摘要 |
An electrostatographic process cartridge detachably mountable into a cavity defined by mated modules forming parts of an electrostatographic reproduction machine having a copy-volume capacity limited by a waste toner sump capacity. The process cartridge includes an elongate housing having walls defining a process chamber; and a rotatable endless photoreceptive member mounted within the process chamber and to the housing. The photoreceptive member has an image bearing surface for holding a formed toner image, a conductive layer, and a closed loop path within the process chamber. The process cartridge also includes a high voltage electrostatographic charging device mounted to the elongate frame and along the closed loop path for applying a layer of electrostatic charge to the image bearing surface of the photoreceptive member; mechanisms for forming on, and transferring from, the image bearing surface, a toner image; and mechanisms for transferring the formed toner image onto a substrate. Importantly, the process cartridge includes a waste toner electro-sump subassembly mounted to an end of the elongate housing for receiving and containing waste toner removed and transported thereto by a cleaning subassembly. The waste toner electro-sump subassembly has an elbow shape including an upper arm portion and a generally horizontal forearm portion. The forearm portion includes an extendible distal end, and a near end having electrical harnessless contacts and connectors formed therein, thereby allowing adaptation of the electro-sump subassembly, at the distal end, for use in various copy volume machines within a family of machines, without affecting the critical electrical and functional interfaces, at the near end, with other subassemblies of the cartridge module.
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