JP6425465B2 - Cartridge and method of manufacturing cartridge - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, and a method of manufacturing the same.

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and a process cartridge (hereinafter, referred to as a cartridge) that is detachable from the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Here, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus (hereinafter referred to as an image forming apparatus) is an apparatus for forming an image on a recording material (recording medium) using an electrophotographic image forming process. Examples of the image forming apparatus include a printer (laser beam printer, LED printer, etc.), a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a word processor, a complex machine of these (multifunction printer), and the like.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic image forming process, a process cartridge system in which a cartridge can be attached to and detached from an apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus is employed. With this process cartridge system, maintenance of the image forming apparatus can be simplified by integrally forming an electrophotographic photosensitive drum (hereinafter referred to as a photosensitive drum) and process means acting on the photosensitive drum as a cartridge. .

  In such a cartridge, in order to prevent the developer (toner) contained in the cartridge from leaking to the outside, the seal between the cartridge frame and the components constituting the cartridge is configured by a plurality of seal members. ing.

  As the sealing member, an elastic body such as a foamed urethane foam, a soft rubber, or an elastomer resin is used. And a sealing member is stuck on a junction part between frame bodies or between components precisely (refer to patent documents 1). However, in a gap that occurs due to dimensional tolerances of parts or variations in affixing position, a method of achieving higher sealing performance by pouring in a molten resin such as a hot melt to fill the gap is adopted. Patent Document 2).

  In recent years, manufacture of a cartridge by an automatic machine (robot) has been performed manually from the hand for cost reduction due to improvement in production efficiency and quality stability at the time of assembly.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-272071 JP 2001-125465 A

  However, the above-described conventional configuration has the following two problems.

  The first problem is that the assembly process for fixing the seal member to the cartridge frame is difficult. Furthermore, when assembling with an automatic machine, since a seal member is a soft-body part, holding with an automatic machine is difficult, and it is difficult to affix a cartridge frame with sufficient accuracy. For this reason, productivity could not be improved.

  The second problem is that the toner generated from the gap between the cleaning frame and the end seal member of the image carrier (the gap in the thickness direction of the image carrier end seal member) or the gap between the cleaning frame and the squeeze sheet It is a leak. Conventionally, in order to solve this problem, these gaps are filled with a molten resin (hot melt) and sealed. For this reason, the process of apply | coating a molten resin newly was further needed, and productivity was reduced.

  As above. The conventional configuration has the above two problems, is difficult to assemble, further requires a step of applying a molten resin, and reduces the productivity.

  Accordingly, the present invention is to provide a cartridge that is easy to assemble and has high productivity. Furthermore, this configuration provides a cartridge that enables assembly by an automatic machine.

A cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus main body according to the present invention includes an image carrier, a cartridge frame on which the image carrier is rotatably supported, a cleaning unit for cleaning the image carrier, and the image. A thin plate member extending along the rotational axis of the carrier, one end in a direction intersecting the rotational axis abuts against the image carrier, and the other end of the thin plate in the intersecting direction are the cartridge frame A sealing portion for sealing a gap between the resin member including the fixing portion extending in the rotational axis direction, the end portion of the cleaning means in the rotational axis direction, and the cartridge frame; A seal member including a seal portion extending toward the fixed portion in a direction intersecting the rotation axis direction, the seal member and the resin member The resin member is formed by injection molding integrally with the cartridge frame using different materials, and the resin member protrudes from the fixing portion toward the seal member in a direction intersecting the rotation axis direction. has a section, the distal end portion of the projecting portion is in contact with the sealing member.

  The present invention provides a cartridge that is easy to assemble and has high productivity. Furthermore, the present invention provides a cartridge that enables assembly by an automatic machine.

