Abstract: Provided are a cleaning member that removes a developer from the surface of an image bearing member that is attached to an opening of a frame; a transport member that transports developer removed from the surface of the photosensitive member drum by the cleaning member, from an opening side of the frame towards an opposing deep side; and a driving unit for driving the transport member such that the transport member moves relatively to the cleaning member. The transport member is driven by the driving unit such that an absolute value of maximum acceleration at the time of movement of the transport member in a direction from the opening side of the frame towards the deep side is smaller than an absolute value of maximum acceleration at the time of movement in a direction from the deep side towards the opening side.

Abstract: A seal member includes a first seal portion abutting an end portion of a rotating body to seal a gap between a storage container and the end portion, and a second seal portion abutting an end portion of a blade to seal a gap between the storage container and the end portion. The second seal portion has a tip contacting portion to contact a tip portion of the blade and a non-tip contacting portion to contact a portion of the blade except for the tip portion. The non-tip contacting portion is recessed to form a step between the non-tip contacting portion and the tip contacting portion. The tip contacting portion includes a base portion to contact with the storage container, an abutting portion configured to abut the blade, and a connecting portion which connects the base portion and the abutting portion to each other.

Abstract: Provided are a cleaning member that scrapes developer from a photosensitive drum attached to an opening of a cleaning frame, and a transport member that transports scraped developer from an opening side of the frame towards an opposing deep side. The transport member is driven such that an absolute value of maximum acceleration at the time of movement of the transport sheet in a direction from the opening side towards the deep side is smaller than an absolute value of maximum acceleration at the time of movement in a reverse direction of the former direction. In the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum, the width of the transport member is smaller than an abutting width of an abutting portion of the cleaning member with the photosensitive drum, and ends of the transport member in the longitudinal direction are positioned inward of ends of the abutting portion.

Abstract: A cartridge includes a housing that has an opening and a conveyance member disposed near a bottom surface of the housing. The conveyance member is configured to convey developer along a first direction from a deep side to an opening side of the housing, or a second direction from the opening side to the deep side. The cartridge also includes a driving member connected to one end of the conveyance member, with the driving member being configured to reciprocate the conveyance member along a surface direction of the conveyance member in a manner such that a maximum acceleration of the conveyance member in the first direction and a maximum acceleration in the second direction are different from each other. The housing includes a regulation member that regulates movement of the conveyance member in a direction in which the conveyance member moves away from the bottom surface of the housing.

Abstract: Provided are a cleaning member that removes a developer from the surface of an image bearing member that is attached to an opening of a frame; a transport member that transports developer removed from the surface of the photosensitive member drum by the cleaning member, from an opening side of the frame towards an opposing deep side; and a driving unit for driving the transport member such that the transport member moves relatively to the cleaning member. The transport member is driven by the driving unit such that an absolute value of maximum acceleration at the time of movement of the transport member in a direction from the opening side of the frame towards the deep side is smaller than an absolute value of maximum acceleration at the time of movement in a direction from the deep side towards the opening side.

Abstract: Provided are a cleaning member that scrapes developer from a photosensitive drum attached to an opening of a cleaning frame, and a transport member that transports scraped developer from an opening side of the frame towards an opposing deep side. The transport member is driven such that an absolute value of maximum acceleration at the time of movement of the transport sheet in a direction from the opening side towards the deep side is smaller than an absolute value of maximum acceleration at the time of movement in a reverse direction of the former direction. In the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum, the width of the transport member is smaller than an abutting width of an abutting portion of the cleaning member with the photosensitive drum, and ends of the transport member in the longitudinal direction are positioned inward of ends of the abutting portion.

Abstract: A developing device includes a rotatable developer carrying member, a frame, a partition wall partitioning an inside of the frame into a developing chamber and a developer accommodating portion and provided with an opening, and a feeding member. The feeding member includes a flexible sheet member and a driving member. Maximum acceleration of the sheet member driven by the driving member in a first direction in which the developer in the developer accommodating chamber is moved toward the opening is smaller than maximum acceleration in a second direction opposite to the first direction. When the sheet member is reciprocated in a surface direction by the driving member, the sheet member is deformable so as to follow a shape of an inner wall surface of the developer accommodating chamber.

Abstract: A seal member 14 which seals a gap among a rotating body 9 provided in an opening of a frame body 13, a blade 18a, and the frame body 13 in an end region in an axial direction of the rotating body 9, the seal member 14 including: a first seal portion 14b which comes into contact with the rotating body 9; a second seal portion 14e which comes into contact with the blade 18a; and a third seal portion 14f which is constituted by a surface formed in a stair shape and sequentially arranged between the first seal portion 14b and the second seal portion 14e and which is capable of reducing a gap formed between the rotating body 9 and the blade 18a due to rotation of the rotating body 9.

