1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of remanufacturing a process cartridge detachably mountable to the main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus and a developing device.
Here, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium by the use of the electrophotographic image forming process. Examples of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (such as a laser printer or an LED printer), a facsimile apparatus and a word processor.
Also, the process cartridge refers to charging means, developing means or cleaning means as process means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member integrally made into a cartridge, which is made detachably mountable to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. It also refers to at least one of charging means, developing means and cleaning means as process means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member integrally made into a cartridge, which is made detachably mountable to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. It further refers to at least developing means as process means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member integrally made into a cartridge, which is made detachably mountable to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Also, the developing device refers to developing means and a developer containing portion integrally made into a cartridge which is made detachably mountable to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In image forming apparatuses using the electrophotographic image forming process, there has heretofore been adopted a process cartridge system in which an electrophotographic photosensitive member and process means for acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally made into a cartridge which is made detachably mountable to the main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. According to this process cartridge system, the maintenance of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus can be done by a user himself without resort to a serviceman and therefore, operability can be markedly improved. So, this process cartridge system is widely used in the electrophotographic image forming apparatuses.
Also, in the electrophotographic image forming apparatuses of such a process cartridge type, the user himself must interchange the cartridge. Therefore, some of the electrophotographic image forming apparatuses are provided with developer amount detecting means to inform the user when a developer has been consumed. As the developer amount detecting means, there is a method of detecting any change in the capacitance among a plurality of electrodes disposed in the process cartridge to thereby detect the amount of developer.
As the constructions of these electrodes, there are a construction in which electrode bars are disposed at predetermined intervals from a developing roller (the capacitance between the developing roller and the electrode bars is detected), a construction in which a plurality of opposed electrode plates are disposed at a location the developer can enter, and a combination of these.
There is also a construction in which the connecting portion of these electrodes is disposed in the ultrasonic welding united portion between a developing container and a developer container to thereby improve the reliability of the contact.
There has heretofore been desired a simple method of remanufacturing a process cartridge and a developing device which have lost their commercial values with a developer therein consumed and capable of commercializing them again.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of remanufacturing a process cartridge or a developing device having the above-described construction.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a remanufacturing method in which the maintenance of the sealability of a developer when a developing container and a developer container that are separated from each other are reunited and the remanufacturability are compatible.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of remanufacturing a process cartridge and a developing device from which a developer does not leak in spite of their having been remanufactured.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a simple method of remanufacturing a process cartridge and a developing device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of remanufacturing a process cartridge and a developing device which can again commercialize a process cartridge and a developing device that have lost their commercial value as a process cartridge and a developing device with a developer therein consumed to such a degree that they cannot form an image of a quality with which the user will be satisfied.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a process cartridge and a developing device which can seal two frames having their united surfaces disassembled without the leakage of a toner.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of remanufacturing a process cartridge and a developing device which can improve the reliability of an electrical contact and can easily remanufacture a process cartridge and a developing device.
There and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.