Schematic sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment Schematic cross-sectional view of a process cartridge according to an embodiment Schematic cross-sectional view of a photosensitive drum unit according to an embodiment Schematic front view of the cleaning sub-unit which attached the squeeze sheet and the cleaning blade concerning an example Schematic front view of the cleaning subunit according to the embodiment Schematic front view in the vicinity of the vertical seal of the cleaning subunit according to the embodiment Schematic sectional view in the vicinity of the vertical seal of the cleaning subunit according to the embodiment Schematic perspective view in the vicinity of the vertical seal of the cleaning subunit according to the embodiment Schematic sectional view in the vicinity of the vertical seal of the photosensitive drum unit according to the embodiment Schematic explanatory drawing which showed the cross-sectional shape of the vertical seal | sticker which concerns on an Example A schematic sectional view showing a part of a photosensitive drum unit according to a modification Schematic perspective view of a cleaning container according to an embodiment The perspective view for demonstrating the process of injection molding to the cleaning frame which concerns on an Example The perspective view for demonstrating the process of injection molding to the cleaning frame which concerns on an Example Schematic sectional drawing for demonstrating the process of inject-molding resin to the cleaning frame which concerns on an Example Schematic sectional drawing for demonstrating the process of inject-molding resin to the cleaning frame which concerns on an Example BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Schematic sectional drawing for demonstrating the assembly of the photosensitive drum unit which concerns on an Example BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Schematic sectional drawing for demonstrating the assembly of the photosensitive drum unit which concerns on an Example BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Schematic sectional drawing for demonstrating the assembly of the photosensitive drum unit which concerns on an Example

Example 1
Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus and a cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. In the following description, the longitudinal direction N of the cartridge is the direction of the rotational axis of the photosensitive drum as an image carrier.

(overall structure)
First, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus main body and the process cartridge detachably mountable to the image forming apparatus main body will be schematically described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an entire configuration of a laser beam printer which is an embodiment of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus main body according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a process cartridge according to the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus main body A irradiates the information light (light image) based on the image information from the exposure device 1 onto the photosensitive drum 7 (image carrier) which is a drum-shaped electrophotographic photosensitive member. Be done. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 7, and this electrostatic latent image is developed with toner (developer) to form a toner image. Then, in synchronization with the formation of the toner image, the recording medium 2 such as a recording sheet, an OHP sheet, or a cloth is separated and fed one by one from the sheet feeding unit 3a (cassette) by the pickup roller 3b and the pressure member 3c. Do. The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 7 of the process cartridge B is transferred to the recording medium 2 conveyed along the conveyance guide 3f1 by applying a voltage to the transfer roller 4 as the transfer means. Further, the recording medium 2 to which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing means 5 along the conveyance guide 3f2. The fixing unit 5 includes a fixing rotating body 5 d including a driving roller 5 a and a cylindrical sheet, a support 5 c rotatably supporting the fixing rotating body 5 d, and a heater 5 b disposed in the fixing rotating body 5 d. Have. The fixing rotary member 5d heated by the heater 5b is driven to rotate with respect to the driving roller 5a, and heat and pressure are applied to the passing recording medium 2 to fix the transferred toner image. The recording medium 2 on which the transfer toner image is fixed is conveyed by the discharge roller 3 d and discharged to the discharge unit 6 through the reverse conveyance path. In the present embodiment, the conveyance means 3 is constituted by the pickup roller 3b, the pressure contact member 3c, the discharge roller 3d and the like, but it is not limited thereto.

(Cartridge configuration)
As shown in FIG. 2, the cartridge B comprises a photosensitive drum 7 and at least one process means. As the process means, for example, a charging means for charging the photosensitive drum 7, a developing means for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 7, a cleaning means for cleaning toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 7, etc. There is. In the cartridge B of this embodiment, the photosensitive drum 7, which is an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a photosensitive layer, is rotationally driven, and a voltage is applied to the charging roller 8, which is charging means, so that the surface of the photosensitive drum 7 is made uniform. To be charged. The information light based on the image information from the exposure device 1 is exposed through the exposure opening 9 b to the charged photosensitive drum 7 to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 7. The latent image is configured to be developed by the developing means.

  In the developing means, the toner in the toner containing portion 10a, which is a developer containing portion formed in the developing device frame 10f, is fed by a rotatable feeding member 10b which is a toner feeding means. Then, the developing roller 10d, which is a developer carrier (developing rotating body) incorporating the fixed magnet 10c, is rotated. Then, a toner layer is formed on the surface of the developing roller 10d with the toner charged by friction with the developing blade 10e, and the toner is transferred to the photosensitive drum 7 according to the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image. It is to visualize.

  Then, a voltage having a reverse polarity to the toner image is applied to the transfer roller 4 to transfer the toner image to the recording medium 2. After transfer, the cleaning blade 11a, which is a cleaning unit, acts on the photosensitive drum 7 to scrape off the residual toner from the photosensitive drum 7, and the squeegee sheet 11b prevents the leakage to the outside of the waste toner storage portion 11c.

