KR101474306B1 - Electrophotographic image forming apparatus and development cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus having a main body having an opening, a photoconductor cartridge detachably attached to the main body through an opening and having a mounting portion, and a developing cartridge detachably attached to the mounting portion through the opening, . First and second guide rails are provided on the mounting portion, and both side portions of the developing cartridge are provided with first and second guide projections having different protrusion amounts from the both side portions so as to be guided by the first and second guide rails, respectively.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and a development cartridge,

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus capable of attaching and detaching a process cartridge, and a developing cartridge.

An image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method is a method of supplying an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor with toner to form a visible toner image on the photoreceptor and transferring the toner image to a recording medium and then transferring the transferred toner image to a recording medium And the image is printed on the recording medium.
(Patent Document 1) US20110236060 A
(Patent Document 2) US6873810 B
(Patent Document 3) US6690903 B
(Patent Document 4) US6678489 B

The process cartridge is an assembly of parts for forming a visible toner image, which is detachably attachable to the image forming apparatus main body, and is a consumable item to be replaced when the service life of the process cartridge is over. The integral process cartridge has a photoreceptor and receives toner to be supplied to the photoreceptor. Incidentally, the amount (life) of the toner accommodated in the process cartridge is shorter than the lifetime of the photoconductor. Since the lifetime of the process cartridge depends on the amount of toner accommodated therein, if the toner is exhausted, the process cartridge itself must be replaced even if the lifetime of the photoconductor is not sufficient, resulting in an increase in consumable cost of the user.

In order to reduce the cost of consumables, a detachable process cartridge is devised so that the photoconductor cartridge including the photoreceptor and the development cartridge containing the toner can be individually replaced.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus and a developing cartridge in which a photoreceptor cartridge and a developing cartridge can be attached to and detached from a main body of a photoreceptor cartridge, respectively.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a main body having an opening; A photoconductor cartridge detachably attached to the main body through the opening; And a developing cartridge which is detachably attached to the mounting portion through the opening when the photoconductor cartridge is mounted on the main body, wherein the mounting portion is provided with first and second guide rails, The first and second guide protrusions are provided so as to be guided by the first guide rail and the second guide rail, respectively.

The first and second guide rails may be independent. The protrusion amount of the first guide protrusion may be smaller than the protrusion amount of the second guide protrusion. The first and second guide rails may be formed so as to correspond to the first and second guide projections and be stepped on each other.

The second guide rail may be branched from the first guide rail. The projection amount of the second guide projection may be smaller than the projection amount of the first guide projection. The first guide rail may be formed to be stepped from the second guide rail such that the second guide projection is spaced from the first guide projection at a branching position where the second guide rail branches from the first guide rail . And a guide portion for guiding the second guide projection to the second guide rail may be provided at a distal end of the branching position.

Wherein the photosensitive cartridge includes a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, the developing cartridge including a developing roller for supplying and developing toner to the electrostatic latent image, wherein the first guide projection is formed coaxial with the rotation axis of the developing roller .

Wherein the mounting portion includes first and second seating portions on which the first and second guide protrusions guided by the first and second guide rails are respectively seated and the first seating portion is provided with the first guide protrusion And a retreat prevention portion which is located on the removal direction side and supports the first guide projection may be provided.

The second seat portion may be provided with a rotation preventing portion which is located on the downstream side along the rotation direction of the developing roller of the second guide projection and supports the second guide projection.

The main body is provided with an entry guide, and the developing cartridge may be provided with a third guide protrusion which contacts the entrance guide to guide the developing cartridge to the mounting portion when the main body is inserted into the main body.

The third guide projection may protrude upward from the upper surface of the housing of the development cartridge.

A developing cartridge according to an aspect of the present invention includes a developing roller which is mounted on a mounting portion provided in the photoconductor cartridge after the photoconductor cartridge having the photoconductor is mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus and supplies the toner to the photoconductor for development Wherein the developing cartridge is guided by first and second guide rails provided on the mounting portion so that the first and second guide rails protrude from the opposite side portions of the developing cartridge so that the developing cartridge is mounted on the mounting portion, 2 guide projections are provided.

The protrusion amount of the first guide protrusion may be smaller than the protrusion amount of the second guide protrusion. The projection amount of the second guide projection may be smaller than the projection amount of the first guide projection.

The first guide protrusion may be a positioning protrusion for determining a position of the development cartridge with respect to the photoconductor, and the second guide protrusion may be a rotation preventing protrusion for preventing rotation of the development cartridge.

The first guide protrusion may be formed coaxially with the rotation axis of the developing roller.

The developing cartridge may be provided with a third guide protrusion that contacts the entrance guide provided in the main body when the developing cartridge is inserted into the main body and guides the developing cartridge to the mounting portion.

The third guide projection may protrude upward from the upper surface of the housing of the development cartridge.

According to the electrophotographic image forming apparatus and the developing cartridge described above, the developing cartridge can be attached to and detached from the mounting portion provided in the photoconductor cartridge with the photoconductor cartridge mounted on the main body.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2A is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which a photoconductor cartridge and a development cartridge are detached from a main body. FIG.
FIG. 2B is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the photosensitive member cartridge and the development cartridge are mounted on the main body.
3A is a diagram showing the arrangement state of the photosensitive drum and the developing roller in the contact developing system.
Fig. 3B is a diagram showing the arrangement state of the photosensitive drum and the developing roller in the non-contact developing system.
4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the photoconductor cartridge.
Figures 5A and 5B are perspective views of one embodiment of the development cartridge.
6 is a perspective view showing the guide rail in detail.
7A to 7C are schematic views showing a process in which the developing cartridge is mounted on the mounting portion after the photosensitive member cartridge is mounted on the main body.
8 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a power connection structure between a photoconductor cartridge and a development cartridge.
9 is a view for explaining a pressing force for fixing the developing cartridge to the photosensitive body cartridge.
10 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the cover.
11 is a side view showing a state in which the developing cartridge is pressed by the pressing portion in a state that the cover is closed.
12 is a side view showing an example of a state in which the pressure applying unit also serves as a communication function with the memory unit.
13 is a schematic configuration diagram of another embodiment of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which a photoconductor cartridge and a development cartridge are mounted on a main body.
15 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a photoconductor cartridge.
16A and 16B are perspective views of one embodiment of the development cartridge.
17 is a perspective view showing the guide rail in detail.
18A to 18C are schematic views showing a process in which the developing cartridge is mounted on the mounting portion after the photoconductor cartridge is mounted on the main body.
19 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the first and second couplers.
20 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a power connection structure between a photoconductor cartridge and a development cartridge.
21 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the cover.
22 is a side view showing a state in which the developing cartridge is pressed by the pressing portion in a state in which the cover is closed;
23 is a side view showing an example of a state in which the pressure applying unit also serves as a communication function with the memory unit.
24 is a view showing the relationship between the first and second guide projections and the first and second mounting portions in a state in which the developing cartridge is mounted on the photoconductor cartridge.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, elements having substantially the same functional configuration in the present specification and drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to the present invention. 2A and 2B are schematic perspective views of an embodiment of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, in which a state in which the photoconductor cartridge 200 and the development cartridge 300 are detached from / And FIG.

1, 2A and 2B, an image forming apparatus main body 100, a photoconductor cartridge 200, and a development cartridge 300 are shown. The main body 100 is provided with an opening 101 for providing a passage through which the photoconductor cartridge 200 and the development cartridge 300 are mounted / detached. The cover 400 opens and closes the opening 101. The main body 100 is provided with an exposure machine 110, a transfer roller 120, and a fuser 130. The main body 100 is provided with a recording medium transport structure for transporting and transporting the recording medium P on which an image is to be formed.

The photoconductor cartridge 200 includes a photosensitive drum 1. The photosensitive drum 1 may include a conductive metal pipe and a photosensitive layer formed on the periphery thereof as an example of a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. The charging roller 2 is an example of a charger that charges the photosensitive drum 1 to have a uniform surface potential. Instead of the charging roller 2, a charging brush, a corona charger, or the like may be employed. Reference numeral 3 denotes a cleaning roller for removing foreign substances on the surface of the charging roller 2. [ The cleaning blade 8 is an example of cleaning means for removing toner and foreign matter remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 after the transferring process described later. Other types of cleaning devices, such as a brush that rotates instead of the cleaning blade 8, may be employed. The toner and the foreign substance removed by the cleaning blade 8 are accommodated in the waste toner bottle 9.

