Driving component, photosensitive drum and process cartridge having the driving component

The present invention provides a driving component, and a photosensitive drum and a process cartridge comprising the driving component. The driving component comprises a gear fixed at one end of the photosensitive drum and a longitudinal regulating component. The longitudinal regulating component comprises a first motion subassembly, a groove part and a central shaft part. The groove part has an upper chute and a lower chute which are orthogonal in space. The first motion subassembly forms relative slide coordination with the upper chute along a first direction. The central shaft part has a common axis with the gear which forms relative slide coordination with the lower chute along a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are all perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from international application No. PCT/CN2010/073622 filed on Jun. 7, 2010, which claims priority from Chinese Patent Application Number 200920238326.2 filed on Oct. 27, 2009. These applications are incorporated herein by reference.

THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a driving component, a photosensitive drum and a processing cartridge using the driving component.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a copying machine, a laser printer and other similar devices.

Usually there is a process cartridge in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge can be mounted to a main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus and be demounted from the main assembly. For example, the process cartridge is prepared by integrally assembling the photosensitive drum and at least one of a developing means, a charging means, and a cleaning means as the processing means into a cartridge.

Current process cartridges include the following types: a first type of a process cartridge prepared by integrally assembling a photosensitive drum, and a developing means, a charging means and a cleaning means into a cartridge; a second type of a process cartridge prepared by integrally assembling a photosensitive drum and a charging means into a cartridge; and a third type of a process cartridge prepared by integrally assembling a photosensitive drum and two processing units consisting of a charging means and a cleaning means.

A user can mount the above process cartridge to the main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus in a detachable way. Therefore, the user can maintain the apparatus without relying on a service person. As a result, the user's operability of the maintenance of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus is improved. In the above conventional process cartridge, the mechanism used for receiving a rotational driving force from an apparatus main assembly to rotate a photosensitive drum is described as follows.

On a main assembly side, a rotatable member for transmitting a driving force of a motor and a non circular twisted hole, which is provided at a center portion of the rotatable member and has a cross section integrally rotatable with the rotatable member and provided with a plurality of corners, are provided.

On a process cartridge side, a non circular twisted projection, which is provided at one of longitudinal ends of a photosensitive drum and has a cross section provided with a plurality of corners, is provided. When the rotatable member is rotated in an engaged state between the projection and the hole in the case where the process cartridge is mounted to the apparatus main assembly, a rotational driving force of the rotatable member is transmitted to the photosensitive drum. As a result, the rotational force for driving the photosensitive drum is transmitted from the apparatus main assembly to the photosensitive drum. Another known mechanism is to drive a photosensitive drum by engaging a gear fixed to the photosensitive drum thus to drive a process cartridge consisting of the photosensitive drum.

However, in the conventional constitution described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,803, the rotatable member is required to be moved in a horizontal direction when the process cartridge is mounted to or demounted from the main assembly by being moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to an axial line of the rotatable member. That is, the rotatable member is required to be horizontally moved by an opening and closing operation of a main assembly cover. By the opening operation of the main assembly cover, the hole is separated from the projection. On the other hand, by the closing operation of the main assembly cover, the hole is moved toward the projection so as to be engaged with the projection. Accordingly, in the conventional process cartridge, a mechanism for moving the rotatable member in a rotational axis direction by the opening and closing operation of the main assembly cover is required to be provided to the main assembly. In the constitution described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,335, without moving the driving gear provided to the main assembly along the axial line direction thereof, the cartridge can be mounted to and demounted from the main assembly by being moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axial line. However, in this constitution a driving connection portion between the main assembly and the cartridge is an engaging portion between gears, so that it is difficult to prevent rotation non uniformity of the photosensitive drum.

