Color image forming apparatus, and toner replenishing apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsMasumi Sato, Tomotoshi Nakahara, Hiroyasu Shijo, Motokazu Yasui
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The color image forming apparatus comprises a transfer belt device which feeds a transfer member such as a paper and a plurality of image forming units. The image forming units are disposed facing towards the transfer belt device. The transfer belt device, at least in a portion in which the image forming units have been disposed, is arranged such that it is inclined with respect to the ground. Each of the image forming unit forms a desired image and sequentially transfers the formed image on the transfer member fed by the transfer belt device.
Claims14
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of developer containers configured to contain developer, the plurality of developer containers being separate and detachable from the image forming apparatus;
- a transfer belt having a surface inclined with respect to the ground;
- a plurality of image forming units located opposite to the surface and each comprising a photosensitive member, a developing device, a cleaning device and a developer input;
- a plurality of developer feeding devices, each developer feeding device including a developer feeding path,
- wherein the plurality of developer feeding devices each feed the developer from one of the developer containers to the developer input of one the plurality of image forming units, the developer input disposed above a vertical projection of an adjacent image forming unit and above a vertical projection of a cleaning device of the adjacent image forming unit.
A method of forming images, comprising:
- forming an image on a transfer belt having a surface inclined with respect to the ground;
- feeding developer from a plurality of developer containers that are separate and detachable from the image forming apparatus to a plurality of image forming units located opposite to the surface and each comprising a photosensitive member, a developing device, a cleaning device and a developer input, using a plurality of developer feeding devices, each developer feeding device including a developer feeding path,
- wherein the plurality of developer feeding devices each feed the developer from one of the developer containers to the developer input of one the plurality of image forming units, the developer input disposed above a vertical projection of an adjacent image forming unit and above a vertical projection of a cleaning device of the adjacent image forming unit.
A method of forming images, comprising:
- scanning an image on an image forming apparatus;
- emitting light beams to a plurality of image forming units each comprising a photosensitive member, a developing device, a cleaning device and a developer input, using at least two light emitting members disposed inside a housing arranged parallel to a surface of a transfer belt having a surface inclined with respect to the ground;
- feeding developer from a plurality of developer containers that are separate and detachable from the image forming apparatus to the developer input of each of the plurality of image forming units located opposite to the surface of a transfer belt using a plurality of developer feeding devices, each developer feeding device including a developer feeding path;
- and
- forming an image on the transfer belt,
- wherein the developer input is disposed above a vertical projection of an adjacent image forming unit and above a vertical projection of a cleaning device of the adjacent image forming unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.