The developing cartridge 300 supplies the toner contained therein to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 to develop the electrostatic latent image into a visible toner image. When the one-component developing system is employed, the toner is accommodated in the developing cartridge 300, and the toner and the carrier are accommodated in the developing cartridge 300 when the two-component developing system is employed. The developing roller 4 is for supplying the toner in the development cartridge 300 to the photosensitive drum 1. [ A developing bias voltage may be applied to the developing roller 4. [ The regulating member 5 regulates the amount of toner supplied to the developing area where the photosensitive drum 1 and the developing roller 4 are opposed to each other by the developing roller 4. [ The regulating member 5 may be a doctor blade which elastically contacts the surface of the developing roller 4. [

In this embodiment, a one-component developing system is employed. In the one-component developing system, a contact developing system in which the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 are rotated in contact with each other, and a contact developing system in which the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 are rotated to be spaced apart by several tens to several hundreds of microns Contact developing method. Fig. 3A shows the arrangement state of the photosensitive drum 1 and the developing roller 4 in the contact developing system. Fig. 3B shows the arrangement state of the photosensitive drum 1 and the developing roller 4 in the non- Fig. 3A, a gap holding member 42a smaller than the diameter of the developing roller 4 may be provided at both ends of the rotating shaft 41 of the developing roller 4 in the contact developing method. The gap holding member 42a contacts the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 to regulate the amount of contact of the developing roller 4 with respect to the photosensitive drum 1. [ The developing roller 4 contacts the photosensitive drum 1 to form a developing nip N. [ 3B, in the case of the non-contact developing method, a gap holding member 42b larger than the diameter of the developing roller 4 may be provided at both ends of the rotating shaft 41 of the developing roller 4. [ The gap holding member 42b contacts the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 to regulate the developing gap g between the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1. [ The developing cartridge 300 may further include a supplying roller 6 for adhering the toner to the surface of the developing roller 4. [ A supply bias voltage may be applied to the supply roller 6. [ The developing cartridge 300 may further include agitators 7a and 7b which agitate the toner and supply the toner to the supplying roller 6 and the developing roller 4. [ The agitators 7a and 7b can stir the toner to triboelectrify. In this embodiment, a one-component contact developing method is employed.

In the case where the two-component development method is employed, the developing roller 4 is positioned apart from the photosensitive drum 1 by tens to hundreds of microns. Although not shown in the drawings, the developing roller 4 may be in the form of a magnetic roller disposed in a hollow cylindrical sleeve. The toner is attached to the surface of the magnetic carrier. The magnetic carrier is carried to the developing area where the photosensitive drum 1 and the developing roller 4 are brought into contact with the surface of the developing roller 4. [ Only the toner is supplied to the photosensitive drum 1 by the developing bias voltage applied between the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 into a visible toner image . The development cartridge 300 may have a transport agitator (not shown) for mixing and stirring the toner with the carrier and transporting the toner to the development roller 4. The transport agitator may be, for example, an auger, and the development cartridge 300 may be provided with a plurality of transport agitators.

The embodiments of the developing system of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and changes can be made to the developing system.

The exposing machine 110 irradiates the modulated light onto the photosensitive drum 1 in correspondence with the image information to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 1. [ As the exposure machine 110, a laser scanning unit (LSU) using a laser diode as a light source or an LED exposure machine using a light emitting diode (LED) as a light source may be employed.

The transfer roller 120 is an example of a transfer device that transfers a toner image from the photosensitive drum 1 to the recording medium P. [ A transfer bias voltage for transferring the toner image to the recording medium P is applied to the transfer roller 120. [ A corona transporter or a pin scorotron type transcription unit may be employed instead of the transfer roller 120. [

The recording medium P is picked up one by one by the pick-up roller 142 from the stacking table 141. The photosensitive drums 1 and the transfer rollers 120 face each other by the conveying rollers 143, 144, Lt; / RTI >

The fixing unit 130 applies heat and pressure to the image transferred to the recording medium P to fix it on the recording medium P. [ The recording medium P having passed through the fixing device 130 is discharged to the outside of the main body 100 by the discharge roller 146. [

With the above configuration, the exposure machine 110 scans the photosensitive drum 1 with light modulated in accordance with image information to form an electrostatic latent image. The developing roller 4 supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image to form a visible toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. The recording medium P loaded on the loading table 50 is conveyed to the area where the photosensitive drum 1 and the transfer roller 120 face each other by the pickup roller 142 and the conveying rollers 143, 144, And the toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum 1 onto the recording medium P by the transferring bar voltage applied to the transferring roller 120. [ When the recording medium P passes through the fuser 130, the toner image is fixed to the recording medium P by heat and pressure. The recording medium P on which the fixing is completed is discharged by the discharge roller 146. [ The recording medium P on which the image is printed on one side is conveyed along the reverse conveying path 150 as the discharge roller 146 is reversely rotated so that the photosensitive drum 1 and the transfer roller 120 And then transferred to the confronting area. Next, a new toner image is transferred to the back of the recording medium P, and after the fixing process, the recording medium P on which the image is printed on both sides is discharged by the discharge roller 146. [

The photoconductor cartridge 200 and the development cartridge 300 are consumables that are replaced when the life span of the photoconductor cartridge 200 and the development cartridge 300 expires. Since the life spans of the photoconductor cartridge 200 and the development cartridge 300 may be different from each other, they can be replaced individually.

A method of attaching or detaching the process cartridge to or from the main assembly 100 in a state in which the photoconductor cartridge 200 and the development cartridge 300 are combined (process cartridge) can be considered. According to this method, for example, in a case where only the developing cartridge 300 is to be replaced, the process cartridge is detached from the main body 100, the photoconductor cartridge 200 is released from the developing cartridge 300, After attaching the process cartridge 300 to the photoconductor cartridge 200, the process cartridge must be attached to the main assembly 100. [ Therefore, the procedure of replacing the developing cartridge 300 is complicated. Further, since the process cartridge is heavy, handling in the process of attaching / detaching is not easy.

According to this embodiment, the photoconductor cartridge 200 is mounted on the main assembly 100, and the development cartridge 300 is mounted on the mounting portion 201 provided in the photoconductor cartridge 200. The photoconductor cartridge 200 is detached from the main assembly 100 after the developing cartridge 300 is detached from the mounting portion 201. [ With such a configuration, since the photoconductor cartridge 200 and the development cartridge 300 can be individually mounted / detached from / to the main assembly 100, the replacement operation of the photoconductor cartridge 200 or development cartridge 300 is simple Do. In addition, since the photoconductor cartridge 200 and the developing cartridge 300 are individually handled during the attachment / detachment process, the burden imposed on the user can be reduced, thereby improving user convenience.

Hereinafter, the mounting direction A1 side of the photoconductor cartridge 200 and the developing cartridge 300 will be referred to as the front, and the opposite direction to the mounting direction A1, i.e., the detaching direction A2 side.

4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the photoconductor cartridge 200. FIG. FIGS. 5A and 5B are perspective views of an embodiment of the development cartridge 300. FIG. 4 and 5A and 5B, the photoconductor cartridge 200 is provided with a mounting portion 201 on which the development cartridge 300 is mounted. The mounting portion 201 may include first and second guide members 210 and 220 extending rearward from both sides of the frame 202 of the photoconductor cartridge 200, for example. The first and second guide members 210 and 220 may be connected by a connecting member 250 extending in the longitudinal direction B of the photosensitive drum 1. The connecting member 250 may be connected to the rear end of the first and second guide members 210 and 220. The first and second guide members 210 and 220 are provided with a guide rail 230. On both sides of the development cartridge 300, first and second guide protrusions 310 and 320 are provided. The first guide protrusion 310 may be coaxial with the rotation axis 41 of the developing roller 4. [ Thus, since the position of the developing roller 4 can be directly regulated, the positional deviation of the developing roller 4 for manufacturing tolerance or error can be reduced. The second guide protrusion 320 is located at a position spaced rearward from the first guide protrusion 310. The development cartridge 300 is mounted / detached from / on the mounting portion 201 by supporting the first and second guide protrusions 310 and 320 on the guide rail 230.