U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. US2008/0152388A1 discloses another type of the process cartridge. The improvement compared to the above process cartridge is to use a spherically universal joint driving-coupling structure as a driving component located at a longitudinal end of a photosensitive drum. This driving-coupling structure is easily disengaged from the driving component. Especially during a transportation process, this phenomenon occurs more easily, which causes the driving component to lose function and work unstably.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a driving component with improved structure and reliable performance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a photosensitive drum comprising the driving component with improved structure and reliable performance.

A further object is to provide a process cartridge comprising the driving component with improved structure and reliable performance.

In order to achieve the above objects, a driving component provided in the present invention comprises a gear having one fixed end and a longitudinal regulating component having a rotational driving force receiver outside the other end projecting from the gear. The longitudinal regulating component is provided within the gear by being moved reciprocally and translationally along the longitudinal direction of the gear and a first direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction relative to the gear. A spring support part and a longitudinal position limit part are provided between the longitudinal regulating component and the gear. The longitudinal regulating component comprises a first motion subassembly, a groove part and a central shaft part. The groove part has an upper chute and a lower chute, which are orthogonal in space. The first motion subassembly forms relative slide coordination with the upper chute along the first direction. The central shaft part has a common axis with the gear and forms relative slide coordination with the lower chute along a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are all perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gear.

A further plan is to provide the first motion subassembly comprising the rotational driving force receiver and a regulating slider. The rotational driving force receiver can be rationally connected to the regulating slider around its own axis within a certain angel. A rotation limiting pin is provided between the rotational driving force receiver and the regulating slider.

A further plan is to provide the rotational driving force receiver comprising an outer end portion, a middle portion and a shaft portion on which a pinhole allowing the rotation limiting pin to pass through is provided. A concave spherical surface is formed at the center position of the outer end portion. A first convex claw and a second convex claw projecting longitudinally, and a first section and a second section separated by the first convex claw and the second convex claw are formed around the circumference of the spherical surface. The surface of the first convex claw has a first engaged surface, a first bevel and a second bevel; and the surface of the second convex claw has a second engaged surface, a third bevel and a fourth bevel, in which the first bevel, the second bevel, the third bevel and the fourth bevel are all formed around the circumferential edge of the outer end portion.

A further plan is to provide that the first convex claw and the second convex claw, and the first section and the second section are centrally symmetric to the axis of the rotational driving force receiver, respectively.

A further plan is to provide the regulating slider comprising a base and a boss formed on the base. A through hole penetrating longitudinally is provided inside the boss. The diameter of the through hole is larger than the diameter of the shaft portion of the rotational driving force receiver but smaller than the diameter of the middle portion of the rotational driving force receiver. A first side of the base has a first position limit protrusion protruding outward and the second side has a second position limit protrusion protruding outward. The bottom of the base has a recess accommodating the rotation limiting pin. The recess is formed around the circumference of the through hole. A first position limit block and a second position limit block are provided oppositely inside the recess.

A further plan is to provide the central shaft part comprising a head and a rod. The head has a thin plate shaped like a drum. The rod has a cross section shaped like a drum, whose area is smaller than the area of the head. The longitudinal position limit part is a position limit clevis pin and the bottom of the rod portion has a pinhole penetrating the rod portion in a radial direction. The pinhole is fit with the position limit clevis pin.

In addition, the outer peripheral surface of the gear has a transmission tooth ring. A divisional plate perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and a gear cavity above the divisional plate are provided inside the gear. The center position of the divisional plate has a positioning seat which has opened a through hole. The through hole and the cross section of the rod portion are all shaped like a drum. The spring support part is a helical compression spring.

A photosensitive drum provided in the present invention comprises a main drum body and a driving component fixed at a longitudinal end of the main drum body. The driving component comprises a gear having one fixed end and a longitudinal regulating component having a rotational driving force receiver outside the other end projecting from the gear. The longitudinal regulating component is provided within the gear by being moved reciprocally and translationally along the longitudinal direction of the gear and a first direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction relative to the gear. A spring support part and a longitudinal position limit part are provided between the longitudinal regulating component and the gear. The longitudinal regulating component comprises a first motion subassembly, a groove part and a central shaft part. The groove part has an upper chute and a lower chute, which are orthogonally in space. The first motion subassembly forms relative slide coordination with the upper chute along the first direction. The central shaft part has a common axis with the gear and forms relative slide coordination with the lower chute along a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are all perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gear.

