Granted Patent B2

US 12,379,680 · App. 18/627,512 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

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

Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA

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

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A cartridge comprising:

a developing roller rotatable about a first axis extending in a first direction;

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;

an electrode electrically connected to a component of the cartridge, the electrode being positioned at the another end portion of the housing; and

a detection protrusion positioned at the another end portion of the housing, the detection protrusion being movable according to rotation of the coupling, the detection protrusion being positioned farther from the developing roller than a part of the electrode in a second direction.

2. The cartridge according to claim 1 ,

wherein the component is the developing roller.

3. The cartridge according to claim 1 , further comprising a supply roller rotatable about a third axis extending in the first direction,

wherein the component is the supply roller.

4. The cartridge according to claim 1 ,

wherein the detection protrusion has an inclined surface.

5. The cartridge according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second direction is crossing the first direction.

6. The cartridge according to claim 1 ,

wherein an entirety of the electrode is positioned at the another end portion of the housing.

7. The cartridge according to claim 1 ,

wherein the developing roller is rotatable according to the rotation of the coupling.

8. The cartridge according to claim 1 ,

wherein the detection protrusion is movable relative to the electrode.

9. The cartridge according to claim 1 ,

wherein the detection protrusion is rotatable according to the rotation of the coupling.

10. The cartridge according to claim 1 ,

wherein the electrode is configured to be supplied with electric power from an outside of the cartridge.

11. The cartridge according to claim 1 ,

wherein the electrode is made of a conductive resin material.

12. The cartridge according to claim 1 , further comprising:

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

a supply gear attached to the supply roller shaft, the supply gear being positioned at the one end portion of the housing; and

a developing gear attached to a developing roller shaft of the developing roller, the developing gear being positioned at the one end portion of the housing,

wherein the coupling has a coupling gear which is meshed with the supply gear and the developing gear.

13. The cartridge according to claim 12 , further comprising a gear cover attached to the housing, the gear cover covering the supply gear and the developing gear,

wherein the gear cover has a coupling exposure opening which allows a part of the coupling to be exposed to an outside of the gear cover.

14. The cartridge according to claim 1 , further comprising a shaft movable according to the rotation of the coupling, and

wherein the detection protrusion is movable according to movement of the shaft.

15. The cartridge according to claim 1 ,

wherein a distance between the developing roller and the detection protrusion in the second direction is greater than a distance between the developing roller and the part of the electrode in the second direction.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (13)

References Cited (203)