  The cartridge B is divided into the photosensitive drum unit 11 and the developing unit 10. The photosensitive drum unit 11 includes a photosensitive drum 7, a charging roller 8 as a charging unit, a cleaning blade 11a as a cleaning unit, a squeegee sheet 11b, and a cleaning subunit 12. The cleaning blade 11a comprises a rubber portion 11a1 in contact with the photosensitive drum 7 and a sheet metal portion 11a2 for supporting the rubber portion 11a1. The developing unit 10 is provided with a developing unit, a toner storage portion 10a constituting a developing frame, and a developing container. The developing unit includes the developing roller 10d and the developing blade 10e.

(Sealing configuration of cleaning subunit)
Next, the seal configuration of the cleaning subunit according to the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the photosensitive drum unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of the cleaning sub-unit to which the cleaning blade and the squeegee sheet according to the embodiment are attached. FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of the cleaning subunit according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of the vicinity of the vertical seal of the cleaning subunit according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a view showing a cross section B-B of FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the vicinity of the vertical seal of the cleaning subunit according to the embodiment, and FIG. 8 (b) is a view showing a partial detail of FIG. 8 (a).

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a cleaning blade 11 a and a squeegee sheet 11 b are attached to the cleaning subunit 12. A squeegee sheet 11 b which is in contact with the photosensitive drum 7 to prevent the waste toner from leaking is attached to the cleaning frame 13 via the resin member 31. In the present embodiment, the cleaning frame 13 is fixed to the cleaning frame 13 by the resin member 31 in which the squeegee sheet 11b is welded.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the cleaning sub-unit 12 is provided with a lower cleaning blade seal 14, longitudinal seals 15, 16, end seals 19, 20, and a resin member 31. Specifically, the lower cleaning blade seal 14 is provided across the blade attachment bearing surfaces 21 and 22 provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction N of the cleaning frame 13. The vertical seals 15 and 16 formed of the first seal are provided so as to be connected to the resin member 31 for fixing the squeegee sheet 11 b from the vicinity of the blade mounting seat surfaces 21 and 22 as shown in FIGS. There is. That is, the vertical seals 15 and 16 and the resin member 31 are integrally formed on the cleaning frame 13. Thus, the clearance between the cleaning blade 11 a and the cleaning frame 13 is sealed by the lower cleaning blade seal 14 and the vertical seals 15 and 16.

  In addition, as a 1st sealing material, it has elasticity and should just be resin which can be inject-molded, and it can use elastomer resin. By using an elastic material made of a material similar to the cleaning frame 13 as the first sealing material, it is preferable to separate the cleaning frame 13 from the cleaning frame 13 when the process cartridge B is recycled. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a styrene-based elastomer resin made of the same material as the cleaning frame 13 made of polystyrene resin is used, but in addition to this, a silicone-based rubber, a soft rubber, or the like may be used. However, when the rubber portion 11a1 of the cleaning blade 11a abuts on the photosensitive drum 7 and is bent, the vertical seal 15 (16) is compressed. When the repulsive force of the vertical seal 15 (16) is large, the contact pressure of the rubber portion 11a1 of the cleaning blade 11 with respect to the photosensitive drum 7 becomes large. As a result, the cleaning performance of the cleaning blade 11a may be affected, or the frictional force with the photosensitive drum 7 may become too large, which may cause an obstacle such as the rubber portion 11a1 being flipped. Therefore, it is desirable to select a material that has low repulsive force even when compressed, that is, a soft and low elastic modulus. However, in consideration of moldability, in the present example, a material having a hardness of about 20 to 30 according to the JIS K6253 test method was used.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the end seal 19 (20) has a surface 19a (20a) in contact with the photosensitive drum 7 and an adhesive surface 19b (20b) for bonding to the affixing surface 13t of the cartridge frame 13. And. Thus, the end seals 19 and 20 are disposed in contact with the photosensitive drum 7 to seal the gap between the photosensitive drum 7 and the cleaning frame 13, and the toner to the outside of the cartridge B is obtained. Prevent the leakage of As shown in FIG. 8, in order to adhere the end seals 19 and 20 to the affixing surface 13t of the cartridge frame 13, a groove 13m is provided in the affixing surface 13t, and the longitudinal seal 15 (16 And the resin member 31 are connected, and are integrally formed. As the end seal 19 (20), one in which the surface 19a (20a) is constituted by a flexible member such as felt or non-woven cloth, a pile made by weaving fibers, electrostatic flocking or the like is used.