A further plan is to provide the first motion subassembly comprising the rotational driving force receiver and a regulating slider. The rotational driving force receiver can be rotationally connected to the regulating slider around its own axis within a certain angel. A rotation limiting pin is provided between the rotational force receiver and the regulating slider.

A further plan is to provide the rotational driving force receiver comprising an outer end portion, a middle portion and a shaft portion on which a pinhole allowing the rotation limiting pin to pass through is provided. A concave spherical surface is formed at the center position of the outer end portion. A first convex claw and a second convex claw projected longitudinally, and a first section and a second section separated by the first convex claw and the second convex claw are formed around the circumference of the spherical surface. The surface of the first convex claw has a first engaged surface, a first bevel and a second bevel; and the surface of the second convex claw has a second engaged surface, a third bevel and a fourth bevel, in which the first bevel, the second bevel, the third bevel and the fourth bevel are all formed around the circumferential edge of the outer end portion. The first convex claw and the second convex claw, and the first section and the second section are centrally symmetric to the axis of the rotational driving force receiver, respectively. The regulating slider comprises a base and a boss formed on the base. A through hole penetrating longitudinally is provided inside the boss. The diameter of the through hole is larger than the diameter of the shaft portion of the rotational driving force receiver but smaller than the diameter of the middle portion of the rotational driving force receiver. A first side of the base has a first position limit protrusion protruding outward and a second side has a second position limit protrusion protruding outward. The bottom of the base has a recess accommodating the rotation limiting pin. The recess is formed around the circumference of the through hole. A first position limit block and a second position limit block are provided oppositely inside the recess.

In addition, the central shaft part comprises a head and a rod. The head has a thin plate shaped like a drum. The rod has a cross section shaped like a drum, whose area is smaller than the area of the head. The longitudinal position limit part is a position limit clevis pin and the bottom of the rod has a pinhole penetrating the rod in a radial direction. The pinhole is fit with the position limit clevis pin. The outer peripheral surface of the gear has a transmission tooth ring. A divisional plate perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and a gear cavity above the divisional plate are provided inside the gear. The center position of the divisional plate has a positioning seat which has opened a through hole. The through hole and the cross section of the rod are all shaped like a drum. The spring support part is a helical compression spring.

A process cartridge provided in the present invention comprises a cartridge and a photosensitive drum assembled rotationally inside the cartridge. The photosensitive drum comprises a main drum body and a driving component fixed at a longitudinal end of the main drum body. The driving component comprises a gear having one fixed end and a longitudinal regulating component having a rotational driving force receiver outside the other end projecting from the gear. The longitudinal regulating component is provided within the gear by being moved reciprocally and translationalyl along the longitudinal direction of the gear and a first direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction relative to the gear. A spring support part and a longitudinal position limit part are provided between the longitudinal regulating component and the gear. The longitudinal regulating component comprises a first motion subassembly, a groove part and a central shaft part. The groove part has an upper chute and a lower chute, which are orthogonally in space. The first motion subassembly part forms relative slide coordination with the upper chute along the first direction. The central shaft part has a common axis with the gear and forms relative slide coordination with the lower chute along a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are all perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the gear.

A further plan is to provide the first motion subassembly comprising the rotational driving force receiver and a regulating slider. The rotational driving force receiver can be rotationally connected to the regulating slider around its own axis within a certain angel. A rotation limiting pin is provided between the rotational force receiver and the regulating slider.

