| 摘要 |
<p>A remanufacturing method for a process cartridge which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein the process cartridge includes a first unit supporting an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and a second unit, which includes a developing frame supporting a developing roller, a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be used for development by the developing roller and a developer frame provided with a developer supply opening for supplying to the developing roller the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating portion, the first unit and second unit being rotatably coupled with each other, the method includes (a) a unit separating step of separating the first unit and the second unit from each other; (b) a developing roller dismounting step of dismounting the developing roller mounted to the second unit which has been separated by the separation step; (c) a sealing step of sealing with a sealant a connecting portion between the developer frame and the developing frame at one longitudinal ends of the frames; (d) a developer refilling step of refilling the developer into the developer accommodating portion of the second unit which has been separated by the separation step; (c) a developing roller remounting step of remounting the developing roller to the second unit which has been separated by the separation step; and (f) a unit re-coupling step of recoupling the first unit and the second unit with each other, by which the process cartridge is remanufactured without remounting the toner seal to the developer supply opening having been unsealed by removing a toner seal upon start of used of the process cartridge.</p> |
