# US 2019/0377283 A1 · Image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0377283 A1 - Document ID: US20190377283A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/463,330 - Filed: 2018-02-07 - Published: 2019-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-10 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Kazushi Suzuki; Takeshi Sugita; Tamotsu Kaneko; Hisahiro Saito; Yoichiro Maebashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190377283A1 ## CPC - G03G 15/161: {with means for handling the intermediate support, e.g. heating, cleaning, coating with a transfer agent} - G03G 21/1604: {Arrangement or disposition of the entire apparatus} - G03G 15/0121: {for developing} - G03G 15/0189: {primary transfer to an intermediate transfer belt (G03G15/0184 takes precedence)} - G03G 15/0868: {Toner cartridges fulfilling a continuous function within the electrographic apparatus during the use of the supplied developer material, e.g. toner discharge on demand, storing residual toner, acting as an active closure for the developer replenishing opening} - G03G 21/1676: {for the developer unit} - G03G 15/0867: {cylindrical developer cartridges, e.g. toner bottles for the developer replenishing opening} - G03G 15/0879: {for dispensing developer from a developer cartridge not directly attached to the development unit} - G03G 2215/0132: vertical medium transport path at the secondary transfer - G03G 2215/0685: fulfilling a continuous function within the electrographic apparatus during the use of the supplied developer material, e.g. toner discharge on demand, storing residual toner, not acting as a passive closure for the developer replenishing opening - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract An image forming apparatus is capable of being attached with a toner supply container. The toner supply container stores a toner that is to be supplied to a developing portion. An attachment location of the toner supply container is below a light scanning portion in a vertical direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus comprising: a photosensitive member; a light scanning portion that is disposed below the photosensitive member in a vertical direction and scans the photosensitive member with a beam corresponding to image information; a developing portion that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member by using a toner; an intermediate transfer belt that is disposed above the photosensitive member in the vertical direction and onto which a toner image formed on the photosensitive member is transferred; and a sheet tray that is disposed above the intermediate transfer belt in the vertical direction and receives a sheet output from inside the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus transferring the toner image transferred on the intermediate transfer belt onto a sheet and then outputting the sheet onto the sheet tray, wherein the image forming apparatus is capable of being attached with a toner supply container, the toner supply container storing a toner to be supplied to the developing portion, and wherein an attachment location of the toner supply container is below the light scanning portion in the vertical direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding portion that feeds a sheet, and the attachment location of the toner supply container is above the sheet feeding portion in the vertical direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is capable of forming a color image on a sheet by using toners of different colors and is capable of being attached with a plurality of the toner supply containers that correspond to the respective toners of the different colors, wherein the intermediate transfer belt is disposed obliquely relative to a horizontal direction, and wherein attachment locations of the plurality of toner supply containers are disposed in a substantially horizontal direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a double-sided conveyance path to be used when a toner image is formed on a second surface of the sheet, and wherein the attachment location of the toner supply container is below the double-sided conveyance path in the vertical direction. ### Claim 5 An image forming apparatus comprising: a photosensitive member; a light scanning portion that is disposed below the photosensitive member in a vertical direction and scans the photosensitive member with a beam corresponding to image information; a developing portion that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member by using a toner; an intermediate transfer belt that is disposed above the photosensitive member in the vertical direction and onto which a toner image formed on the photosensitive member is transferred; and a sheet tray that is disposed above the intermediate transfer belt in the vertical direction and receives a sheet output from inside the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus transferring the toner image transferred on the intermediate transfer belt onto a sheet and then outputting the sheet onto the sheet tray, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a toner supply container that stores a toner to be supplied to the developing portion, the toner supply container being disposed below the light scanning portion in the vertical direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding portion that feeds a sheet, and the toner supply container is disposed above the sheet feeding portion in the vertical direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image forming apparatus is capable of forming a color image on a sheet by using toners of different colors and includes a plurality of the toner supply containers that correspond to the respective toners of the different colors, wherein the intermediate transfer belt is disposed obliquely relative to a horizontal direction, and wherein the plurality of toner supply containers are disposed in a substantially horizontal direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a double-sided conveyance path to be used when a toner image is formed on a second surface of the sheet, and wherein the toner supply container is disposed below the double-sided conveyance path in the vertical direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a toner conveyance mechanism that conveys the toner to the developing portion, and wherein the toner conveyance mechanism is disposed below the photosensitive member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a toner conveyance mechanism that conveys the toner to the developing portion, and wherein the toner conveyance mechanism is disposed below the photosensitive member.