Patent EP-1580618-A2 (EP)
Inventor: MAESHIMA HIDEKI
IPC: G03G21/18
Filed: 2004-06-30
Abstract: A remanufacturing method for a process
cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of
an electrophotographic image forming apparatus,
wherein the process cartridge including a
photosensitive drum unit having an electrophotographic
photosensitive drum, a developing unit which has a
developer accommodating portion supporting a
developing roller for developing an electrostatic
latent image formed on the electrophotographic
photosensitive drum and for accommodating a developer
for developing the electrostatic latent image using
the developing roller, and which has a developer
supply opening for supplying the developer
accommodated in the developer accommodating portion to
the developing roller, wherein the photosensitive drum
unit and developing unit are rotatably connected with
each other, the method comprising:
   (a) a unit separating step of separating the
photosensitive drum unit and the developing unit from
each other;   (b) a first side cover member dismounting
step of dismounting a first side cover member mounted
to one longitudinal end of the developing unit;   (c) a first gear group dismounting step of
dismounting a first gear group from a first bearing
member mounted to one longitudinal end of a developing 
device frame, 
   wherein the first gear group includes a
driving receiving gear for receiving a driving force
from the main assembly of the image forming apparatus
when the process cartridge is mounted to the main
assembly of the image forming apparatus;   (d) a supporting member dismounting step of
dismounting a supporting member from the first bearing
member after the first gear group dismounting step, 
   wherein the supporting member is provided
between the first gear group and the second gear group
to support the second gear group, and wherein the
second gear group is disposed at a position inside the
driving force receiving gear with respect to a
longitudinal direction of the developing device frame
to transmit a driving force received by the driving
force receiving gear to a developer supply roller for
supplying t the developer to the developing roller;.   (e) a second gear group dismounting step of
dismounting the second gear group from the first
bearing member;   (f) a first bearing member dismounting step
of dismounting a first bearing member mounted to the
developing device frame from the developing device
frame;   (g) a developing roller dismounting step of
dismounting the developing roller from the developing 
device frame;   (h) a developing blade dismounting step of
dismounting, from the developing device frame, a
developing blade for regulating an amount of the
developer deposited on a peripheral surface of the
developing roller;   (i) a developer refilling step of filling a
developer into the developer accommodating portion
through the developer supply opening exposed by the
developing blade dismounting step;   (j) a developing blade mounting step of
mounting the developing blade to the developing device
frame;   (k) a developing roller mounting step of
mounting the developing roller to the developing
device frame by mounting the first bearing member to
the developing device frame by engaging another end
shaft to be provided at another longitudinal end of
the developing roller in a second hole of a second
bearing member mounted to another longitudinal end of
the developing device frame and by engaging a one-end
shaft to be provided at one longitudinal end of the
developing roller in a first hole of the first bearing
member;   (l) a second gear group mounting step of
mounting the second gear group to the first bearing
member mounted to the one longitudinal end of the 
developing device frame;   (m) a supporting member mounting step of
mounting the supporting member to the first bearing
member mounted to the second gear group at a position
outside of the second gear group with respect to a
longitudinal direction of the developing device frame
so as to be overlapped with at least a part of the
second gear group;   (n) a first gear group mounting step of
mounting the first gear group to the first bearing
member to which the supporting member is mounted at a
position outside supporting member with respect to a
longitudinal direction of the developing device frame;   (o) a first side cover member mounting step
of mounting the first side cover member to the first
bearing member so as to interpose the supporting
member therebetween and so as to partly contacted to
the supporting member to confine the supporting member
to the one-end bearing member, wherein the first side
cover member is engaged with a positioning projection
provided on the first bearing member to determine a
mounting position relative to the first bearing
member; and   (p) a unit coupling process of rotatably
connecting the photosensitive drum unit and the
developing unit with each other.