6 is a perspective view showing the guide rail 230 in detail. Referring to FIG. 6, the guide rail 230 guides the first and second guide protrusions 310 and 320 to the first and second seating portions 241 and 242, respectively. The guide rail 230 includes a first guide rail 231 for guiding the first guide projection 310 to the first seating portion 241 and a second guide rail 231 for guiding the second guide projection 320 to the second seating portion 242 And a second guide rail 232 for guiding the second guide rail. The first guide rail 231 and the second guide rail 232 are vertically spaced apart from each other. In order to allow the first and second guide protrusions 310 and 320 to be guided by the first and second guide rails 231 and 232, The amount of protrusion from both side walls of the housing 300 is different from each other. For example, the first and second guide protrusions 310 and 320 may be in the form of a boss protruding in the longitudinal direction B outward from both sides of the development cartridge 300. Referring to FIG. 5A, the protrusion amount S2 of the second guide protrusion 320 is larger than the protrusion amount S1 of the first guide protrusion 310. The first and second guide rails 310 and 320 may be formed on the first and second guide members 210 and 220 so as to be stepped in the longitudinal direction B. For example, the first guide rail 231 protrudes inward from the inner side wall of the first and second guide members 210 and 220, and the second guide rail 232 is in the form of protruding inward from the inner wall of the first and second guide members 210 and 220, The first and second guide rails 210 and 220 may be formed in a shape of a slot through which the members 210 and 220 are engraved or through the first and second guide rails 210 and 220. When the developing cartridge 300 is mounted on the photoconductor cartridge 200, the first guide protrusion 310 is guided along the first guide rail 231, the second guide protrusion 320 is guided along the first guide rail 231, And can be guided to the first and second seating portions 241 and 242 along the rail 232, respectively. The first seating portion 241 may have a shape such as a "U" character or a "V" character in which a cylindrical first guide projection 310 is inserted and seated. For example, the second seating portion 242 may have a shape such that a cylindrical second guide protrusion 320 is inserted and seated and the second guide protrusion 320 can be regulated so that the second guide protrusion 320 does not fall upward, for example, Quot; U "or" V "shape. The shapes of the first and second seating portions 241 and 242 are not limited to the above-described examples.

Referring to FIG. 5B, a third guide protrusion 309 may be provided on the front portion of the development cartridge 300. For example, the third guide projection 309 may be in the form of a rib protruding upward from the upper surface of the housing 301 of the development cartridge 300. In order to allow the developing cartridge 300 to be guided downwardly by the entrance guide (FIG. 7A: 190) provided in the main assembly 100 as the developing cartridge 300 is inserted into the mounting portion 201, the third guide projections 309 May be inclined with respect to the mounting direction A1. The developing cartridge 300 may be provided with a plurality of third guide protrusions 309 spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction B. When the developing cartridge 300 is mounted on the mounting portion 201 of the photoconductor cartridge 200 while the photoconductor cartridge 200 is mounted on the main assembly 100, (Fig. 7A: 190). Thereby, the development cartridge 300 is guided to the mounting portion 201. [ Also, as will be described later, the second guide protrusion 320 can be guided by the second guide rail 232 naturally. The entrance guide 190 may be, for example, in the form of a rib protruding inwardly from an upper cover (FIG. 1: 109) forming an upper shell of the main body 100, (Not shown).

7A to 7C are schematic views showing a process in which the developing cartridge 300 is mounted on the mounting portion 201 after the photoconductor cartridge 200 is mounted on the main assembly 100. FIG. The developing cartridge 300 is moved toward the main body 100 in a state where the photoconductor cartridge 200 is mounted on the main assembly 100 and the first guide protrusion 310 is moved to the first guide rail 231). In this state, the developing cartridge 300 is pushed into the main body 100. As the developing cartridge 300 is inserted into the main assembly 100, the third guide protrusion 309 contacts the entry guide 190 and the second guide protrusion 320 contacts the entrance guide 190, And is naturally guided by the guide rail 232. Subsequently, when the developing cartridge 300 is pushed in the mounting direction A1, the first and second guide protrusions 310 and 320 are guided by the first and second guide rails 231 and 232, respectively, 1 and the second seating portions 241 and 242, respectively.

When the attachment / detachment direction of the development cartridge 300 and the photoconductor cartridge 200 is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording medium P, i.e., the lengthwise direction of the photosensitive drum 1, the development cartridge 300 and the photoconductor cartridge 200 The photosensitive drum 1 and the developing roller 4 are interfered with other parts in the main assembly 100 or the developing cartridge 300 and the photosensitive drum 1 are interfered with each other and the photosensitive drum 1 ) And the developing roller 4 are relatively high. According to the image forming apparatus of this embodiment, the attaching / detaching directions A1 and A2 of the photosensitive cartridge 200 and the developing cartridge 300 are the conveying directions of the recording medium P, respectively. In other words, the photosensitive drum 1 is in the transverse direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction B of the photosensitive drum 1. With such a configuration, there is almost no possibility of interference between the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 in the process of mounting the developing cartridge 300 to the mounting portion 201. Therefore, the risk of breakage due to interference between the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 can be reduced.

Even if the developing cartridge 300 is mounted on the mounting portion 201 of the photoconductor cartridge 200 after the photoconductor cartridge 200 is mounted on the main assembly 100, the developing cartridge 300 is in a state of being fixedly coupled to the photoconductor cartridge 200 . In other words, in this state, the user simply pulls the development cartridge 300 in the removal direction without any action of unbinding (unlocking) the development cartridge 300 from the photoconductor cartridge 200, (100).

Referring to FIG. 4, the photoconductor cartridge 200 is provided with a first handle 260 that can be held by the user when the photoconductor cartridge 200 is mounted / detached from / on the main body 100. The first handle 260 can be located on the opening 101 side of the photoconductor cartridge 200, that is, on the rear side, so that the user can easily find the first handle 260 when the cover 400 is opened. For example, the first handle 260 may be provided at a central portion of the connecting member 250 connecting the first and second guide members 210 and 220.

5A, the development cartridge 300 is provided with a second handle 360 that can be gripped by the user when mounting / removing the development cartridge 300 to / from the main assembly 100. Fig. The second handle 360 can be positioned on the opening 101 side of the development cartridge 300, that is, on the rear side, so that the user can easily find the second handle 360 when the cover 400 is opened. The second handle 360 may be provided at the center of the rear side of the development cartridge 300.

The developing cartridge 300 is first detached from the mounting portion 201 of the photoconductor cartridge 200 when the photoconductor cartridge 200 and the developing cartridge 300 are detached from the main body 100 The photoconductor cartridge 200 is detached from the main body 100 afterwards. 2B, the second handle 360 is positioned above the first handle 260 in a state where the photosensitive cartridge 200 and the development cartridge 300 are mounted on the main assembly 100. Referring to FIG. Generally, the eye level of the user is higher than that of the image forming apparatus. The user's line of sight looking inside the main body 100 through the opening 101 in a state in which the cover 400 of the main body 100 is opened faces downward from the upper side. Therefore, the second handle 360 positioned on the upper side can be found more easily to the user than the first handle 260 positioned on the lower side, and the user grasps the second handle 360, 300 can be removed first.

The driving members such as the developing roller 4, the supplying roller 6 and the agitators 7a and 7b provided in the photosensitive drum 1 and the charging roller 2 and the developing cartridge 300 provided in the photoreceptor cartridge 200 When the photoconductor cartridge 200 and the developing cartridge 300 are mounted on the main assembly 100, the driving force is transmitted from a driving unit (not shown)

It may be considered that each of the photoconductor cartridge 200 and the development cartridge 300 is individually connected to a driving unit provided in the main assembly 100. [ The developing cartridge 300 is mounted on the mounting portion 201 provided in the photoconductor cartridge 200 so that the mounting position of the developing cartridge 300 in the main assembly 100 is the same as the mounting position of the developing cartridge 300 in the photoconductor cartridge 200. [ By the positional relationship between the developing cartridge 300 and the main assembly 100, the positional relationship between the developing cartridge 300 and the mounting portion 201, and the positional relationship between the developing cartridge 300 and the driving portion (not shown) . That is, the mounting position of the developing cartridge 300 with respect to the main assembly 100 is in an over-constrain state. Therefore, if any of these positional relationships is not stable, the mounting position of the developing cartridge 300 relative to the main assembly 100 is unstable, and when the developing roller 4 or the like is driven, May occur. Such distortion, vibration, or the like of the development cartridge 300 may cause toner leakage. In the case of the contact developing method, the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 may not be stably contacted with each other. In the case of the non-contact developing method, the gap between the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 is maintained constant It may not be possible. Such instability of the positional relationship between the photosensitive drum 1 and the developing roller 4 may lead to image defects such as image dropout, image density uniformity, and the like. Since the main body 100 is provided with two drive couplers for transferring the driving force to the photoconductor cartridge 200 and the development cartridge 300, the driving structure is complicated and the number of parts is increased, , Resulting in an increase in the size of the image forming apparatus.

