Patent ID: 11860567
Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 6:
7. A process cartridge comprising:
a drum cartridge configured to support a photosensitive drum, the photosensitive drum being rotatable about a drum axis extending in an axis direction; and
a toner cartridge configured to accommodate toner to be supplied to the photosensitive drum,
the drum cartridge comprising:
a drum cleaner configured to remove transfer residual toner from the photosensitive drum;
a toner receiving hole receiving toner from the toner cartridge; and
a conveyor device configured to convey transfer residual toner from the drum cleaner to a transfer residual toner discharge hole discharging transfer residual toner from the drum cartridge,

the toner cartridge comprising:
a toner chamber configured to accommodate toner having a toner discharge hole discharging toner from the toner cartridge; and
a transfer residual toner chamber configured to accommodate transfer residual toner received through a transfer residual toner receiving hole receiving transfer residual toner from the drum cartridge,

wherein the toner cartridge is movable between a first position and a second position, the toner cartridge being removable from the drum cartridge in a state the toner cartridge is located in the first position, the toner cartridge being unremovable from the drum cartridge in a state the toner cartridge is located in the second position,
wherein in the state the toner cartridge is located in the second position,
in a case the transfer residual toner discharge hole of the drum cartridge communicates with the transfer residual toner receiving hole of the toner cartridge, the toner cartridge is not movable from the second position to the first position, and
in a case the transfer residual toner discharge hole does not communicate with the transfer residual toner receiving hole, the toner cartridge is movable from the second position to the first position, and

wherein the drum cartridge further comprises:
a shutter movable between a shutter-closed position and a shutter-opened position, the shutter being configured to:
close the transfer residual toner discharge hole in a case the shutter is located in the shutter-closed position; and
open the transfer residual toner discharge hole in a case the shutter is located in the shutter-opened position,

wherein in the state the toner cartridge is located in the second position,
in the case the shutter is located in the shutter-closed position, the transfer residual toner discharge hole does not communicate with the transfer residual toner receiving hole, and
in the case the shutter is located in the shutter-opened position, the transfer residual toner discharge hole communicates with the transfer residual toner receiving hole,

wherein the process cartridge further comprises a lock member movable between a lock position and a lock release position in the state the toner housing is located in the second position, the lock member being configured to:
lock the toner housing in the second position in a case the lock member is located in the lock position; and
release a locked state of the toner housing in a case the lock member is located in the lock release position,

wherein in a state the shutter is located in the shutter-closed position, the lock member is located in the lock release position, and
wherein in a state the shutter is located in the shutter-opened position, the lock member is located in the lock position.