A further plan is to provide the rotational driving force receiver comprising an outer end portion, a middle portion and a shaft portion on which a pinhole allowing the rotation limiting pin to pass through is provided. A concave spherical surface is formed at the center position of the outer end portion. A first convex claw and a second convex claw projected longitudinally, and a first section and a second section separated by the first convex claw and the second convex claw are formed around the circumference of the spherical surface. The surface of the first convex claw has a first engaged surface, a first bevel and a second bevel; and the surface of the second convex claw has a second engaged surface, a third bevel and a fourth bevel, in which the first bevel, the second bevel, the third bevel and the fourth bevel are all formed around the circumferential edge of the outer end portion. The first convex claw and the second convex claw, and the first section and the second section are centrally symmetric to the axis of the rotational driving force receiver, respectively. The regulating slider comprises a base and a boss formed on the base. A through hole penetrating longitudinally is provided inside the boss. The diameter of the through hole is larger than the diameter of the shaft portion of the rotational driving force receiver but smaller than the diameter of the middle portion of the rotational driving force receiver. A first side of the base has a first position limit protrusion protruding outward and a second side has a second position limit protrusion protruding outward. The bottom of the base has a recess accommodating the rotation limiting pin. The recess is formed around the circumference of the through hole. A first position limit block and a second position limit block are provided oppositely inside the recess.

In addition, the central shaft part comprises a head and a rod. The head has a thin plate shaped like a drum. The rod has a cross section shaped like a drum, whose area is smaller than the area of the head. The longitudinal position limit part is a position limit clevis pin and the bottom of the rod portion has a pinhole penetrating the rod portion in a radial direction. The pinhole is fit with the position limit clevis pin. The outer peripheral surface of the gear has a transmission tooth ring. A divisional plate perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and a gear cavity above the divisional plate are provided inside the gear. The center position of the divisional plate has a positioning seat which has opened a through hole. The through hole and the cross section of the rod portion are all shaped like a drum. The spring support part is a helical compression spring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The process cartridge in the present invention is identical to various types of the current process cartridges described in Background Art of the present patent application. The photosensitive drum of the present invention is identical to those published in the current literature. The only difference is the driving component constructed at the longitudinal end of the photosensitive drum. Thus, only the embodiment of the driving component is described in detail as follows. Other embodiments related to the process cartridge and the photosensitive drum will not be described herein.

FIG. 1shows an embodiment of a photosensitive drum10constituting a driving component1in the present invention. The driving component1is fixed at one end of a main drum body20of the photosensitive drum10. The main drum body20has a photosensitive layer at its peripheral surface. The driving component1is used to receive a rotational driving force from a printer's driving mechanism and transmit the rotational driving force to the main drum body20. The main drum body20rotates around its axis under the rotational driving force.

FIGS. 2-4show the basic constructions of the driving component1, which mainly comprises a gear2, a rotational driving force receiver3, a regulating slider4, a groove part5, a rotation limiting pin6, a central shaft part9, a position limit clevis pin7and a helical compression spring8. The gear2is fixed at one end of the main drum body20. The axis of the gear2coincides with the axis of the main drum body20. The gear2rotates synchronously with the main drum body20around their common axis. The rotational driving force receiver3is connected to the regulating slider4through the rotation limiting pin6. The rotational driving force receiver3can rotate reciprocally around its axis within a certain angular range relative to the regulating slider4. The helical compression spring8is set on the central shaft part9. The central shaft part9is assembled inside the gear2through the position limit clevis pin7.

Referring toFIG. 16, a longitudinal regulating component11comprises a rotational driving force receiver3, a regulating slider4, a rotation limiting pin6, a groove part5and a central shaft part9. Referring toFIGS. 17 and 18, the longitudinal regulating component11can make a limited longitudinal and reciprocally translational movement along the longitudinal direction Z of the gear2relative to the gear2via the compressed force of the helical compression spring8, the restoring force after losing the external force from the helical compression spring8and the longitudinal position limit from the position limit clevis pin7. In addition, referring toFIGS. 14 and 15, a first motion subassembly12comprising a rotational driving force receiver3, a regulating slider4and a rotation limiting pin6can make a limited first straight line reciprocally translational movement inside an upper chute51along the first direction X perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Z of the gear2relative to the groove part5. A second motion subassembly14of the first motion subassembly12plus the groove part5can make a limited second straight line reciprocally translational movement along the second direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Z of the gear2relative to the central shaft part9. The first direction X is orthogonal to the second direction Y.