The driving force of the driving unit provided to the main assembly 100 through the path of the main assembly 100 - the photoconductor cartridge 200 - the development cartridge 300 is transmitted to the photoconductor cartridge 200 And the development cartridge 300 as shown in Fig.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 8, the photoconductor cartridge 200 is guided by a mounting rail 108 provided in the main body 100, and mounted on the main body 100. In the body 100, a first coupler 160 is provided. The first coupler 160 may be provided on one side or both sides of the main body 100. The first coupler 160 is driven by a drive motor (not shown) provided in the main body 100. A second coupler 280 is provided on one side or both sides of the photoconductor cartridge 200. The second coupler 280 is provided on the rotating shaft 11 of the photosensitive drum 1 so that the rotational force of the second coupler 280 can be directly transmitted to the photosensitive drum 1. The first coupler 160 can be supported on the shaft 102 provided in the main body 100 so as to be movable in the axial direction thereof. The spring 103 applies an elastic force to the first coupler 160 in a direction to be coupled with the second coupler 280. When the photoconductor cartridge 200 is mounted on the main assembly 100, the first and second couplers 160 and 280 are engaged with each other, so that driving force can be transmitted from the main assembly 100 to the photoconductor cartridge 200. The structure of the first and second couplers 160 and 280 is not limited to the example shown in Fig. Various power connection structures such as a gear-gear engagement structure may be employed as the first and second couplers 160 and 280. The charging roller 2 may be connected to the first gear 12 by a gear connection structure and driven.

8, a first gear 12 is provided on the rotary shaft 11 of the photosensitive drum 1 and a second gear 43 is provided on the rotary shaft 41 of the developing roller 4. [ When the developing cartridge 300 is mounted on the photoconductor cartridge 200, the second gear 43 is engaged with the first gear 12. The feed roller 6 and the agitators 7a and 7b may be connected and driven by a gear connection structure with the second gear 43. [ With such a configuration, the driving force can be transmitted from the main assembly 100 to the photoconductor cartridge 200 and the development cartridge 300.

In the case of the contact developing method shown in FIG. 3A, the first and second guide protrusions 310 and 320 are mounted on the first and second seating portions 241 and 242, Is not yet in contact with the photosensitive drum 1 and the developing roller 4 and the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 are in contact with each other and the developing nip N is not formed. Therefore, in order for the development roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 to be in the state shown in Fig. 3A, the development cartridge 300 must be further advanced until the gap holding member 42a contacts the photosensitive drum 1 do. 3B, the gap maintaining member 42b is in contact with the photosensitive drum 1 and a developing gap g is formed between the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1. However, in the case of the non- The developing cartridge 300 is not fixed. Therefore, in order to maintain the positional relationship between the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 in the state shown in Fig. 3A or Fig. 3B, it is necessary to press the developing cartridge 300 and fix it to the photosensitive cartridge 200 .

9 is a view for explaining a pressing force for fixing the developing cartridge 300 to the photoconductor cartridge 200. Fig. 9, when the contact developing system is employed, the developing nip N is formed while the developing roller 4 is compressively deformed. The developing nip N is formed in the developing cartridge 300 by the repulsive force generated by the compression deformation A force F is applied. Further, a rotational moment M is also applied to the developing cartridge 300 in the rotational direction of the developing roller 4. When the developing cartridge 300 is retracted by the force F and the rotation moment M, the developing nip N (or developing gap g) between the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 is maintained The image may be blurred or white void problems may occur. In addition, jitter may be caused by the vibration of the development cartridge 300. Therefore, a pressing force capable of compensating the force F and the rotational moment M needs to be applied to the developing cartridge 300. [

Referring to FIG. 9, first and second pressing forces F1 and F2 may be applied to the developing cartridge 300. FIG. The first and second pressing forces F1 and F2 are the positions distant from the center line L connecting the centers of the photosensitive drums 1 and the developing rollers 4 by the first and second distances D1 and D2, Lt; / RTI > The directions of the first pressing force F1 and the second pressing force F2 are parallel to the center line L and are opposite to the force F. [ Only the component parallel to the center line L of the first and second pressing forces F1 and F2 is applied to the developing nip N when the first and second pressing forces F1 and F2 make an angle with the center line L. [ (Or the development gap g), so that the loss of the first and second pressing forces F1 and F2 can be generated. In addition, an unnecessary rotational moment is generated by the first and second pressing forces F1 and F2, and the positional stability of the development cartridge 300 may be impaired. 10 and 410), which provide the first and second pressing forces F1 and F2, since the first and second pressing forces F1 and F2 must be increased in consideration of the loss of the pressing force, And the stress of the cover 400 provided with the pressing unit (Figs. 10: 410, 420) as described later can also be increased. In addition, the load when the cover 400 is closed is large, which is disadvantageous in terms of user convenience. The direction of the first pressing force F1 and the second pressing force F2 is parallel to the center line L connecting the photosensitive drum 1 and the center of the developing roller 4 do. Thus, it is possible to optimize the magnitude of the first and second pressing forces F1 and F2 to secure the positional stability of the developing cartridge 300 and user convenience, and reduce the stress of the component.

The first pressing force F1 is spaced a first distance D1 from the center line L of the developing cartridge 300 and is applied to the opposite side of the second pressing force F2 with respect to the center line L. [ Only the first pressing force F1 may be applied to the developing cartridge 300 in order to compensate for the rotational moment M and the force F. In this case, 10 < / RTI > (410, 420). Further, when the thickness of the developing cartridge 300 is large, it is not easy to balance the rotational moment acting on the developing cartridge 300 by only the first pressing force F1. Therefore, by reducing the size of each of the first and second pressing forces F1 and F2 for compensating the force F by further applying the second pressing force F2 to the opposite side with respect to the center line L, The balance of the moments can be easily adjusted. The magnitude of the first pressing force F1 may be larger than the magnitude of the second pressing force F2 in order to compensate the moment due to the rotation moment M and the second pressing force F2. The first distance D1 is made larger than the second distance D2 so that the magnitude of the first pressing force F1 for compensating the rotational moment generated by the rotational moment M and the second pressing force F2 Can be made small. Thereby, the magnitude of the first and second pressing forces F1 and F2 can be reduced to reduce the stress of the developing cartridge 300 and the pressing unit (Figs. 10: 410 and 420).

The total moment Mt acting on the development cartridge 300 by the first pressing force F1 and the second pressing force F2 is

M + F2 x D2 - F1 x D1 = Mt

. ≪ / RTI >

By selecting F1, F2, D1 and D2 so that the total moment Mt is minimized in the above equation, the position stability of the developing cartridge 300, that is, the position stability of the developing roller 4 and the position of the photosensitive drum 1 .

The image forming apparatus of the present embodiment fixes the developing cartridge 300 to the photoconductor cartridge 200 by pressing the developing cartridge 300 in the mounting direction A1 by the operation of closing the cover 400, 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 in the positions shown in Figs. 3A and 3B.

10 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the cover 400. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a state in which the developing cartridge 300 is pressed in a state in which the cover 400 is closed. Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the cover 400 is provided with a first pressing unit 410 and a second pressing unit 420. The first pressurizing unit 410 and the second pressurizing unit 420 are positioned on opposite sides of the center line L with respect to each other. The first pressing unit 410 is positioned at a first distance D1 from the center line L and applies the first pressing force F1 to the developing cartridge 300 when the cover 400 is closed. The second pressing unit 420 is positioned at a second distance D2 from the center line L and applies a second pressing force F2 to the developing cartridge 300 when the cover 400 is closed.

