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US-12625461-B2 - Drum cartridge and developing cartridge capable of suppressing variation in position of electrical contact surface

US12625461B2US 12625461 B2US12625461 B2US 12625461B2US-12625461-B2

Abstract

A drum cartridge includes: a drum frame to which a developing cartridge including a storage medium having an electrical contact surface is detachably attachable; a photosensitive drum; a transfer roller; and a conveying roller. The drum is rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction and positioned at one end portion of the frame in a second direction. The transfer roller is rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction and in contact with the drum. The conveying roller is rotatable about a third axis extending in the first direction and separated from the transfer roller in the second direction. A first opening of the frame is positioned between the transfer roller and the conveying roller in the second direction. The electrical contact surface is exposed to an outside through the first opening in a case where the developing cartridge is attached to the frame.

Inventors

  • Takashi Shimizu
  • Koji Abe

Assignees

  • BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20250827
Priority Date
20161014

Claims (15)

  1. 1 . A developing cartridge comprising: a casing configured to accommodate toner therein, the casing having a first side and a second side being spaced apart from the first side in a first direction, the casing having a third side and a fourth side being spaced apart from the third side in a second direction, the casing having an upper surface facing upward and a lower surface facing downward; a developing roller rotatable about a developing roller axis extending in the first direction, the developing roller including a developing roller shaft, the developing roller being positioned at the third side of the casing; a coupling rotatable about a coupling axis extending in the first direction, the coupling being positioned at the first side of the casing; and a storage medium having an electrical contact surface, the electrical contact surface being positioned at the lower surface of the casing, the electrical contact surface facing downward, the electrical contact surface being closer to the first side of the casing than the second side of the casing is to the first side of the casing in the first direction, the electrical contact surface being closer to the third side of the casing than the fourth side of the casing is to the third side of the casing in the second direction.
  2. 2 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 , further comprising: an electrode positioned at the second side of the casing, and a conductive path that extends from the electrode to the first side of the casing in the first direction.
  3. 3 . The developing cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein the electrode is made of an electrically conductive resin.
  4. 4 . The developing cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein the electrode supplies electric power to the developing roller.
  5. 5 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 , further comprising: a developing gear rotatable with the developing roller shaft, the developing gear being positioned at the first side of the casing, and a cover being positioned at the first side of the casing, the cover covering at least a portion of a circumference of the developing gear, wherein the electrical contact surface is positioned at the cover.
  6. 6 . The developing cartridge according to claim 5 , wherein the electrical contact surface is positioned at an outer surface of the cover.
  7. 7 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the developing cartridge is for use with a drum cartridge including a photosensitive drum.
  8. 8 . The developing cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein the developing cartridge is configured to be attached to the drum cartridge.
  9. 9 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the storage medium is positioned at the lower surface of the casing.
  10. 10 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the storage medium includes a memory configured to store information of the developing cartridge, the memory being positioned at the lower surface of the casing.
  11. 11 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 , further comprising: a handle positioned at the fourth side of the casing.
  12. 12 . The developing cartridge according to claim 11 , wherein the electrical contact surface is positioned between the developing roller shaft and the handle in the second direction, and wherein the electrical contact surface is closer to the developing roller shaft than the handle is to the developing roller shaft in the second direction.
  13. 13 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the casing includes a plurality of ribs, the plurality of ribs being positioned at the lower surface of the casing, and wherein the plurality of ribs are positioned closer to the second side of the casing in the first direction than the electrical contact surface of the storage medium is to the second side of the casing in the first direction.
  14. 14 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 , further comprising: a supply roller rotatable about a supply roller axis extending in the first direction, the supply roller including a supply roller shaft, wherein the upper surface is spaced apart from the lower surface in a third direction, and wherein the supply roller shaft is closer to the electrical contact surface than the developing roller shaft is to the electrical contact surface in the third direction.
  15. 15 . The developing cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the first direction is orthogonal to the second direction.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 19/232,173 filed Jun. 9, 2025, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/336,666 filed Jun. 16, 2023, now U.S. Pat. No. 12,360,491, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/737,125, filed May 5, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,899,392, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/395,560, filed Aug. 6, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,422,501, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/692,602, filed Nov. 22, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,112,747, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/438,882, filed Jun. 12, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,514,655, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/168,974, filed Oct. 24, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,338,520, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/472,014 filed Mar. 28, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,126,704, which further claim priority from Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2016-202959 filed Oct. 14, 2016 and 2016-249651 filed Dec. 22, 2016. The entire contents of each of these applications is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a drum cartridge and a developing cartridge. BACKGROUND A drum cartridge including a drum frame and a developing cartridge including a developing roller are well known in the art. One such developing cartridge also includes a storage medium having an electrical contact surface. The developing cartridge is attached to the drum frame by inserting the developing cartridge into the drum frame and pivotally moving the developing cartridge about the developing roller relative to the drum frame. SUMMARY In a case where the developing cartridge is attached to the drum frame in this way, the position of the electrical contact surface of the storage medium is generally determined by the position of the developing roller. The electrical contact surface of the storage medium is positioned distant from the developing roller. Variations in the position of the electrical contact surface are greater as the electrical contact surface is separated farther from the developing roller serving as a positioning reference. Thus, positional variations of the electrical contact surface may arise during manufacturing of the developing cartridges. Consequently, there is greater potential for variations in the position of the electrical contact surface relative to the drum frame in a case where the developing cartridge is attached to the drum frame. In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a drum cartridge and a developing cartridge capable of suppressing variations in a position of an electrical contact surface relative to the drum frame in a case where the developing cartridge is attached to the drum frame. In order to attain the above and other objects, according to one aspect, the disclosure provides a drum cartridge including: a drum frame; a photosensitive drum; a transfer roller; and a conveying roller. A developing cartridge is detachably attachable to the drum frame. The developing cartridge includes a storage medium having an electrical contact surface. The drum frame has a first opening. The photosensitive drum is rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction. The photosensitive drum is positioned at a first end portion of the drum frame in a second direction. The transfer roller is rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction. The transfer roller is in contact with a surface of the photosensitive drum. The conveying roller is rotatable about a third axis extending in the first direction. The conveying roller is separated from the transfer roller in the second direction. The first opening is positioned between the transfer roller and the conveying roller in the second direction. The electrical contact surface is exposed to an outside of the drum frame through the first opening in a case where the developing cartridge is attached to the drum frame. According to another aspect, the disclosure provides a developing cartridge including: a casing; a developing roller; an agitator; a developing electrode; and a storage medium. The casing is configured to accommodate toner therein. The casing has a first end portion and a second end portion in a first direction. The casing further has a third end portion and a fourth end portion in a second direction. The developing roller is rotatable about a developing-roller axis extending in the first direction. The developing roller is positioned at the third end portion of the casing. The agitator is rotatable about an agitator axis extending in the first direction. The agitator is separated from the developing roller in the second direction. The developing electrode for supplying electric power to the developing roller is positioned at the second end portion of the casing. The