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US-12619192-B2 - Image forming apparatus including movable drawer having guide surface for guiding attachment of process cartridge

US12619192B2US 12619192 B2US12619192 B2US 12619192B2US-12619192-B2

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a drawer, and a process cartridge attachable to the drawer. The drawer can be drawn out of the housing toward one side in a first direction. The process cartridge includes: a process housing; a photosensitive drum rotatable about an axis extending in a second direction; a developing roller movable between a separated position and a contacting position relative to the photosensitive drum; and a locking member. The locking member is movable between a locking position for locking the developing roller at the separated position and an unlocking position for allowing the developing roller to move to the contacting position. The process cartridge is configured to contact a first surface of the drawer to be guided toward an attachment position on the drawer while the locking member is at the locking position during attachment of the process cartridge to the drawer.

Inventors

  • Nao Itabashi

Assignees

  • BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20241213
Priority Date
20220928

Claims (15)

  1. 1 . An image forming apparatus comprising: a housing; a drawer configured to be drawn out of the housing toward one side in a first direction, the drawer having one end at the one side in the first direction; and a process cartridge attachable to the drawer, the process cartridge attached to the drawer being at an attachment position on the drawer, the process cartridge comprising: a process housing; a photosensitive drum rotatable about a drum axis extending in a second direction; a developing roller rotatable about a developing axis extending in the second direction, the developing roller being movable between a contacting position where the developing roller is in contact with the photosensitive drum and a separated position where the developing roller is separated from the photosensitive drum; and a locking member movable between a locking position where the locking member locks the developing roller at the separated position and an unlocking position where the locking member allows the developing roller to move from the separated position to the contacting position, wherein the drawer has: a first surface extending in the second direction, the first surface being positioned opposite the one end of the drawer in the first direction with respect to the process cartridge at the attachment position; and a second surface positioned at an end of the first surface in the second direction to protrude upward therefrom, the second surface being configured to guide the process cartridge, and wherein, in a state where the process cartridge is at the attachment position on the drawer, the process cartridge is separated from the second surface in the first direction, and the locking member is at the locking position.
  2. 2 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the process cartridge further comprises a side cover that supports the locking member, and wherein the side cover opposes the second surface in the state where the process cartridge is at the attachment position on the drawer.
  3. 3 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the side cover has an arcuate surface configured to contact the second surface during the attachment of the process cartridge to the drawer.
  4. 4 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the process cartridge further comprises a memory configured to store information about the process cartridge, the memory being aligned with the arcuate surface in the first direction.
  5. 5 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the memory is aligned with the second surface in the first direction when the process cartridge is at the attachment position on the drawer.
  6. 6 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the memory is attached to the side cover.
  7. 7 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the process cartridge has another arcuate surface centered on the drum axis, wherein the drawer has an abutment surface configured to abut on the another arcuate surface when the process cartridge is at the attachment position on the drawer, and wherein, during the attachment of the process cartridge to the drawer, the another arcuate surface abuts on the abutment surface after the arcuate surface of the side cover contacts the second surface.
  8. 8 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the locking member is configured to contact the side cover in the first direction.
  9. 9 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the side cover has a second protrusion protruding toward an other side in the first direction, the second protrusion being configured to hold the locking member at the locking position.
  10. 10 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the process cartridge further comprises a lever extending in a third direction crossing the first direction and the second direction, the lever being configured to move the locking member from the locking position to the unlocking position, and wherein, in a state where the drawer is attached to the housing with the process cartridge attached to the drawer, the lever urges the locking member to move the locking member from the locking position to the unlocking position.
  11. 11 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the process cartridges is attachable to the drawer, and wherein the plurality of the process cartridges is arrayed with one another in the first direction in a state where the plurality of the process cartridges is attached to the drawer.
  12. 12 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the state where the process cartridge is at the attachment position on the drawer, the second surface is positioned upward relative to both the drum axis and the developing axis.
  13. 13 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the state where the process cartridge is at the attachment position on the drawer, the developing axis is positioned between the drum axis and the second surface in the first direction.
  14. 14 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the state where the process cartridge is at the attachment position on the drawer, a gap in the first direction between the second surface and the process housing is smaller than a gap in the first direction between a lower end of the first surface and the process housing.
  15. 15 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the state where the process cartridge is at the attachment position on the drawer, a gap in the first direction between an upper end of the first surface and the process housing is smaller than a gap in the first direction between a lower end of the first surface and the process housing.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/474,818 filed Sep. 26, 2023, which claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-154427 filed on Sep. 28, 2022. The entire content of the priority applications is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, an image forming apparatus including a housing, a drawer, and a cartridge attachable to the drawer has been well known in the art. Specifically, the cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the drawer. The drawer is attached to the housing with the cartridge attached to the drawer. DESCRIPTION In a case where a process cartridge including a photosensitive drum and a developing roller is to be attached to a drawer, easy attachment of the process cartridge to the drawer is required. Particularly, in a case where a capacity of the process cartridge is enlarged, attachment of the process cartridge to the drawer may become difficult due to the increase in weight of the process cartridge. In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a process cartridge which is easily attachable to a drawer. In order to attain the above and other object, according to one aspect, the present disclosure provides an image forming apparatus including a housing, a drawer, and a process cartridge. The drawer is attachable to the housing. The drawer is configured to be drawn out of the housing toward one side in a first direction. The process cartridge is attachable to drawer. The process cartridge attached to the drawer is at an attachment position on the drawer. The process cartridge includes a process housing, a photosensitive drum, a developing roller, and a locking member. The photosensitive drum is rotatable about a drum axis extending in a second direction. The developing roller is rotatable about a developing axis extending in the second direction. The developing roller is movable between a contacting position where the developing roller contacts the photosensitive drum and a separated position where the developing roller is separated from the photosensitive drum. The locking member is movable between a locking position where the locking member locks the developing roller at the separated position and an unlocking position where the locking member allows the developing roller to move from the separated position to the contacting position. The drawer includes a rib and a first protrusion. The rib extends in the second direction. The rib is positioned on another side in the first direction relative to the attachment position of the process cartridge. The first protrusion is positioned at an end of the rib in the second direction to protrude upward therefrom. The first protrusion has a first surface configured to guide the process cartridge. The process cartridge is configured to contact the first surface to be guided toward the attachment position, relative to the drawer, while the locking member is at the locking position, during attachment of the process cartridge to the drawer. In the image forming apparatus according to the one aspect, the process cartridge is configured to be guided toward the attachment position, relative to the drawer, by the contact with the first surface of the drawer during the attachment of the process cartridge to the drawer. With this structure, the process cartridge can be easily attached to the drawer. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus in a state where a drawer is drawn out of a housing. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the drawer and a process cartridge attachable to the drawer. FIG. 4A is a partial-enlarged perspective view of one end portion of the process cartridge in a second direction. FIG. 4B is a partial-enlarged perspective view of another end portion of the process cartridge in the second direction. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a lever, a locking member, and a first side cover of the process cartridge. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating of the first side cover from an inner side thereof. FIG. 7A is a view illustrating a separation mechanism in a state where the lever is at a first position. FIG. 7B is a view illustrating the separation mechanism in a state where the lever is at a second position. FIG. 7C is a view illustrating the separation mechanism in a state where the lever is at a third position. FIG. 8A is a partially enlarged perspective view of a first abutment surface and a second abutment surface of the drawer. FIG. 8B is a partially enlarged perspective view of a third abutment surface and a fourth abutment surface of the drawer. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the drawer to which the process cartridge is attached. FIG. 10 is a view for description of abutment of the process cartridge on a protrusion of the drawer in a process of