EP0441227A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electrophotographic printing apparatus

Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co Ltd

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Filing: 1991-01-29

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Granted: —

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Expires: 2011-01-29

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Abstract

Abstract In an electrophotographic printing apparatus comprising a photosensitive drum (6) having a photoconductive layer on its surface, a primary charger (17) for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum (6), a developing agent tank (2) for containing powder developing agent, a developing means (4) for supplying the powder developing agent supplied from the developing agent tank (2), to the surface of the photosensitive drum (6), and a cleaner (7) for removing the powder developing agent from the surface of the photosensitive drum (6), the photosensitive drum (6), the primary charger (17), the developing means (4), a container (11a) for the developing agent tank (2), and the cleaner (7) are integrally mounted to a support member to form an image-forming cartridge (1), this cartridge (1) is removably mounted to a main body (101) of the electrophotographic printing apparatus, and the developing agent tank (2) is removably mounted in the container of the cartridge (1). The toner cartridge (2) is placed into the main cartridge (1) through an opening cut into a lid covering this main processing unit (1).

Inventors

👤 Hiroshi Kikuchi
👤 Shigeki Nakajima
👤 Hisao Ono
👤 Yoshiharu Momiyama

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —

Jurisdiction EP

Data Source google_patents

Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 06:48

CPC Classifications

G; G03; G03G; G03G21/00; G03G21/16; G03G21/18; G03G21/1803; G03G21/1817; G03G21/1821; G03G15/00; G03G15/06; G03G15/08; G03G15/0822; G03G15/0865; G03G15/0867; G03G15/0868; G03G15/087; G03G15/0872; G03G15/0877; G03G15/0881; G03G15/0886; G03G2215/00; G03G2215/06; G03G2215/066; G03G2215/0663; G03G2215/0665; G03G2215/0675; G03G2215/0685; G03G2215/0692; G03G2221/00; G03G2221/16; G03G2221/163; G03G2221/1651; G03G2221/1654; G03G2221/18; G03G2221/183

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 3

Claim 1

Independent Claim 174 words

An electrophotographic printing apparatus comprising: a photosensitive drum having a photoconductive layer on its surface; a primary charger for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum; a developing agent tank for containing powder developing agent; a developing means for supplying the powder developing agent supplied from the developing agent tank, to the surface of the photosensitive drum; and a cleaner for removing the powder developing agent from the surface of the photosensitive drum; wherein a visible image using the powder developing agent corresponding to an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum is formed, and the visible image is transferred to the surface of a printing paper to achieve printing; characterized in that the photosensitive drum, the primary charger, the developing means, a container for the developing agent tank, and the cleaner are integrally mounted to a support member to form an image-forming cartridge; this cartridge is removably mounted to a main body of the electrophotographic printing apparatus; and the developing agent tank is removably mounted in the container of the cartridge.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 84 words

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said image-forming cartridge is provided in a frame; said frame has an upper lid having a window; and said developing agent tank can be mounted into said container of said cartridge and can be removed from said container of said cartridge through said window of said upper lid, whereby said developing agent tank can be mounted to and removed from said container of said cartridge while said cartridge is mounted to the body of the electrophotographic printing apparatus.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 118 words

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said developing agent tank has an inner cylinder having an opening, and an outer cylinder having an opening which does not overlap the opening of said inner cylinder when the developing agent tank is not mounted in said image-forming cartridge; and said container has an opening overlapping said opening of said outer cylinder when said developing agent tank is mounted in said container; said apparatus further comprises means for rotating said inner cylinder relative to said outer cylinder such that said opening of said inner cylinder, said opening of said outer cylinder, and said opening of said container overlap each other, to permit supply of developing agent tank to the developing means.

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