US 12,292,712 B2
Image forming apparatus having photoconductor unit with removable developing cartridge and electrical connectors
Hirotaka Ishii, Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Dec. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/530,966.
Application 18/530,966 is a continuation of application No. 17/973,189, filed on Oct. 25, 2022, granted, now 11,874,629.
Application 17/973,189 is a continuation of application No. 17/172,512, filed on Feb. 10, 2021, granted, now 11,513,468, issued on Nov. 29, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-038853 (JP), filed on Mar. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0111246 A1, Apr. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. G03G 21/00 (2006.01); G03G 21/16 (2006.01); G03G 21/18 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 21/1867 (2013.01) [G03G 21/1652 (2013.01); G03G 21/1871 (2013.01); G03G 21/1821 (2013.01); G03G 2221/166 (2013.01); G03G 2221/1684 (2013.01); G03G 2221/1869 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an apparatus body including a controller and a guide portion;
a photoconductor unit including an attachment portion and a photoconductor rotatable about a rotational axis, the photoconductor unit being attached to the apparatus body so as to move with respect to the apparatus body while being guided by the guide portion;
a developing cartridge configured to be attachable to and detachable from the attachment portion of the photoconductor unit, the developing cartridge including:
a casing configured to accommodate developer;
a developing roller configured to develop an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor by supplying the developer to the photoconductor; and
a storage medium configured to store information about the developing cartridge,
wherein the photoconductor unit is configured to move in an insertion direction from an outside position toward an inside position, the outside position being a position where the developing cartridge is attachable to and detachable from the attachment portion of the photoconductor unit, the inside position being a position which is below the outside position and in which the photoconductor unit is capable of being used for image formation,
wherein the photoconductor unit includes a first connector including a first contact terminal configured to be electrically connected to the storage medium in a state in which the developing cartridge is attached to the attachment portion of the photoconductor unit,
wherein the apparatus body includes a second connector including a second contact terminal electrically connected to the controller, the second connector being configured to engage with the first connector when the photoconductor unit is at the inside position, and
wherein at a timing when the first connector of the photoconductor unit and the second connector of the apparatus body start to engage with each other while the photoconductor unit is being moved from the outside position toward the inside position, the photoconductor unit is guided by the guide portion.