  Next, the vertical seals 15 and 16 will be described in detail. Here, in the present embodiment, the vertical seals 15 and 16 are configured to be symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal direction N of the cleaning frame. Therefore, the vertical seal 15 will be described as an example below. As shown in FIG. 7, the longitudinal seal 15 extends in the transverse direction M intersecting the longitudinal direction N, and has three parts, a first part 15 a, a second part 15 b, and a third part 15 c.

(First part 15a of vertical seal)
As shown in FIG. 7, the first portion 15 a of the vertical seal 15 is located between the cleaning blade 11 a and the cleaning frame 13. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the first portion 15a extends from the cleaning frame 13 toward the cleaning blade 11a and is in contact with the cleaning blade 11a. At this time, it is preferable that a line connecting the contact portion of the vertical seal 15 with the cleaning frame 13 and the contact portion with the cleaning blade 11a be disposed so as not to intersect with the longitudinal direction N. The vertical seal 15 is fixed in a bent state between the cleaning blade 11a and the cleaning frame 13 by being inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction N and arranging the vertical seal 15 in this manner. Thus, it is possible to reduce the repulsive force of the cleaning blade 11a to the rubber portion 11a1 caused by the deformation of the vertical seal 15. As a result, the contact pressure that the photosensitive drum 7 receives from the rubber portion 11a1 of the cleaning blade 11a is prevented from becoming high near the vertical seals 15 and 16, and the cleaning property of the surface of the photosensitive drum 7 is made uniform and better stabilized. Can be The inclined shape of the first portion 15a may be only the portion in contact with the rubber portion 11a of the cleaning blade 11a, but the portion in contact with the sheet metal portion 11a2 may be the same shape. The direction of inclination may be either the inward direction (FIG. 10A) of the cleaning frame 13 in the longitudinal direction N or the outward direction (FIG. 10B). In this embodiment, in order to shorten the length in the longitudinal direction N of the cleaning frame 13 and the cleaning blade 11a, it is desirable to adopt a shape inclining to the inside. In addition, also from the viewpoint of toner sealing, the cleaning frame 13 is inclined inward in the longitudinal direction N.

(2nd part 15b of vertical seal)
Next, the second portion 15b of the vertical seal 15 will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the second portion 15 b is formed to be connected to the first portion 15 a in the longitudinal direction N. As shown in FIG. 9, the second portion 15 b is compressed to the cleaning frame 3 and the end seal 19 so as to seal between the cleaning frame 13 and the end seal 19.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), the second portion 15 b contacts the end seal 19 at three contact portions (15 b 1, 15 b 2, 15 b 3). The contact portion 15b1 forms an inclined surface that smoothly connects the first portion 15a and the bonding surface 13t. Thereby, when the end seal 19 is attached to the attachment surface 13t, the end seal 19 can not close the step between the vertical seal 15a and the attachment surface 13t, thereby preventing the formation of a gap, Toner leakage is more reliably prevented.

  Next, the contact portion 15b2 connected to the contact portion 15b1 has a height substantially the same as that of the attachment seat surface 13t so that the adhesive layer 19b and the attachment surface 13t can be securely adhered. The contact portion 15b2 has a groove 13m on the attachment surface 13t of the cartridge frame 13 and a contact portion 15b2 on the groove 13m in order to make the contact portion 15b2 have substantially the same height as the attachment seat surface 13t.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the contact portion 15b3 connected gently from the contact portion 15b2 is provided in the step portion 13p connected to the fixing surface 13s from which the squeegee sheet 11b is removed from the bonding surface 13t. The contact portion 15b3 has a rib shape protruding from the step 13p in the direction in which the bonding surface 13t extends. A curved shape 15b3r is provided at the corner 13r where the bonding surface 13t and the step portion 13p intersect, and the contact portions 15b2 and 15b3 are formed so as to connect gently. As a result, when the end seal 19 is attached to the cleaning frame 13, the end seal 19 can not close the corner 13r where the bonding surface 13t of the cleaning frame 13 and the step 13p intersect. Prevent the formation of gaps. As a result, the toner leakage is prevented more reliably from between the end seal 19 and the cleaning frame 13. In addition, in the contact portion 15b3, a narrow rib shape is used, and the end seal 19 compresses the contact portion 15b3 and reduces the repulsive force to the end seal 19 caused by fixing in a deformed state. it can. In the present embodiment, the width of the contact portion 15b3 is about 0.6 mm. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the contact portion 15 b 3 can be easily compressed and deformed by the end seal 19, and the formation of a gap between the end seal 19 and the cartridge frame 13 is better prevented. To prevent toner leakage more reliably.

