the developing frame body 12 is adapted to enter between the boss 13w4 and the outer wall member 13w1. The outer wall member 13w1 is provided with a boss 13w3 facing outward in the longitudinal direction, and a mounting hole 13e1 is provided at the center of the boss 13w3. The above-mentioned mounting holes 13e1, press-fitting holes 13e2, and rotating holes 25 of the arm portion 23 have the same nominal diameter and are on the same center line. It is slipped or loosened, and the press-fit hole 13e2 is a tight fit.

【0050】

The shaft member 24 is inserted in the direction of arrow a in FIGS. 13 and 15. The tip of the shaft member 24 in the insertion direction protrudes about 2 to 3 mm from the end face of the press-fitting portion 13e2 to form a protrusion 24a (protrusion amount m), and the rear end has a push-in amount l (L) of 0 to 1 mm from the mounting hole 13e1 end face. It is intricate to some extent. Then, a rib 13i is provided on the cleaning frame 13 between the cleaning blade sheet metal 11a1 and the end surface at a position n apart from the tip of the shaft member 24a by a length n of 4 to 5 mm. The fitting length p of the shaft member 24 and the mounting hole 13e1 in the axial direction is made larger than this length n from the tip of the shaft member 24 to the rib 13i. Even if the user accidentally pushes the shaft member 24 into the rib 13i, the shaft member 24 comes into contact with the rib 13i and falls into the process cartridge B, damaging the process means such as the photoconductor drum 7 and the developing roller 10d. It prevents giving. Further, the reason why the rear end of the shaft member 24 enters from the outer end surface of the boss 13w3 provided with the mounting hole 13e1 is to prevent the user from easily touching the shaft member 24. The tip of the shaft member 24 protrudes from the press-fitting hole 13e2, and the protrusion amount m (2 to 3 mm) is larger than the push-in amount l (L) (0 to 1 mm) at the rear end of the process cartridge. When recycling B, insert a tool between the tip of the shaft member 24 and the rib 13i and return the protruding portion 24a of the tip of the shaft member 24 so that the rear end of the shaft member 24 provides the mounting hole 13e1. This is because it protrudes further to the outside, so it is possible to grasp this with pliers or the like and disassemble it into a pull-out cleaning unit C and a developing unit D. If an excessive force is applied when the shaft member 24 is inserted and the shaft member 24 is in contact with the rib 13i, strongly push the opposite surface of the surface of the rib 13i that the shaft member 24 is in contact with, and then push the rib 13i. Since the pushing amount l (L) is set to 0 or a small value by deforming, the rear end of the shaft member 24 can be projected from the outer end surface of the boss 13w3 provided with the mounting hole 13e1. Therefore, even in such a case, Kleini

【0051】

With the above configuration, it is possible to completely prevent the shaft member from falling into the process cartridge, and the user does not easily touch the shaft member, and the process cartridge can be easily disassembled at the time of recycling. Become.

【0052】

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, according to the present invention, in a process cartridge having an electrophotographic photosensitive member drum, a drum shaft that rotatably supports the photoconductor drum, and a cleaning frame body to which the drum shaft is fixed, the cleaning frame body Even if the basic wall thickness of the cleaning frame is thinned, the photoconductor drum is supported by providing box-shaped ribs in front of and above the recording medium transport direction from the electrophotographic photosensitive drum on the side wall where the drum shaft is fixed. The required rigidity can be obtained.

【0053】

The process cartridge has a charging means for uniformly charging the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum, and the box-shaped rib on the upper portion serves as a position regulating portion in the longitudinal direction of the charging means, so that the position in the longitudinal direction of the charging means is formed. Regulatory reliability is improved.

【0054】

The development frame has a cleaning frame that rotatably supports the electrophotographic photosensitive member drum and a development frame that supports the developing means, and the development frame is a shaft in a process cartridge that is swingably supported by a shaft member on the cleaning frame. It is a process cartridge characterized by providing ribs at a position slightly distant from the tip in the insertion direction of the member in the insertion direction. More specifically, the shaft member is press-fitted and fixed to the cleaning frame near the tip in the insertion direction for development. It is loosely fitted to the frame body, and when the rear end in the insertion direction of the shaft member coincides with the side surface of the cleaning frame body, the tip portion in the insertion direction protrudes from the press-fitting portion of the cleaning frame body, and the rib is the shaft member. Is provided at a position about 4 to 5 mm away from the tip in the insertion direction at the position where the insertion is completed. More specifically, the rib is provided on the cleaning frame body, and the rear end of the shaft member is the cleaning frame. The insertion is completed at a position about 1 mm from the end face of the side wall of the body, and at that time, the tip of the shaft member protrudes about 2 to 3 mm from the press-fitting part of the cleaning frame body, so that the shaft member can be completely prevented from falling into the process cartridge. , The user does not easily touch the shaft member, and the process cartridge can be easily disassembled at the time of recycling.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

It is a left outer side side external perspective view of the process cartridge of embodiment of this invention.