Referring toFIG. 5andFIG. 6, the rotational driving force receiver3is roughly a similar shape of the torch, which comprises an outer end portion30, a middle portion36and a shaft portion37tapered from top to bottom as shown inFIG. 5. The middle portion36and the shaft portion37are all cylindrical. A pinhole38is provided on the shaft portion37, which allows the rotation limiting pin6passes through. A concave spherical surface35is formed in the center position of the outer end portion30. A first convex claw31and a second convex claw32projected longitudinally are formed around the circumference of the spherical surface35. The first convex claw31and the second convex claw32are centrally symmetric to the axis39of the rotational driving force receiver3. In addition, a first section33and a second section34separated by the first convex claw31and the second convex claw32are formed around the circumference of the spherical surface35and are also centrally symmetric to the axis39. The surface of the first convex claw31has a first engaged surface313, a first bevel311and a second bevel312. The surface of the second convex claw32has a second engaged surface323, a third bevel321and a fourth bevel322, in which the first engaged surface313and the second engaged surface323, the first bevel311and the third bevel321, and the second bevel312and the fourth bevel322are centrally symmetric to the axis39, respectively. The first bevel311, the second bevel312, the third bevel321and the fourth bevel322are all formed around the circumferential edge of the outer end portion30.

Referring toFIG. 7andFIG. 8, a regulating slider4comprises a base46shaped roughly like a drum and a cylindrical boss45formed on the base46. There is a cylindrical through hole47penetrating longitudinally inside the boss45. The diameter of the through hole47is larger than the diameter of the shaft portion37of the rotational driving force receiver3but smaller than the diameter of the middle portion36of the rotational driving force receiver3. Thus the hole can only allow the shaft portion37to pass through. A first side48of the base46has a first position limit protrusion41protruding outward and a second side49has a second position limit protrusion42protruding outward. The role of the above two position limit protrusions is to control the distance of which the regulating slide4moves on the lateral surface inside the chute of the groove part5. The bottom of the base46has a recess410accommodating the rotation limiting pin6. The recess410is formed around the circumference of the through hole47. Two opposite blocks, namely a first position limit block43and a second position limit block44are provided inside the recess, which allow the rotation limiting pin6assembled in the pinhole38to rotate around the axis411of the regulating slider4within a certain angular range.

Referring toFIG. 9, the groove part5is a cylinder that has opened a groove. Its top has an upper chute51penetrating in the radial direction and the bottom has a lower chute52penetrating in the radial direction. The cross sections of the upper chute51and the lower chute52show roughly a convex shape. The upper chute and the lower chute are orthogonal in space. The base46of the regulating slider4can reciprocally slide along the radial direction inside the upper chute51relative to the groove part5. The head of the central shaft part9can reciprocally slide along the radial direction inside the lower chute52relative to the groove part5.

Referring toFIGS. 10 and 11, the central shaft part9comprising a head91and a rod92is roughly like a T-shape, in which the head91comprises a thin plate shaped like a drum and the cross section of the rod92shaped also like a drum but the cross section area of the rod92is smaller than the area of the head91. The bottom of the rod92has a pinhole93penetrating the rod92in the radial direction. The pinhole93is fit with the position limiting clevis pin7. There is a cavity94inside the rod92.