The first pressing unit 410 has a plurality of first pressing portions, for example, two first pressing portions 411 and 412 spaced in the longitudinal direction B. The second pressurizing unit 420 has a plurality of second pressurizing portions, for example, two second pressurizing portions 421 and 422 spaced in the longitudinal direction B. Thus, in order to provide the first and second pressing forces F1 and F2, two first pressing portions 411 and 412 separated in the longitudinal direction B and two second pressing portions 421 422, the balance of the longitudinal direction B of the first and second pressing forces F1, F2 can be easily adjusted. The amount of pressing force exerted by each of the first pressing portions 411 and 412 and the second pressing portions 421 and 422 can be reduced so that the stress applied to the cover 400 and the developing cartridge 300 .

The first and second gears 12 and 43 may be located only on one side of the photosensitive drum 1 and the developing roller 4 in the longitudinal direction B thereof. The force applied to the development cartridge 300 by the rotation of the first and second gears 12 and 43 is transmitted to the side where the first and second gears 12 and 43 and the first and second gears 12 and 43 ) 43 may be different from each other. For example, on the side where the first and second gears 12 and 43 are disposed, the second gear 43 is rotated toward the first gear 12 by the rotation of the first and second gears 12 and 43 A force to pull the developing cartridge 300, that is, a force to pull the developing cartridge 300 in the mounting direction A1 may be applied. The pressing force of the first pressing portion 411 and the second pressing portion 421 located on the side where the first and second gears 12 and 43 are disposed is set to the first and second gears 12) 43 can be made smaller than the pressing force of the first pressing portion 412 and the second pressing portion 422 located on the side where the second pressing portion 42 is not disposed. By arranging the first pressing portions 411 and 412 and the second pressing portions 421 and 422 in the longitudinal direction B in this way, the developing cartridge 300 can be stably fixed to the photoconductor cartridge 200 .

The first and second pressing portions 411, 412, 421 and 422 are provided with a pressing member 431 for pressing the developing cartridge 300 and a pressing member 431 for pressing the developing cartridge 300, And an elastic member 432 for providing an elastic force in a direction of pushing the elastic member 432. The elastic member 432 may be, for example, a compression coil spring.

5A and 11, a first pressing unit 410 (first pressing units 411 and 412) and a second pressing unit 420 (a second pressing unit 410) (The first pressure receiving portions 371 and 372) and the second pressure receiving units (the second pressure receiving portions 381 and 382) corresponding to the first pressure receiving portions 421 and 422, respectively. The first pressure receiving portions 371 and 372 and the second pressure receiving portions 381 and 382 may be a plane perpendicular to the center line L. [ The first pressure receiving portions 371 and 372 and the second pressure receiving portions 381 and 382 are positioned on opposite sides of the center line L with respect to each other. At least one water pressure portion is disposed on both sides of the second handle 360 in the longitudinal direction B of the photosensitive drum 1. When the developing cartridge 300 is mounted on the mounting portion 201 of the photoconductor cartridge 200 mounted on the main assembly 100 and then the cover 400 is closed as shown in Fig. 11, the first pressing portion 411 (412 The first and second pressing forces F1 and F2 are applied to the first pressure receiving portions 371 and 372 and the second pressure receiving portions 381 and 382 by the first and second pressing portions 421 and 422 . The developing cartridge 300 is fixed to the photoconductor cartridge 200 by a pressing force and the gap holding member 42a or 42b is fixed to the photoconductor drum 200 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG.

A locking device or the like for fixing the development cartridge 300 to the photoconductor cartridge 200 by fixing the development cartridge 300 to the mounting portion 201 by using the operation of closing the cover 400 may be referred to as the development cartridge 300 ) Or the photoconductor cartridge 200, so that the material cost can be reduced. The combination of the development cartridge 300 and the photoconductor cartridge 200 can be maintained / released only by the operation of closing the cover 400 and the opening operation. Therefore, the developing cartridge 300 and the photoconductor cartridge 200 can be mounted / It is possible to simplify the operation steps of the process, thereby improving the user convenience. The pressing force for pressing the developing cartridge 300 is divided by the first and second pressing forces F1 and F2 with reference to the center line L connecting the photosensitive drum 1 and the center of the developing roller 4 It is possible to improve the position stability of the development cartridge 300 by compensating the jamming force F and the rotation moment M applied at the time of image formation and to improve the stability of the development nip N (or development gap g) Lt; / RTI >

Referring to Fig. 5A, the development cartridge 300 is provided with a memory unit 390. Fig. When the development cartridge 300 is mounted on the main assembly 100, the memory unit 390 is electrically connected to the main assembly 100 to transfer the information on the development cartridge 300 to the main assembly 100. Various types of information about the development cartridge 300 may be stored in the memory unit 390. [ For example, the memory unit 390 stores information on the manufacturer, information on the date and time of manufacture, unique information such as a serial number and model name, usage status (for example, how many sheets have been printed so far, The amount of remaining toner, etc.) can be stored.

The development cartridge 300 is provided with a plurality of first contact portions 391 for communication between the memory unit 390 and the main body 100. [ The cover 400 is provided with a plurality of second contact portions electrically connected to the first contact portions 391. For example, each of the first contact portion 391 and the second contact portion may be four or more. The first contact portion 391 may be provided in any one of the first and second pressure receiving portions 371, 372, 381, and 382. Also, any one of the first and second pressing portions 411, 412, 421, and 422 can function as the second contact portion. According to such a configuration, the first pressing portion 412 functions as the second contact portion, so that the manufacturing cost of the image forming apparatus can be reduced.

10 and 12, the second contact portion may include an elastic member 434 that applies an elastic force to the connection pin 433 and the connection pin 433 in a direction to contact the first contact portion 391 . The elastic force applied by the plurality of second contact portions acts as a force for fixing the development cartridge 300 to the mounting portion 201. [ As described above, the pressing force applied to the developing cartridge 300 is applied to the side on which the first and second gears 12 and 43 are provided on the side where the first and second gears 12 and 43 are not provided Is larger than the pressing force. In view of this point, the first contact portion 391 and the second contact portion can be disposed on the side having a larger pressing force with respect to the longitudinal direction (B). 5A, 10 and 12, according to the present embodiment, the first contact portion 391 is connected to the second pressure receiving portion (not shown) disposed on the side where the first and second gears 12 and 43 are not provided 382, and the second pressing portion 422 located on the side where the first and second gears 12, 43 are not provided also functions as the second contact portion. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the pressing force for bringing the first contact portion 391 and the second contact portion into contact with each other by the pressing force for fixing the developing cartridge 300 to the mounting portion 201, So that the developing cartridge 300 can be stably pressurized.

Referring to FIG. 7C, when the developing cartridge 300 is mounted on the photoconductor cartridge 200a, the first and second guide protrusions 310 and 320 are positioned on the first and second seating portions 241 and 242 do. In this state, when the cover 400 is closed, the developing cartridge 300 is pushed by the first and second pressing units 410 and 420 in the mounting direction A1 so that the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 The position shown in Fig. 3A or 3B is reached, and in this state, the developing cartridge 300 is no longer advanced in the mounting direction A1. The second gear 43 provided on the rotary shaft 41 of the developing roller 4 and the first gear 12 provided on the rotary shaft 11 of the photosensitive drum 1 are engaged with each other, Is rotated. In the case of the contact developing system, the developing cartridge 300 may be subjected to a repulsive force F due to compression deformation of the developing roller 4. [ (Pushing) of the developing cartridge 300 by the repulsive force F causes the reduction of the amount of engagement of the first and second gears 12 and 43, The contact amount of the developing roller 1 and the distance between the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 when the non-contact developing method is adopted. As a result, in the printed image, image dropout, defective image due to rotation failure of the developing roller 4, and the like may occur. According to the present embodiment, in order to prevent the developing cartridge 300 from being pushed, the first seating portion 241 is located on the rear side of the first guide projection 310, Prevention part 243. The first guide protrusion 310 functions as a positioning protrusion for determining the mounting position of the development cartridge 300. By forming the first guide protrusion 310 coaxially with the rotation axis 41 of the developing roller 4, The positional error of the roller 4 can be reduced.