(Third portion 15c of vertical seal and resin member 31)
Next, the third portion 15c will be described. The third portion 15 c is formed between the squeegee sheet 11 b and the cleaning frame 13 as shown in FIG. 9. One end of the third portion 15c is formed to be connected to the connection portion 15b3 of the second portion 15b. On the other hand, the other end of the third portion 15c is continuously formed with the resin member 31 made of the second sealing material. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the resin member 31 is provided in the longitudinal adhesive portion 31 a extending along the longitudinal direction N of the cleaning frame 13 and in the lateral direction M provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction N. It has an end resin portion 31 b extending along. The end resin portion 31b is connected to the other end of the third portion 15c, and the vertical seal 15 and the resin member 31 are integrally formed. That is, the vertical seal 15 and the resin member 15 are in contact with each other, and the boundary portion 103 which is the interface is formed between the squeegee sheet 11 b and the cleaning frame 13, that is, in the third portion 15 c. Thus, no gap is formed between the resin member 31 and the third portion 15 c between the squeegee sheet 11 b and the cleaning frame 13, and toner leakage is prevented more reliably.

  In the present embodiment, although the third portion 15c is provided, the third portion 15c is not provided, and as shown in FIG. 11A, the second portion 15b (contact portion 15b3) and the resin member 31 are provided. May be in contact with each other and integrated. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), the third resin portion 31c may be in contact with and integrated with the third portion 15c without providing the end resin portion 31b. That is, in the region between the squeegee sheet 11 b and the cleaning frame 13, the boundary portion 103 formed by the interface between the longitudinal seal 15 and the resin member 31 intersects the longitudinal resin portion 31 a in the short direction where the longitudinal seal 15 extends. It should just be provided in the range which is not.

  Moreover, although elastomer resin is used as a 2nd sealing material, resin different from the 1st sealing material used for the vertical seal | sticker 15 is used. Specifically, by using a material having a hardness of about 50 according to the JIS K6253 test method as the second sealing material and a harder material than the first sealing material, the squeeze sheet 11b can be disposed on the cleaning frame 13 with high accuracy. Do. On the other hand, by using a resin having an elastic modulus of 2.5 MPa to 10 MPa as the second seal member, the resin member 31 can be formed into a frame similarly to the formation of other seal members such as the vertical seals 15 and 16. .

  As in the first sealing material, the second sealing material is separated from the cleaning frame 13 when recycling the process cartridge B by using an elastic material made of a material similar to the cleaning frame 13 and having elasticity. It is preferable because it is not necessary. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a styrene-based elastomer resin made of the same material as the cleaning frame 13 made of polystyrene resin is used, but any resin that can be injection-molded may be used, such as silicone-based rubber and soft rubber May be used.

  Further, in this embodiment, the cleaning frame 13 made of polystyrene resin and the squeeze sheet 11b of thin plate member made of polyester resin are used. For this reason, the cleaning frame 13 and the squeegee sheet 11b may have a waviness in the squeegee sheet 11b due to the difference in thermal expansion when the ambient temperature fluctuates due to the difference in the material. In this case, a gap is formed between the squeegee sheet 11b and the photosensitive drum 7 in contact with the photosensitive sheet 7, and waste toner may leak out.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is possible to work as a shock absorbing material that absorbs the difference in linear expansion when the cleaning frame 13 and the squeegee sheet 11b are left in the environment under high temperature. As a result, it is possible to prevent the sheet member from waviness after being left in the environment under high temperature.

(Fixing of squeeze sheet)
Next, the fixing structure of the squeeze sheet 11b will be described. The squeegee sheet 11 b is fixed to the cleaning frame 13 through the resin member 31. More specifically, the squeegee sheet 11 b is fixed to the cleaning frame 13 by welding the longitudinal adhesive portion 31 a of the resin member 31 and the end resin portion 31 b.

(Effect of this embodiment)
As described above, in the present embodiment, by forming the vertical seal 15 and the resin member 31 by injection molding of resin, the gap 102 formed between the squeeze sheet fixing surface 13s and the squeeze sheet 11b can be filled. Furthermore, by melting the vertical seal 15 and the resin member 31 and bringing them into close contact with the squeeze sheet 11b, the gap can be eliminated and the toner sealability of the end portion of the cleaning frame 13 can be enhanced. As a result, the process of injecting the hot melt, which has conventionally been performed to close the gap between the cleaning frame 13 and the end seal 19, becomes unnecessary, and the configuration according to the present embodiment simplifies the production process. Can be implemented.