Referring toFIGS. 12 and 13, the outer peripheral surface of the gear2has a transmission tooth ring24. A divisional plate25perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and a gear cavity21above the division25are provided inside the gear2. A positioning seat23protruded upward is provided in the center of the divisional plate25. The positioning seat23has opened a drum shaped hole22. The size and shape of the drum shaped hole22are substantially identical to those of the cross section of the rod portion92on the central shaft part9. The rod part92can only move longitudinally within the drum shaped hole22. A position limit for the first straight line reciprocally transitional movement acted by the first motion subassembly12along the first direction X and for the second straight line reciprocally transitional movement acted by the second motion subassemblyl4along the second direction Y is provided by the peripheral side wall26in the gear cavity21.

Referring toFIGS. 14 and 15, the motion subassembly12comprises a rotational driving force receiver3, a regulating slider4and a rotation limiting pin6. The shaft portion37of the rotational driving force receiver3penetrates the through hole47of the regulating slider4. The rotation limiting pin6passes through the pinhole38on the shaft portion37and is set inside the recess410of the bottom of the regulating slider4.

Referring toFIG. 16, the longitudinal regulating component11comprises a rotational driving force receiver3, a regulating slider4, a rotation limiting pin6, a groove part5and a central shaft part9. The longitudinal regulating component11can make a longitudinal and reciprocally transitional movement along the axis Z of the photosensitive drum relative to the gear2via compressing from the helical compression spring8.

FIGS. 17a-17dshow schematic diagrams of a working process in which a process cartridge assembled the driving component1(only the end of the photosensitive drum is shown) is engaged into a printer. The process cartridge is engaged into the printer along the direction Xa perpendicular to the axis of the photosensitive drum.FIGS. 18a-18dshow schematic diagrams of a working process in which the process cartridge assembled the driving component1is disengaged from the printer. The process cartridge is disengaged from the printer along the direction Xb perpendicular to the axis of the drum. The longitudinal regulating component11inside the driving component1moves inward overall along the direction Za while the longitudinal regulating component11moves outward overall along the direction Zb. Referring toFIG. 14, θarepresents a clockwise rotary direction of the rotational driving force receiver3and θbrepresents a counterclockwise rotary direction of the rotational driving force receiver3.

Its working process is described as follows:

1. Pushing a process cartridge into a printer along the direction Xa.

2. Referring toFIGS. 17a-17d, when the driving component1on the process cartridge is put into the printer along the direction Xa and contacts the printer's driving shaft13, two cases are required to be illustrated separately.

1) If the initial contact position is the first convex claw31, the printer's driving shaft13will touch the two bevels311,312of the first convex claw31. One of the two surfaces will inevitably receive a weak stress. When the second bevel312receives the weak stress, the printer's driving shaft13rubs against the second bevel312pushing the rotational driving force receiver3to rotate a certain angle along the direction θa, and then the printer's driving shaft13can automatically be plunged into the second section34adjacent to the second bevel312causing the longitudinal regulating component11in the driving component1to move overall along the direction Za. When the first bevel311receives the weak stress, the printer's driving shaft13rubs against the first bevel311pushing the rotational driving force receiver3to rotate a certain angle along the direction θb, and then the printer's driving shaft13can automatically be plunged into the first section33adjacent to the first bevel311causing the longitudinal regulating component11in the driving component1to move overall along the direction Za. Since the second convex claw32is centrally symmetric to the first convex claw31, its movement process is similar as the above process when the initial contact position is the second convex claw32.

2). If the initial contact position is the first section33or the second section34, the printer's driving shaft13will automatically plunged into the first section33or the second section34causing the longitudinal regulating component11in the driving component1to move overall along the direction Za.

3. The moving displacement of the longitudinal adjustment component11in the driving component1overall along the direction Za is increased gradually as being moved in the direction Xa. After the printer's driving shaft13contacts the edge of the spherical surface35, the longitudinal regulating component11in the driving component1moves overall along the direction Zb until the top of the printer's driving shaft13substantially coincides with the spherical surface35.

