Developing unit and drive transmission attachment

Claim 1

A developing apparatus for use with a photoreceptor to form a toner image, said apparatus comprising a housing wherein toner is stored; a plurality of toner handlers, each of said toner handlers including shaft member, and a handling member which rotates or swings about said shaft member, each said handling member disposed within said housing; a transmission dismountably mounted on said housing, said transmission including a plurality of output shafts, each of said output shafts transmitting driving force to one said shaft member; a plurality of coupling members each including an insertable shaft having a circumferential surface and an axis, and a receiving member having an axial hole therein to receive said insertable shaft; a plurality of grooves in said circumferential surface, said grooves extending in an axial direction parallel to said axis, adjacent said grooves being spaced apart circumferentially at substantially equal distances to form a plurality of teeth; an inside wall of said axial hole being grooved in said axial direction and being complementary to said teeth, whereby said insertable shaft can be inserted into said receiving member in an arbitrary rotational relationship with said receiving member; each said shaft member being provided with either said insertable shaft or said receiving member, and each output shaft is provided with the other of said insertable shaft and said receiving member, so that each said shaft member and each of said output shafts are engaged or disengaged simultaneously by mounting or dismounting said transmission.