Abstract: A flange assembly for a drum of an image forming apparatus. The flange assembly including a flange having a hollow portion that extends from a first end of the flange to a second end of the flange, and a grounding member provided within the hollow portion of the flange. The grounding member is configured to ground the drum by contacting a ground pin of the image forming apparatus when the drum and the flange assembly are mounted to the image forming apparatus. When the grounding member is provided within the hollow portion of the flange, an open space is provided along an entire length from the first end of the flange to the second end of the flange. The driving flange has a generally triangular-shaped drive member at a terminal end thereof, and the drive member is configured to mate with a drum drive assembly of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A flange assembly for a drum of an image forming apparatus. The flange assembly including a flange having a hollow portion that extends from a first end of the flange to a second end of the flange, and a grounding member provided within the hollow portion of the flange. The grounding member is configured to ground the drum by contacting a ground pin of the image forming apparatus when the drum and the flange assembly are mounted to the image forming apparatus. When the grounding member is provided within the hollow portion of the flange, an open space is provided along an entire length from the first end of the flange to the second end of the flange. The driving flange has a generally triangular-shaped drive member at a terminal end thereof, and the drive member is configured to mate with a drum drive assembly of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An improved grounding plate or contact assembly is provided for a photosensitive drum of an image forming apparatus such as a printer or photocopier. The arrangement ensures contact between the grounding plate/contact assembly and a contact area disposed on an interior surface of the drum regardless of the rotational orientation of the grounding plate/contact assembly with respect to the drum. In a preferred form of the invention, the grounding plate includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced contact members and is mounted upon a flange which is inserted into the end of the drum. Since the circumferential spacing of the contact members is less than a length of a laser scribed contact area on the interior surface of the drum, contact between the laser scribed area or patch and one of the contact members is ensured despite variations in the rotational or angular position of the flange with respect to the drum.