And the second guide protrusion 320 is located at the second seating portion 242. When the first and second gears 12 and 43 are rotated, a rotational moment M is applied to the development cartridge 300. The second seat portion 242 is provided with a second guide projection 320 on the downstream side in the rotational direction of the first gear 12 (or the developing roller 4) with reference to the second guide projection 320, And a rotation preventing portion 244 which is positioned on the side of the first guide protrusion 320 and supports the second guide protrusion 320 is provided. The second guide protrusion 320 functions as a rotation preventing protrusion of the development cartridge 300.

With such a configuration, the development cartridge 300 can maintain a stable posture without being retreated and rotated while the development roller 4 is rotated, and the relative position of the photosensitive drum 1 and the development roller 4 can be stably Can be maintained.

13 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to the present invention. 14 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus shown in Fig.

13 and 14, an image forming apparatus main body 100a, a photoconductor cartridge 200a, and a development cartridge 300a are shown. The main body 100a is provided with an opening 101a for providing a passage through which the photoconductor cartridge 200a and the developing cartridge 300a are mounted / detached. The cover 400a opens and closes the opening 101a. The main body 100a is provided with an exposure machine 110, a transfer roller 120, and a fuser 130. The main body 100a is provided with a recording medium conveying structure for conveying the recording medium P on which an image is to be formed.

The image forming apparatus of this embodiment differs from the developing cartridge 300 employed in the embodiment of the image forming apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 12 in that a developing cartridge 300a having a small toner accommodating capacity is employed. The developing cartridge 300a is the same as the developing cartridge 300 except for its size and shape. Further, the developing cartridge 300a is provided with one agitator 7 because the toner containing capacity is smaller than that of the developing cartridge 300. [ Hereinafter, components having the same functions as those described with reference to Figs. 1 to 12 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

The photoconductor cartridge 200a is mounted on the main assembly 100a and the development cartridge 300a is mounted on a mounting portion (Fig. 15: 201a) provided in the photoconductor cartridge 200a. The photoconductor cartridge 200a is detached from the main assembly 100a after the development cartridge 300a is detached from the mounting portion 201a.

15 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the photoconductor cartridge 200a. 16A and 16B are perspective views of one embodiment of the development cartridge 300a. Referring to Fig. 15 and Figs. 16A and 16B, the photoconductor cartridge 200a is provided with a mounting portion 201a on which the development cartridge 300a is mounted. The mounting portion 201a may include first and second guide members 210a and 220a that extend rearward from both sides of the frame 202a of the photoconductor cartridge 200a, for example. The first and second guide members 210a and 220a may be connected by a connecting member 250a extending in the longitudinal direction B of the photosensitive drum 1. [ The connecting member 250a may be connected to the rear end of the first and second guide members 210a and 220a. The first and second guide members 210a and 220a are provided with guide rails 230a. First and second guide protrusions 310a and 320a are provided on both sides of the development cartridge 300a. The first guide protrusion 310a may be coaxial with the rotation axis 41 of the developing roller 4. [ The second guide protrusion 320a is located at a position spaced rearward from the first guide protrusion 310a. The development cartridge 300a is mounted / detached from / on the mounting portion 201a by supporting the first and second guide protrusions 310a and 320a on the guide rail 230a.

17 is a perspective view showing the guide rail 230a in detail. Referring to FIG. 17, the guide rail 230a guides the first and second guide protrusions 310a and 320a to the first and second seating portions 241a and 242a, respectively. The guide rails 230a may be in the form of ribs protruding inward from the inner side walls of the first and second guide members 210a and 220a. The guide rail 230a includes a first guide rail 231a for guiding the first guide projection 310a to the first seating portion 241a and a second guide rail 231b for guiding the second guide projection 320a to the second seating portion 242a And a second guide rail 232a. In order to allow the first and second guide projections 310a and 320a to be guided by the first and second guide rails 231 and 232, the first and second guide projections 310a and 320a, The protruding amounts from both side walls of the protrusion 300a are different from each other. For example, the first and second guide protrusions 310a and 320a are in the form of a boss protruding outward from both sides of the development cartridge 300 in the longitudinal direction B, , The protrusion amount Sa2 of the second guide protrusion 320a is smaller than the protrusion amount Sa1 of the first guide protrusion 310a. The second guide rail 232a is branched from the first guide rail 231a and extends toward the second seating portion 242a. The second guide protrusion 320a is separated from the first guide rail 310a in the vicinity of the branching position 233 where the second guide rail 232a branches from the first guide rail 231a, The first guide rail 310a is stepped from the second guide rail 320a. For example, the amount of projection of the first guide rail 231a from the inner wall of the first and second guide members 210a and 220a in the vicinity of the branching position 233 is equal to the amount of projection of the second guide rail 232a Lt; / RTI > The first guide protrusion 310a is guided by the first guide rail 231a through the branching position 233 and the second guide protrusion 320a is guided by the branching position 233 It can be guided away from the first guide rail 231a and guided by the second guide rail 232a. The first seating portion 241a may be a shape such as a slanted "U" or "V" shape in which a cylindrical first guide projection 310a is inserted and seated. The second seating portion 242a may be formed in a shape such that, for example, a cylindrical second guide projection 320a is inserted and seated and the second guide projection 320a is prevented from falling upward, for example, Quot; U "or" V "shape. The shapes of the first and second seating portions 241a and 242a are not limited to the above-described examples.

Referring to FIG. 16B, the developing cartridge 300 may be provided with a third guide projection 309a. For example, the third guide projection 330a may be in the shape of a rib protruding upward from the upper surface of the housing 301a of the development cartridge 300a. In order that the developing cartridge 300a can be naturally guided downward by the entrance guide (FIG. 18a: 190a) provided in the main assembly 100a as the developing cartridge 300a is inserted into the mounting portion 201a, the third guide projections 309a May be inclined with respect to the mounting direction A1. A plurality of third guide protrusions 309a may be provided on the development cartridge 300a so as to be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction B. When the developing cartridge 300a is mounted on the mounting portion 201a of the photoconductor cartridge 200a while the photoconductor cartridge 200a is mounted on the main assembly 100a, the third guide protrusion 309a is mounted on the main assembly 100a Is guided by the prepared entrance guide (Fig. 18A: 190a). The developing cartridge 300a is naturally guided to the mounting portion 201a and the second guide protrusion 320a can be guided by the first guide rail 231a and the second guide rail 232a. The entry guide 309a may be, for example, a rib shape protruding downward from an upper cover (FIG. 13: 109a) forming an upper shell of the main body 100a.

18A to 18C are schematic views showing a process in which the developing cartridge 300a is mounted on the mounting portion 201a after the photoconductor cartridge 200a is mounted on the main assembly 100a. The developing cartridge 300a approaches the main assembly 100a and the first guide protrusion 310a comes in contact with the first guide rail 100a as shown in Figure 18A in a state in which the photoconductor cartridge 200a is mounted on the main assembly 100a 231a. In this state, the developing cartridge 300a is pushed into the main assembly 100a. As the developing cartridge 300a is inserted into the main assembly 100a, the third guide protrusion 309a is brought into contact with the entrance guide 190a and the second guide protrusion 320a naturally comes into contact with the first guide protrusion 309a, And is supported by the guide rails 231. When the developing cartridge 300a is subsequently inserted, the first guide projection 310a reaches the branching position 233. The amount of protrusion of the first guide protrusion 310a is larger than that of the second guide protrusion 320a so that the first guide protrusion 310a is continuously guided by the first guide rail 231a, And is approached to the first seat portion 241a. When the second guide protrusion 320a reaches the branching position, the amount of protrusion of the second guide protrusion 320a is smaller than that of the first guide protrusion 310a, and the first guide rail 231a at the branching position 233 The second guide protrusion 320a is separated from the first guide rail 231a and guided by the second guide rail 232a. The second guide protrusion 320a is connected to the distal end of the branching position 233 to the second guide rail 232a so that the second guide protrusion 320a can easily enter the second guide rail 232a at the branching position 233 232a. The guide portion 234 may be realized by an inclined portion formed downward at an edge corresponding to a distal end portion of the branching position 233 of the first guide rail 231a, for example. Subsequently, when the developing cartridge 300a is inserted into the main assembly 100a, the first and second guide projections 310a and 320a are guided by the first and second guide rails 231a and 232a, respectively And is seated in the first and second seating portions 241a and 242a as shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 15, the photoconductor cartridge 200a is provided with a first handle 260a that can be held by the user when mounting / removing the photoconductor cartridge 200a to / from the main assembly 100a. The first handle 260a can be positioned on the opening 101a side or rear side of the photoconductor cartridge 200a so that the user can easily find the first handle 260a when the cover 400a is opened. For example, the first handle 260a may be provided at a central portion of the connecting member 250a connecting the first and second guide members 210a and 220a.