  Further, by adopting the configuration according to the present embodiment, the configuration can be made without using the seal member which is the soft body member, and the cartridge can be easily assembled and has high productivity.

(Method of manufacturing cleaning subunit)
Subsequently, a method of forming the cleaning subunit will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view of the cleaning frame, and FIGS. 13 to 16 are schematic cross-sectional views for explaining the process of injection molding on the cleaning frame.

(Injection molding process)
Hereinafter, a process of injection molding the vertical seals 15 and 16 and the resin member 31 into the cleaning frame 13 will be described. FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing the inlet of the cleaning frame according to the embodiment, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the cleaning frame according to the embodiment set in the resin injection device. FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view at the time of injection molding of a resin to the cleaning frame according to the embodiment, and FIG. 16 is a partially enlarged view showing FIG.

  First, the injection ports 26, 27, 44, 45 and the vertical seal 15 for injecting the molten resin, the lower cleaning blade seal 14, and the groove portions 13m, 14m, 31m for holding the resin member 31 are provided. Prepare the cleaning frame 13. The inlets 26, 27, 44, 45 are provided as holes penetrating the cartridge frame 13. In the present embodiment, the inlets 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 provided in the cleaning frame 13 are arranged such that the positions of the cleaning frame 13 in the longitudinal direction are mutually offset.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the vertical seal molds 51 and 52 for forming the vertical seals 15 and 16 and the squeeze sheet mold 53 for forming the resin member 31 are fixed to the cleaning frame 13. As a result, the molten resin can be injected from the injection ports 26 and 27 into the space formed by the vertical seal molds 51 and 52 and the cleaning container 13. In the present embodiment, the vertical seal mold 51 (52) is divided into a mold 51a for forming the first portion 15a and a mold 51b for forming the second portions 15b to 15c. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a vertically sealed mold 51 in which the mold 51a and the mold 51b are integrated may be used.

  Similarly, the molten resin can be injected from the injection ports 28 and 29 into the space formed by the squeeze sheet mold 53 and the cleaning container 13. At this time, the space formed by the squeeze sheet mold 53 and the cleaning container 13 is in communication with the space formed by the vertical seal molds 51 and 52 and the cleaning container 13.

  In this embodiment, in addition to the vertical seals 15 and 16 and the resin member 31, the cleaning blade lower seal 14 is also formed in the same process. For this reason, the lower seal type 50 for forming the cleaning blade lower seal 14 is also fixed to the cleaning frame 13, and the molten resin is injected from the injection port 25 into the space formed by the lower seal type 50 and the cleaning frame 13. It was possible composition.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 14, the cleaning frame 13 is set in the resin injection device 40. The resin injection device 40 is composed of two resin supply units 40a and 40b, and supplies the material of the hopper unit 46 (40a) for supplying the material of the cleaning blade lower seal 14 and the vertical seals 15 and 16 and the resin member 31. A hopper portion 47 (40b) is provided. Further, as shown in FIG. 15, the gates 41 to 45 for injecting the resin are arranged at the positions corresponding to the respective inlets 25 to 29 in the same direction as the inlets. Furthermore, the inlets 25-29 provided in the cleaning frame 13 are also arranged in the same direction, so that the gates 41-45 can be brought into contact with the inlets 25-29 simultaneously.

  Next, the plungers 55, 56, 57 of the resin supply unit 40a are driven in the direction of the arrows while the gates 41, 42, 43 and the inlets 25, 26, 27 are in contact with each other. As a result, the first elastomer resin, which is a seal material for the cleaning blade lower seal 14 and the vertical seals 15 and 16, is ejected from the gates 41, 42 and 43. Similarly, the plungers 58 and 59 of the resin supply unit 40b are driven in the direction of the arrows while the gates 44 and 45 and the inlets 28 and 29 are in contact with each other. As a result, the second elastomer resin, which is the material of the resin member 31, is ejected from the gates 44, 45. The injected first elastomer resin is poured into the space formed by the cleaning frame 13, the lower seal mold 50, and the vertical seal molds 51 and 52. The similarly injected second elastomer resin is poured into the space formed by the cleaning frame 13 and the squeeze sheet mold 53.