4. When the printer starts, the printer's driving shaft13will automatically be coupled with the rotational driving force receiver3, which receives the rotational driving force from the printer to drive the main drum body20of the photosensitive drum to rotate.

5. When the rotational driving force receiver3receives the driving force from the printer, the driving force from the printer may not be a constant value. Through a variable value generated from the first motion subassembly12and the second motion subassembly14in the driving component1being moved alternatively in a straight line in a small range to buffer the printer's driving force, the photosensitive drum can rotate smoothly not generating jump and undulation and the process cartridge can work normally having excellent printing quality.

6. Referring toFIGS. 18a-18d, when the process cartridge is taken out from the printer after it stops running, the process cartridge initially moves along the direction Xb and the printer's driving shaft13begins to be separated from the rotational driving force receiver3.

7. When the printer's driving shaft13contacts the edge of the spherical surface35, the longitudinal regulating component11in the driving component1moves overall along the direction Za.

8. As the amount of the moving displacement of the longitudinal regulating component11overall along the direction Za is increased, if the printer's driving shaft meets the first convex claw31or the second convex claw32, the rotational driving force receiver3will be pushed to rotate an angle along the direction θaor θbcausing the printer's driving shaft13to be plunged into the first section33or the second section34.

9. When the printer's driving shaft13is plunged into the first section33or the second section34, the longitudinal regulating component11moves overall along the direction Zb and the process cartridge can be taken out from the printer until the amount of the moving displacement becomes zero.

The above is only the optimal embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that under the premise not deviating from the present inventive concept, one of ordinary skill in the art can make many changes and modifications without deviating from the protection range of the present invention. For example, the position limit clevis pin can be realized by adopting other longitudinal position limit structures that can be easily thought by one of ordinary skill in the art. The longitudinal limit structure can be an independent structure separated from the central shaft part or a part formed on the central shaft part. In addition, the spring support part can be substituted by the spring parts other than the helical compression spring, e.g., a compressible elastic plastic member. The shapes of the cross section of the central shaft part and the through hole on the divisional plate of the gear are not limited to drum shapes but can also be rectangular, parallel quadrilateral and any other shapes with two parallel lines as long as the longitudinal regulating component can only make translational movement along the longitudinal direction relative to the gear but not make translational movement in a radial direction relative to the gear and rotate around the axis.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

Since a longitudinal regulating component of a driving component in the present invention is provided within a gear by being moved reciprocally and translationally along the gear's longitudinal direction and a spring support part and a longitudinal position limit part are provided between the longitudinal regulating component and the gear, a rotational driving force receiver of the longitudinal regulating component always keeps consistent with the gear's longitudinal direction under the spring support part's action when a process cartridge having the above driving component is assembled inside a printer. And since a longitudinal position limit part is provided, the longitudinal regulating component is not easily disengaged from the gear thus ensuring the work to be reliable and stable. When contacting with the printer's driving shaft, the rotational driving force receiver employs its own bevels to rub against the spherical surface of the printer's driving shaft and the printer's driving shaft presses the rotational driving force receiver to move along the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum (the gear). When the process cartridge is engaged in the working position inside a printer, the printer's driving shaft automatically aligns the rotational driving force receiver of the photosensitive drum driving component. When a printer starts, the printer's driving shaft may rotate idle to an angle at the beginning and then is engaged with two convex claws of the rotational driving force receiver thus driving the rotation of the photosensitive drum in the process cartridge to be rotated and letting the process cartridge powder to be developed. Therefore, the printing process of the printer is fulfilled. Because the longitudinal regulating component is kept on the center axis of the gear by using the central shaft part, to be kept in the center axis of the gear, the final driving force received by the longitudinal regulating component as well as the whole driving component can be guaranteed to be always engaged on the central axis of the gear and the photosensitive drum when the rotational force receiver receives the driving force given by a machine. Thus, the jump of the gear relative to the axis is greatly reduced.