[Figure 2]

It is a top view top view of the process cartridge of embodiment of this invention.

[Fig. 3]

It is a vertical cross-sectional view which shows the structure of an image forming apparatus and a process cartridge.

[Fig. 4]

It is a vertical cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the process cartridge.

[Fig. 5]

It is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus explaining the state of attaching and detaching a process cartridge.

[Fig. 6]

It is a perspective view of the right side guide composition of the image forming apparatus which guides attachment / detachment of a process cartridge.

[Fig. 7]

It is a perspective view of the left side guide composition of the image forming apparatus which guides attachment / detachment of a process cartridge.

[Fig. 8]

It is a state explanatory drawing which attaches the process cartridge to an image forming apparatus.

[Fig. 9]

It is a state explanatory drawing which attaches the process cartridge to an image forming apparatus.

[Fig. 10]

It is a state explanatory drawing which attaches the process cartridge to an image forming apparatus.

[Fig. 11]

It is a state explanatory drawing which attaches the process cartridge to an image forming apparatus.

[Fig. 12]

It is a state explanatory drawing which attaches the process cartridge to an image forming apparatus.

[Fig. 13]

It is a front view of the vicinity of the longitudinal end portion of the cleaning frame body including the cross section of the joint portion of the cleaning frame body and the developing frame body of a process cartridge.

[Fig. 14]

It is XX sectional view of FIG.

[Fig. 15]

It is a vertical cross-sectional view parallel to the photoconductor drum of the joint part of the cleaning frame body and the developing frame body of a process cartridge.

[Fig. 16]

It is a side view of a cleaning frame body.

[Explanation of symbols]

A ... Image forming device B ... process cartridge C ... Cleaning unit D ... Development unit l (L) ... Pushing amount m ... Protrusion amount 1 ... Optical system 2 ... Recording medium 3 ... Conveying means 3a ... Paper cassette 3c ... Pickup roller 3c ... Pressure welding member 3d ... Conveying roller vs. 3e ... Resist roller vs. 3f ... Conveying belt 3g, 3h .. .Drain roller 3i ... Bypass tray 3j ... Roller 4 ... Transfer roller 5 ... Fixing means 5a ... Drive roller 5b ... Heater 5c ... Support 5d ... Fixing rotating body 6 ... Discharge 7 ... Photoreceptor drum 7a ... Drum shaft 7b ... Drum gear 8 ... Charging roller 8a ... Charging roller bearing 8a1 ... Thrust control part 8b ... Covered roller part 8c ... Charging roller shaft 8d ... Sliding surface 8e ... Compression coil spring 9 ... exposure opening 10 ... Development means 10a ... Toner storage 10b1, 10b2 ... Toner feed member 10c ... Fixed magnet 10d ... Development roller 10e ... Development blade 10f ... Flange 10g ... Antenna rod 11 ... Cleaning means 11a ... Cleaning blade 11a1 ... Cleaning blade Sheet metal 11a2 ... Rubber blade 11b ... Squeeze sheet 11c ... Waste toner storage 11c1 ... Side 12 ... Development frame body 12a ... Development upper frame 12b ... Development lower frame 12c ... Lid member 13 ... Cleaning frame 13b ... Side wall 13c ... Connecting part 13d ... Intermediate wall 13d1 ... Partition rib 13e1 ... Mounting hole 13e2 ... Press-fitting part 13g ... concave lower surface 13h ... concave upper wall 13h1 ... rib 13h2 ... rib 13h3 ... rib 13i ... rib 13j ... upper wall 13s ... guide member 13u ... position 13v ... Position 13w1 ... Outer wall member 13w2 ... Inner wall member 13w3 ... Boss 13w4 ... Boss 14 ... Device body 15 ... Opening and closing member 15a ... Axis 16 ... Guide rail 16a ... 1st slope 16b ... 2nd slope 16c ... Receiving recess 17 ... Guide member 18a ... boss 18b ... rib 19 ... Butt member 20 ... contact surface 21 ... recess 22 ... drive gear 23 ... Arm 24 ... Shaft member 24a ... Protruding part 25 ... Rotating hole 26 ... compression coil spring 27 ... Arm member 28 ... Shutter 29 ... Link member 29b ... Protruding part