  At this time, the first elastomer resin injected from the gates 41, 42 and 43 is formed to flow into a part of the space formed by the cleaning frame 13 and the squeeze sheet mold 53. The start timing, movement amount, and movement speed of the plungers 56 to 59 are adjusted, and the first elastomer resin poured and the second elastomer resin collide with each other, and the formed boundary portion 103 is formed in the third portion 15c. Set to

  After the injection is completed, the cleaning frame 13 is removed from the cleaning blade lower seal mold 50, the vertical seal molds 51 and 52, and the resin member mold 53, and the mold separation is performed. Thus, the cleaning blade lower seal 14, the vertical seals 15 and 16, and the resin member 31 can be integrally formed on the cleaning frame 13.

  Thus, the cleaning subunit 12 is completed.

(Cleaning blade and end seal attachment process)
The cleaning blade 11a is disposed on the lower cleaning blade seal 14 and fixed to the blade mounting seat surfaces 21 and 22 provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction N of the cleaning frame 13 by a fixing member 17 such as a screw. Fix it. At this time, the space between the cleaning frame 13 and the sheet metal 11 a 2 of the cleaning blade 11 a is sealed by the lower cleaning blade seal 14.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 17, the end seal 19 is adhered to the affixing surface 13t of the cartridge frame 13 so as to abut the cleaning blade 11a, the photosensitive drum 7 attached later, and the squeegee sheet 11b. The end face seal 19 fixes the adhesive surface 19 b on the groove 13 m of the cartridge frame 13, that is, on the vertical seal 15. At this time, as shown in FIG. 17B, the end seal 19 is fixed to the cleaning frame 13 by crushing the vertical seal 15, more specifically the contact portion 15b3 projecting from the step 13p, The gap between the part seal 19 and the cleaning frame 13 is sealed.

(Squirrel sheet sticking process)
Next, the attachment of the squeeze sheet 11b will be described. In the present embodiment, a sheet made of polyester was used as the squeegee sheet 11b. The squeegee sheet 11 b is disposed at a predetermined position on the resin member 31 formed on the cleaning frame 13. Then, as shown in FIG. 18, a heating body 71 such as a heat bar heated to the melting point of the resin member 31 or more and to the melting point of the material of the squeegee sheet 11b is pressed. The resin member 31 is melted by the heat and pressure of the heater 71, and the cleaning frame 13 and the squeeze sheet 11b are bonded. More specifically, not only the longitudinal bonding portion 31 a of the resin member 31 but also all of the end resin portion 31 b and the vertical seal third portion 15 c are heated. Thereby, the end resin portion 31b is melted and adhered to the squeegee sheet 11b, and a part of the vertical seal 15 present in the third portion 15c is also melted and brought into close contact with the squeegee sheet 11b. Therefore, it is preferable to use a material compatible with the material of the squeeze sheet 11b for the resin member 31.

  Furthermore, as a melting method of the resin member 31, in addition to pressing of the heating body 71, the resin member 31 is irradiated with laser using a sheet material having high light permeability for the squee sheet 11b to melt the resin member 31 It is also good. In this case, as shown in FIG. 19, after the squeegee sheet 11b is fixed by the transparent fixing member 72 such as glass with high light transmittance, the laser head 73 is scanned to make the longitudinal resin portion 31a and the end resin The portion 31b is irradiated with a laser. As the resin member 31, any material that absorbs and melts laser light may be used, and a thermally reactive resin that absorbs light, such as carbon, can be used. In the present example, the second sealing material used as the resin member 31 contained 0.5 to 12 parts by mass of carbon and used a styrene resin.

  After the squeegee sheet 11b is fixed to the cleaning subunit 12, the photosensitive drum 7 and the charging roller 8 are fixed at predetermined positions to complete the photosensitive drum unit 11. Then, the developing unit 10 is integrated with the photosensitive drum unit 11 to complete the cartridge.

  It should be noted that the injection process may be performed with each mold 50 to 53 in contact with the cleaning frame 13 so that the resin does not leak, and as in the present embodiment, the molds 50 to 53 are simultaneously abutted. The injection process may be carried out after sequentially abutted.

(Effect of this embodiment)
In the present embodiment, the manufactured cartridge B has the same process with the resin injection device 40, in addition to the effects exerted by the configuration of the cartridge B, a plurality of parts such as the lower cleaning blade seal 14, the vertical seals 15 and 16, and the resin member 31. It can be manufactured by For this reason, in addition to being able to improve the productivity, since there is no step of attaching the seal member, which is a soft body member, to the cartridge frame, assembly by an automatic machine can be enabled.

