Granted Patent B2

US 12,474,653 · App. 18/526,660 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Inventors: Nao Itabashi (Nagoya, JP); Naoya Kamimura (Ichinomiya, JP)

Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA

G03G15/0889G03G15/065G03G15/0865G03G21/1676G03G21/1864G03G21/1896

Abstract

Claims (30)

1 . A cartridge, comprising:

a developing roller rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction, the developing roller including a developing roller shaft;

a housing configured to accommodate developer therein, the housing having one end portion and another end portion separated from the one end portion in the first direction;

a coupling rotatable about a second axis extending in the first direction, the coupling being positioned at the one end portion of the housing;

a shaft movable according to rotation of the coupling; and

a detection protrusion positioned at the another end portion of the housing, the detection protrusion being movable according to the movement of the shaft, the detection protrusion being made of a conductive material.

2 . The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the developing roller is rotatable according to the rotation of the coupling.

3 . The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the detection protrusion has an inclined surface.

4 . The cartridge according to claim 1 , further comprising an electrode being positioned at the another end portion of the housing.

5 . The cartridge according to claim 4 , wherein the electrode is electrically connected to the detection protrusion.

6 . The cartridge according to claim 4 , wherein the electrode is electrically connected to a component of the cartridge.

7 . The cartridge according to claim 6 , wherein the electrode is electrically connected to the detection protrusion.

8 . The cartridge according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a supply roller rotatable about a third axis extending in the first direction,

wherein the component of the cartridge is a supply roller shaft.

9 . The cartridge according to claim 8 , wherein the detection protrusion is positioned farther from the developing roller than a part of the electrode in a second direction.

10 . The cartridge according to claim 9 , wherein the second direction is crossing the first direction.

11 . The cartridge according to claim 8 , wherein an entirety of the electrode is positioned at the another end portion of the housing.

12 . The cartridge according to claim 8 , wherein the detection protrusion moves relative to the electrode.

13 . The cartridge according to claim 8 ,

wherein the supply roller includes the supply roller shaft,

wherein the supply roller shaft includes a first end portion and a second end portion being spaced apart from the first end portion in the first direction,

wherein the first end portion of the supply roller is positioned at the one end portion of the housing, the second end portion of the supply roller is positioned at the another end portion of the housing, and

wherein the electrode has an electric-power receiving protrusion, the electric-power receiving protrusion being spaced apart from the second end portion of the supply roller shaft.

14 . The cartridge according to claim 13 , wherein the electric-power receiving protrusion extends in the first direction.

15 . The cartridge according to claim 13 , wherein the electric-power receiving protrusion is made of conductive resin.

16 . The cartridge according to claim 8 ,

wherein the supply roller includes the supply roller shaft, and

wherein the electrode is in contact with the supply roller shaft.

17 . The cartridge according to claim 8 , wherein the electrode is electrically connected to the detection protrusion.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (12)

References Cited (202)