US 12,411,449 B2
Process unit including first, second and third conveyance members for conveying developer
Naoki Maeda, Shizuoka (JP); Shunsuke Uratani, Shizuoka (JP); Makoto Hayashida, Shizuoka (JP); Tetsuo Uesugi, Shizuoka (JP); Yuuki Nakamura, Shizuoka (JP); and Joji Goto, Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jun. 23, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/213,383.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-102192 (JP), filed on Jun. 24, 2022; and application No. 2023-054270 (JP), filed on Mar. 29, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2023/0418209 A1, Dec. 28, 2023
Int. Cl. G03G 21/00 (2006.01); G03G 21/10 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 21/105 (2013.01) [G03G 2221/0015 (2013.01); G03G 2221/1624 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process unit comprising:
a rotatable photosensitive drum configured to bear a developer;
a development unit including a developer accommodating chamber configured to accommodate the developer supplied from a developer supply portion provided in a developer cartridge and a development roller configured to develop an electrostatic image formed on the photosensitive drum with the developer supplied from the developer accommodating chamber;
a transfer roller configured to transfer a toner image developed on the photosensitive drum to a sheet;
a cleaning member configured to remove the developer remaining on a surface of the photosensitive drum, the cleaning member including a contact portion in contact with a surface of the photosensitive drum and a support portion configured to support the contact portion;
a developer recovering portion configured to recover the developer removed by the cleaning member;
a first developer conveyance path;
a second developer conveyance path;
a first conveyance member disposed in the first developer conveyance path and configured to convey the recovered developer in a rotation axis direction of the photosensitive drum from the developer recovering portion to the second developer conveyance path;
a second conveyance member disposed in the second developer conveyance path and configured to convey the recovered developer in a direction crossing the rotation axis direction to a discharge port in the second developer conveyance path through which the developer is conveyed to a waste-developer recovering portion provided in the developer cartridge; and
a third conveyance member configured to convey the recovered developer toward a center of the photosensitive drum in the rotation axis direction,
wherein, in a state that the process unit is attached to an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus, in a section perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the photosensitive drum, (i) the transfer roller is located below the photosensitive drum, (ii) the second conveyance member is above the photosensitive drum, (iii) the second conveyance member conveys the recovered developer upward relative to a gravity direction, and (iv) the recovered developer is discharged from the discharge port to the waste-developer recovering portion,
wherein in the rotation axis direction, the second conveyance member is disposed in an inner side of the contact portion of the cleaning member with respect to an end part of the contact portion of the cleaning member, and
wherein the developer recovered by the cleaning member is conveyed by the third conveyance member and is then conveyed by the first conveyance member.