A Image forming apparatus body B Cartridge 7 Photosensitive drum 8 Charge roller 10 Development unit 11 Photosensitive drum unit 11a Cleaning blade 11b Squeeze sheet 11c Waste toner storage 12 Cleaning subunit 13 Cleaning frame 14 Cleaning blade lower seal 15, 16 Vertical seal 19 , 20 end seal 21, 22 blade mounting bearing surface 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 inlet 31 resin member 40 resin injection device 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 gate 50 lower seal mold 51, 52 vertical seal Mold 53 Resin member Mold 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 Plunger 70 Hot melt 73 Laser head 101, 102 Gap 103 Boundary part

Claims (10)

A cartridge which can be attached to and removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus
An image carrier,
A cartridge frame on which the image carrier is rotatably supported;
Cleaning means for cleaning the image carrier;
A thin plate member extending along the rotation axis direction of the image carrier, and having one end in a direction intersecting the rotation axis direction abut on the image carrier;
A resin member including a fixing portion that fixes the other end of the thin plate member in the intersecting direction to the cartridge frame, the fixing portion extending in the rotation axis direction;
A seal portion for sealing a gap between an end portion of the cleaning means in the rotational axis direction and the cartridge frame, the seal portion including a seal portion extending toward the fixing portion in a direction intersecting the rotational axis direction And a sealing member,
The seal member and the resin member are formed by injection molding integrally with the cartridge frame using materials different from each other.
The resin member has a protrusion which protrudes from the fixing portion toward the seal member in a direction intersecting the rotation axis direction, and a tip of the protrusion is in contact with the seal member. And a cartridge.   The contact surface where the tip end of the protrusion contacts the seal member is closer to the fixing portion than the seal portion of the seal member in the direction intersecting the rotation axis direction. The cartridge according to claim 1, characterized in that:   The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is provided between the cartridge frame and the thin plate member in the thickness direction of the thin plate member. And an end seal provided on the cartridge frame so as to seal a gap between the end of the image carrier in the rotational axis direction and the cartridge frame.
The seal member is a side surface of a stepped portion formed by the surface of the cartridge frame to which the end seal is fixed, and the surface of the cartridge frame on which the fixing portion is provided, and the end seal The cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a portion for sealing a gap between the side face and the side face.   The cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the material of the resin member is a material having a hardness higher than that of the material of the sealing member according to a JIS K6253 test method.   The cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the image bearing member is a photosensitive member. An image bearing member, and Luca cartridges frame the image bearing member is rotatably supported, and a cleaning means for cleaning said image bearing member, extending along the rotation axis direction of the image bearing member, wherein the axis of rotation A thin plate member whose one end in a direction intersecting the direction is in contact with the image carrier and a fixing portion which fixes the other end of the thin plate member in the intersecting direction to the cartridge frame and extends in the rotation axis direction A seal portion for sealing a gap between a resin member including a fixing portion, an end portion of the cleaning means in the rotation axis direction, and the cartridge frame, the fixing portion in a direction intersecting the rotation axis direction And a seal member including a seal portion extending toward the front of the image forming apparatus, wherein the method of manufacturing the cartridge is detachably mountable to the main body of the image forming apparatus. The second seal material, which is a molten resin different from the first seal material, is injected into the space formed between the cartridge frame and at least one mold fixed to the cartridge frame from different inlets. Forming a seal member and the resin member on the cartridge frame by molding and molding;
A second step of fixing the cleaning means to the cartridge frame;
A third step of disposing the thin plate member on the fixing portion of the resin member, melting the fixing portion, and fixing the thin plate member to the fixing portion by welding;
A fourth step of placing the image carrier on the cartridge frame;
A protruding portion protruding from the fixed portion toward the seal member in a direction intersecting the rotation axis direction, the resin member having a protruding portion whose tip portion contacts the seal member A method of manufacturing a cartridge, comprising molding the seal member and the resin member in the first step.   The contact surface where the tip end of the protrusion contacts the seal member in a direction intersecting the rotation axis direction is closer to the fixed portion than the seal portion of the seal member. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the seal member and the resin member are formed in the first step.   When the thin plate member is fixed to the cartridge frame, in the thickness direction of the thin plate member, the protrusion is between the cartridge frame and the thin plate member in the first step. The method for manufacturing a cartridge according to claim 7, wherein a sealing member and the resin member are molded.   The cartridge according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein a material of the resin member is a material having a hardness according to a JIS K6253 test method higher than a material of the seal member.

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