16A, the development cartridge 300a is provided with a second handle 360a that can be held by the user when mounting / removing the development cartridge 300a to / from the main assembly 100a. The second handle 360a can be located on the side of the opening 101a of the development cartridge 300a, i.e., on the rear side so that the user can easily find the second handle 360a when the cover 400a is opened. Also, the second handle 360a may be positioned above the first handle 260a and further project beyond the first handle 360a. The second handle 260a may be provided at the center of the rear side of the development cartridge 300a.

The driving members such as the developing roller 4, the supplying roller 6 and the agitator 8 provided in the photosensitive drum 1 and the charging roller 2 and the developing cartridge 300a provided in the photosensitive body cartridge 200a are driven by the photosensitive member cartridge 200a and the developing cartridge 300a are mounted on the main assembly 100a, the developing cartridge 300a is rotated by receiving a driving force from a driving unit (not shown) provided in the main assembly 100a. The driving force of the driving unit provided in the main assembly 100a through the path of the main assembly 100a-the photoconductor cartridge 200a -the developing cartridge 300a is transmitted to the developing cartridge 300a, .

14 and 15, the photoconductor cartridge 200a is guided by a mounting rail 108 provided in the main assembly 100a and mounted on the main assembly 100a. A first coupler 160 is provided in the main body 100a. The first coupler 160 may be provided on one side or both sides of the main body 100a. In this embodiment, the first coupler 160 is provided on one side of the main body 100a. The first coupler 160 is driven by a drive motor (not shown) provided in the main body 100a. A second coupler 280 is provided on one side of the photoconductor cartridge 200a. The second coupler 280 is provided on the rotating shaft 11 of the photosensitive drum 1 so that the rotational force of the second coupler 280 can be directly transmitted to the photosensitive drum 1. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the second coupler 280 may be connected to the photosensitive drum 1 by a gear train (not shown) provided in the photosensitive cartridge 200a. When the photoconductor cartridge 200a is mounted on the main assembly 100a, the first and second couplers 160 and 280 are engaged with each other so that the driving force can be transmitted from the main assembly 100a to the photoconductor cartridge 200a. The charging roller 2 can be driven by a direct connection with the second coupler 280 or a gear connection with the first gear 12 provided on the rotary shaft 11 of the photosensitive drum 1 .

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the first and second couplers 160 and 280. FIG. Referring to FIG. 19, the first coupler 160 and the second coupler 280 are provided with first and second couplers 161 and 281, respectively, having complementary shapes. For example, the first engaging portion 161 may have a protruding shape, and the second engaging portion 281 may have a concave shape to engage with the plurality of protrusions. The first and second couplers 161 and 281 may be in any shape so long as they can interlock with each other and transmit the rotational motion of the first coupler 160 to the second coupler 280, Is not limited.

The first coupler 160 can be supported on the shaft 102 provided in the main body 100a so as to be movable in its axial direction. The spring 103 applies an elastic force to the first coupler 160 in the direction in which the first coupling portion 161 and the second coupling portion 281 are coupled to each other. The structure of the first and second couplers 160 and 280 is not limited to the example shown in Fig. Various power connection structures such as a gear-gear engagement structure may be employed as the first and second couplers 160 and 280.

20 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a power connection structure between the photoconductor cartridge 200a and the development cartridge 300a. Referring to FIG. 20, the second coupler 280 is provided on the rotating shaft 11 of the photosensitive drum 1. A first gear (12) is provided on a rotary shaft (11) of the photosensitive drum (1). A second gear 43 is provided on the rotating shaft 41 of the developing roller 4. [ When the developing cartridge 300a is mounted on the photoconductor cartridge 200a, the first gear 12 and the second gear 43 are engaged. The feed roller 6, the agitator 7, and the like can be driven by the gear connection with the second gear 43. The driving force can be transmitted from the photoconductor cartridge 200a to the development cartridge 300a.

Even if the developing cartridge 300a is mounted on the mounting portion 201a of the photoconductor cartridge 200a after the photoconductor cartridge 200a is mounted on the main assembly 100a, the developing cartridge 300a is fixedly coupled to the photoconductor cartridge 200a . In other words, in this state, the user simply pulls the development cartridge 300a in the removal direction without any action of unbinding (unlocking) the development cartridge 300a from the photoconductor cartridge 200a, (100a). The image forming apparatus of the present embodiment fixes the developing cartridge 300a to the photoconductor cartridge 200a by pressing the developing cartridge 300a in the mounting direction by the operation of closing the cover 400a.

21 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the cover 400a. 22 is a side view showing a state in which the developing cartridge 300a is pressed by the pressing unit 440 in a state in which the cover 400a is closed. Referring to Fig. 21, a cover 400a is provided with a pressing unit 440. Fig. The pressing unit 440 may include a plurality of pressing portions 441, 442, 443 and 444 arranged in the longitudinal direction B to press the developing cartridge 300a. The pressing portions 441, 442, 443 and 444 press the developing cartridge 300a against the pressing member 411a and the pressing member 411a with the developing cartridge 300a in the mounting direction A1 And an elastic member 412a for providing an elastic force in a pushing direction. The elastic member 412a may be, for example, a compression coil spring.

Referring to Figs. 16A and 22, the rear portion of the development cartridge 300a may be provided with pressure receiving portions 371a, 372a, and 373a to which the pressing member 411a contacts. At least one water pressure portion is disposed on both sides of the second handle 360a in the longitudinal direction B of the photosensitive drum 1. [ The pressure receiving portion 371a corresponds to the pressing portions 441 and 442 and the pressure receiving portions 372a and 373a correspond to the pressing portions 443 and 444, respectively. When the developing cartridge 300a is mounted on the mounting portion 201a of the photoconductor cartridge 200a mounted on the main assembly 100a and then the cover 400a is closed as shown in Figure 22, The elastic force of the mounting direction is applied to the elastic member 300a. The developing cartridge 300a is pushed in the mounting direction A1 by the elastic force and stopped when the gap holding member 42a or 42b is in contact with the photosensitive drum 1 as shown in Fig. In this state, since the first and second guide projections 310a and 320a are seated on the first and second seating portions 241a and 242a of the U or V shape, The protrusions 310a and 320a are not separated from the first and second seating portions 241a and 242a in the direction intersecting the mounting direction (the direction of the elastic force). Thus, the developing cartridge 300a is fixed to the photoconductor cartridge 200a.

The direction of the pressing force F3 by the pressing unit 440 may be parallel to the line L1 connecting the center of the developing roller 4 and the center of the photosensitive drum 1 as shown in Fig. The pressing force F3 is adjusted so as to match the center line L1 or to compensate the rotational moment applied to the development cartridge 300a by the rotation of the first and second gears 12 and 43. [ As shown in FIG. The first and second gears 12 and 43 are provided on the side where the first and second gears 12 and 43 are provided, The magnitude of the pressing force of the pressing portions 441 and 442 to which the pressing portions 43 are attached can be made smaller than the pressing force of the pressing portions 443 and 444. [

16A, a developing cartridge 300a is connected to the main assembly 100a of the main assembly 100a, and is electrically connected to the main assembly 100a of the main assembly 100a to transfer information of the development cartridge 300a to the main assembly 100a. Unit 390a and a plurality of first contact portions 391a for communication between the memory unit 390a and the main assembly 100a. The cover 400a is provided with a plurality of second contact portions which are electrically connected to the first contact portion 391a. For example, each of the first contact portion 391a and the second contact portion may be four or more. 23, the second contact portion may include an elastic member 434 that applies an elastic force to the connection pin 433 and the connection pin 433 in a direction to contact the first contact portion 391. The elastic force applied by the plurality of second contact portions acts as a force for fixing the development cartridge 300a to the mounting portion 201a.