Abstract: One end portion and the other end portion of a rotating member, which face each other and form a joint portion, have a shape with projections and recesses. Projections of one end portion fit in recesses of the other end portion, while projections of the other end portion fit in recesses of the one end portion, so that the one end portion and the other end portion are interlocked. The projections have a first corner portion rounded in an arc, while the recesses have a second corner portion rounded in an arc in which the first corner portion fits. The first corner portion has a larger radius of curvature than that of the second corner portion.

Abstract: A seal member 100 implementing sealing so as to prevent a developer from leaking to the outside of a storage container 23, wherein a second seal portion 107 which abuts an end of a blade 42 in an axial direction of a rotational axis of a rotating body 32 includes: a base portion 133; an abutting portion 130; a connecting portion 131; and a wall portion 134, and the abutting portion 130 deforms in a direction approaching the base portion 133 when the seal member 100 is fixed to the storage container 23, and the blade 42 and the rotating body 32 are attached.

Abstract: A cylindrical shaft of a roller has facing surfaces which form a depression-protrusion-shaped portion of a joint of the cylindrical shaft and which face or make contact with each other and moreover which extend in a direction non-parallel to an axial direction of the cylindrical shaft, and the facing surfaces are inclined at a predetermined engagement angle with respect to a circumferential direction. A generating line of a circumferential surface of a coating layer that coats an outer circumference of the cylindrical shaft and a generating line of a circumferential surface of a photosensitive drum cross each other at a crossing angle smaller than the engagement angle.

Abstract: A cylindrical shaft of a roller has facing surfaces which form a depression-protrusion-shaped portion of a joint of the cylindrical shaft and which face or make contact with each other and moreover which extend in a direction non-parallel to an axial direction of the cylindrical shaft, and the facing surfaces are inclined at a predetermined engagement angle with respect to a circumferential direction. A generating line of a circumferential surface of a coating layer that coats an outer circumference of the cylindrical shaft and a generating line of a circumferential surface of a photosensitive drum cross each other at a crossing angle smaller than the engagement angle.

Abstract: One end portion and the other end portion of a rotating member, which face each other and form a joint portion, have a shape with projections and recesses. Projections of one end portion fit in recesses of the other end portion, while projections of the other end portion fit in recesses of the one end portion, so that the one end portion and the other end portion are interlocked. The projections have a first corner portion rounded in an arc, while the recesses have a second corner portion rounded in an arc in which the first corner portion fits. The first corner portion has a larger radius of curvature than that of the second corner portion.

Abstract: A seal member 14 which seals a gap among a rotating body 9 provided in an opening of a frame body 13, a blade 18a, and the frame body 13 in an end region in an axial direction of the rotating body 9, the seal member 14 including: a first seal portion 14b which comes into contact with the rotating body 9; a second seal portion 14e which comes into contact with the blade 18a; and a third seal portion 14f which is constituted by a surface formed in a stair shape and sequentially arranged between the first seal portion 14b and the second seal portion 14e and which is capable of reducing a gap formed between the rotating body 9 and the blade 18a due to rotation of the rotating body 9.

Abstract: To provide an image forming apparatus in which variations in the contact pressure produced between a photosensitive drum and a developing roller is suppressed, whereby image quality can be improved. A development unit and a drum unit are rotatably connected to each other with a link member interposed therebetween. Gears for transmitting a driving force are supported at two rotation support points of the link member, whereby the driving force is transmitted to the development unit.

Abstract: To provide an image forming apparatus in which variations in the contact pressure produced between a photosensitive drum and a developing roller is suppressed, whereby image quality can be improved. A development unit and a drum unit are rotatably connected to each other with a link member interposed therebetween. Gears for transmitting a driving force are supported at two rotation support points of the link member, whereby the driving force is transmitted to the development unit.

Abstract: A developer regulating apparatus including: a flexible sheet member, which regulates a thickness of a developer layer on a developing roller; and a holding member having wall surfaces for holding the sheet member in a curved state, wherein when the sheet member is not pressed by the developing roller, an angle of circumference of an arc of the sheet member is not larger than 180 degrees, a perpendicular bisector of a chord corresponding to the arc when the sheet member is pressed by the developing roller is provided downstream in a rotation direction of the developing roller with respect to a normal line of a surface of the developing roller which is parallel to the perpendicular bisector, and a sheet member holding line of the wall surface of the holding member upstream in the rotation direction is provided coplanar with the normal line or upstream of the normal line.