Patent ID: 9335719
Filing Date: 2016-05-10
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. An interval securing member configured to maintain a distance between an image bearing member and a roller, the image bearing member being provided rotatably and configured so that a latent image is formed thereon, comprising: a first image bearing member side sliding contact portion configured to come into sliding contact with the image bearing member on an upstream side in a direction of rotation of the image bearing member from a nearest position where the distance between the image bearing member and the roller becomes the smallest; a first roller side sliding contact portion configured to come into sliding contact with the roller on an upstream side from the nearest position in a direction of rotation of the roller; a second image bearing member side sliding contact portion configured to come into sliding contact with the image bearing member on a downstream side from the nearest position in the direction of rotation of the image bearing member; and a second roller side sliding contact portion configured to come into sliding contact with the roller on a downstream side from the nearest position in the direction of rotation of the roller, wherein the first image bearing member side sliding contact portion and the first roller side sliding contact portion come into abutment with the image bearing member and the roller respectively, so that the interval securing member is prevented from moving in the direction of rotations of the image bearing member and the roller when the image bearing member and the roller rotate, wherein the interval securing member does not come into contact with the image bearing member and the roller on a straight line connecting a center of the image bearing member and a center of the roller.