The first contact portion 391a may be provided on any one of the pressure receiving portions 371a, 372a and 373a and the first contact portion 391a among the pressing portions 441, 442, 443 and 444, The second pressing portion can function as the second contact portion. As described above, the pressing force applied to the developing cartridge 300a is applied to the side of the side on which the first and second gears 12 and 43 are provided, on the side where the first and second gears 12 and 43 are not provided, Is larger than the pressing force. In view of this point, the first contact portion 391 and the second contact portion can be disposed on the side having a larger pressing force with respect to the longitudinal direction (B). 21, according to the present embodiment, the first contact portion 391a is provided on the pressure receiving portion 372a positioned on the side where the first and second gears 12 and 43 are not provided, (443) functions as a second contact portion. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the pressing force for bringing the first contact portion 391a and the second contact portion into contact with each other by the pressing force for fixing the developing cartridge 300a to the mounting portion 201a, So that the developing cartridge 300a can be stably pressed.

24 shows the relationship between the first and second guide projections 310a and 320a and the first and second mount portions 241a and 242a in a state where the development cartridge 300a is mounted on the photoconductor cartridge 200a. Fig. 24, when the developing cartridge 300a is mounted on the photoconductor cartridge 200a, the first and second guide projections 310a and 320a are positioned on the first and second mounting portions 241a and 242a do. When the cover 400a is closed in this state, the developing cartridge 300a is pushed by the pressing unit 440 in the mounting direction A1 so that the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 are rotated in the direction shown in Fig. 3A or 3B Position, and in this state, the developing cartridge 300a is no longer advanced in the mounting direction A1. The second gear 43 provided on the rotary shaft 41 of the developing roller 4 and the first gear 12 provided on the rotary shaft 11 of the photosensitive drum 1 are engaged with each other, Is rotated. In the case of the contact developing method, the developing cartridge 300a may be subjected to a repulsive force F due to compression deformation of the developing roller 4. [ (Retreat) of the developing cartridge 300a by the repulsive force F causes a reduction in the amount of engagement of the first and second gears 12 and 43. When the contact developing method is employed, The contact amount of the developing roller 1 and the distance between the developing roller 4 and the photosensitive drum 1 when the non-contact developing method is adopted. As a result, in the printed image, image dropout, defective image due to rotation failure of the developing roller 4, and the like may occur. According to the present embodiment, in order to prevent the developing cartridge 300a from being pushed, the first seat portion 241a is located on the rear side of the first guide projection 310a and is in the retracted position Prevention portion 243a. The first guide projection 310a functions as a positioning projection for determining the position of the development cartridge 300a.

And the second guide protrusion 320a is located at the second seating portion 242a. When the first and second gears 12 and 43 are rotated, a rotational moment M is applied to the development cartridge 300a. In order to prevent the rotation of the development cartridge 300a, the second seat portion 242a is provided with a second guide projection 320a at the downstream side in the rotational direction of the first gear 12 (or the developing roller 4) And a rotation preventing portion 244a which is located on the side of the second guide protrusion 320a and supports the second guide protrusion 320a. The second guide protrusion 320a functions as a rotation preventing protrusion for preventing rotation of the development cartridge 300a.

With such a configuration, the developing cartridge 300a can maintain a stable posture without being retreated and rotated while the developing roller 4 is rotated, and the relative position between the photosensitive drum 1 and the developing roller 4 can also be stably Can be maintained.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. I will understand. Accordingly, the true scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the following claims.

1 ... photosensitive drum 2 ... charged roller
3 ... cleaning roller 4 ... developing roller
5 regulating member 6 feed roller
7a, 7b ... Agitator 8 ... Cleaning blade
9 ... waste toner bottle 11 ... rotation shaft of the photosensitive drum
12 ... first gear 41 ... rotation axis of the developing roller
42a, 42b ... Gap holding member 43 ... Second gear
100, 100a ... Main body 101, 101a ... Opening
110 ... Gwangju fraud 120 ... Transfer roller
130 ... fuser 160 ... first coupler
190, 190a ... entry guide 200, 200a ... photoconductor cartridge
201, 201a ... mounting portion
210, 220 (210a, 220a) ... First and second guide members
230, 230a ... guide rail
231, 232 (231a, 232a) ... First and second guide rails
241, 242 (241a, 242a) ... First and second seat portions
243 ... retreat prevention portion 244 ... rotation preventing portion
260, 260a ... first handle 280 ... second coupler
300, 300a ... development cartridge
310, 320, and 309 (310a, 320a, and 309a), first, second,
360, 360a ... second handle 371, 372 ... first pressure receiving portion
371a, 372a, 373a ... hydraulic pressure portion 380 ... second coupler
381, 382 ... second pressure receiving portion 390, 390a ... memory unit
391, 391a ... First contact part 400, 400a ... Cover
410, 420 ... first and second pressing units 431 ... pressing members
432, 434 ... elastic member 433 ... connection pin
440 ... pressing unit 441-444 ... pressing unit

Claims (20)

A body having an opening;
A photoconductor cartridge detachably attached to the main body through the opening;
And a developing cartridge detachably attached to the mounting portion through the opening when the photoconductor cartridge is mounted on the main body,
The mounting portion is provided with first and second guide rails,
Wherein the first and second guide protrusions are provided on both sides of the development cartridge so as to be guided by the first and second guide rails, respectively. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first and second guide rails are independent of each other. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein an amount of projection of said first guide projection is smaller than a projection amount of said second guide projection. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the first and second guide rails are formed to be stepped with respect to the first and second guide projections. The method according to claim 1,
And the second guide rail is branched from the first guide rail. 6. The method of claim 5,
And the amount of projection of said second guide projection is smaller than the amount of projection of said first guide projection. The method according to claim 6,
The first guide rails are spaced apart from the second guide rails so that the second guide projections are separated from the first guide projections at a branching position where the second guide rails branch from the first guide rails, Forming device. 8. The method of claim 7,
And a guide portion for guiding the second guide projection to the second guide rail is provided at the distal end of the branching position. 9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The photoconductor cartridge includes a photoconductor on which an electrostatic latent image is formed,
Wherein the developing cartridge includes a developing roller for supplying and developing toner to the electrostatic latent image,
Wherein the first guide projection is formed coaxially with the rotation axis of the developing roller. 10. The method of claim 9,
The mounting portion includes first and second seating portions on which the first and second guide protrusions guided by the first and second guide rails are respectively seated,
Wherein the first seat portion is provided with a retreat prevention portion which is located on the removal direction side of the first guide projection and supports the first guide projection. 11. The method of claim 10,
And the second seat portion is provided with a rotation preventing portion which is located on the downstream side along the rotation direction of the developing roller of the second guide projection and supports the second guide projection. 9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The body is provided with an entry guide,
Wherein the developing cartridge is provided with a third guide projection for guiding the developing cartridge to the mounting portion when the developing cartridge is inserted into the main body, the main body contacting with the entrance guide. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the third guide projection projects upward from an upper surface of the housing of the development cartridge. And a developing roller which is mounted on a mounting portion provided in the photoconductor cartridge after the photoconductor cartridge having the photoconductor is mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus and supplies the toner to the photoconductor to develop the toner,
Wherein the developing cartridge is guided by first and second guide rails provided on the mounting portion and first and second guide protrusions are provided on both sides of the development cartridge so that protrusion amounts of the developing cartridge from the both side portions are different from each other, Development cartridge. 15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein a protrusion amount of the first guide protrusion is smaller than a protrusion amount of the second guide protrusion. 15. The method of claim 14,
And the amount of projection of the second guide projection is smaller than the amount of projection of the first guide projection. 15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the first guide projection is a positioning projection for determining the position of the development cartridge relative to the photosensitive member and the second guide projection is a rotation preventing projection for preventing rotation of the development cartridge. 18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17,
And the first guide projection is formed coaxially with the rotation axis of the developing roller. 18. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 17,
Wherein the developing cartridge is provided with a third guide projection for guiding the developing cartridge to the mounting portion in contact with an entrance guide provided in the main body when the developing cartridge is inserted into the main body. 20. The method of claim 19,
And the third guide projection is protruded upward from the upper surface of the housing of the development cartridge.

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