Process cartridge for image forming apparatus including a hollow alignment shaft

摘要

A process cartridge installed in a body of an image forming apparatus includes an image bearer, a development device that includes a developer bearer, a rotary developer conveyance member, and a shaft projecting from a development casing in an axial direction, a gear train including an idler gear provided to the shaft projecting from the development casing, a first side plate, and a hollow shaft projecting in the axial direction from the first side plate. The first side plate includes an image bearer positioning portion and a developer bearer positioning portion to support axial end portions of the developer bearer and the image bearer, the shaft projecting from the development casing is inserted into a recess inside the hollow shaft, and the hollow shaft is inserted into a hollow shaft positioning hole formed in the body.

主权项

1. A process cartridge removably installed in a body of an image forming apparatus, the process cartridge comprising:
an image bearer to rotate in a predetermined direction; a development device to develop, with developer contained therein, a latent image formed on the image bearer, the development device including: a developer bearer disposed rotatably and facing the image bearer, a developer conveyance member to rotate and transport developer inside the development device, and a shaft projecting from a development casing in an axial direction of the developer bearer; a gear train to transmit a driving force to the developer bearer and the developer conveyance member, the gear train including an idler gear rotatably provided on the shaft projecting from the development casing; a first side plate to determine a distance between a rotary shaft of the image bearer and a rotary shaft of the developer bearer, the first side plate including a first image bearer positioning portion to rotatably support a first axial end portion of the image bearer and a first developer bearer positioning portion to rotatably support a first axial end portion of the developer bearer; and a hollow shaft projecting in the axial direction through the first side plate and inserted into a hollow shaft positioning hole formed in the body of the image forming apparatus, the hollow shaft having a recess formed therein to receive the shaft projecting from the development casing.