Image forming machine having a toner recycling unit

An image forming machine comprising a supporting structure and a process unit adapted to be detachably mounted on said supporting structure, said process unit comprising:

• an image bearing member having a photosensitive material thereon;
• a developing device for developing a latent electrostatic image formed on a surface of the photosensitive material, said developing device including a developing chamber, applicator means disposed in said developing chamber for applying toner to the latent electrostatic image, and a toner holding chamber communicating with said developing chamber through a toner discharge opening;
• a cleaning device for removing residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive material, said cleaning device including toner removing means for acting on the surface of the photosensitive material and removing the residual toner, and a toner recovery chamber for recovering the toner removed by said toner removing means;
• a unit frame, said image bearing member, said developing device and said cleaning device mounted on said unit frame;
• and
• toner feed means for conducting the toner in said cleaning device to said developing device, said toner feed means including a hollow cylindrical member connecting said cleaning device to said developing device and permitting communication between said toner recovery chamber and said toner holding chamber, and toner transfer means disposed within said hollow cylindrical member for transferring the toner in said toner recovery chamber to said toner holding chamber through said hollow cylindrical member, said hollow cylindrical member acting as a gripping portion when mounting said unit frame on and detaching said unit frame from said supporting structure.

An image forming machine comprising a supporting structure and a process unit adapted to be detachably mounted on said supporting structure, said process unit comprising:

• an image bearing member having a photosensitive material thereon;
• a developing device for developing a latent electrostatic image formed on a surface of the photosensitive material;
• a cleaning device for removing toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive material;
• a unit frame, said image bearing member, said developing device, and said cleaning device mounted on said unit frame;
• and
• toner feed means for feeding the toner recovered in said toner recovery chamber to said developing device and for re-feeding the toner recovered in said toner recovery chamber to the vicinity of the toner discharge opening of said toner holding chamber,
• said developing device including a developing chamber, applicator means disposed in said developing chamber for applying toner to the latent electrostatic image, and a toner holding chamber for holding unused toner and communicating with said developing chamber through a toner discharge opening;
• said cleaning device including toner removing means for acting on the surface of the photosensitive material and removing the residual toner and a toner recovering chamber for recovering the toner removed by said toner removing means;
• whereby the toner from said toner recovery chamber is mixed with toner in said toner holding chamber near the toner discharge opening and the mixed toner is fed to said developing chamber through the toner discharge opening.

An image forming machine comprising:

• an image bearing member having a photosensitive material thereon;
• a developing device for developing a latent electrostatic image formed on a surface of the photosensitive material,
• said developing device having a developing chamber and applicator means disposed in said developing chamber for applying toner to the latent electrostatic image;
• a cleaning device for removing residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive material, said cleaning device having toner removing means for acting on the surface of the photosensitive material and removing the residual toner and a toner recovery chamber for recovering the toner removed said toner removing means, wherein unused toner is sealed in said toner recovery chamber;
• and
• toner feed means for feeding the toner in said toner recovery chamber to said developing chamber.

An image forming machine comprising:

• an image bearing member having a photosensitive material thereon;
• a developing device for developing a latent electrostatic image formed on a surface of the photosensitive material, said developing device having a developing chamber for holding a developer and applicator means disposed in said developing chamber for applying toner to the latent electrostatic image;
• a cleaning device for removing residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive material, said cleaning device having toner removing means for acting on the surface of the photosensitive material and removing the residual toner, and a toner recovery chamber for recovering the toner removed by said toner removing means;
• a toner cartridge containing unused toner for supplying the unused toner to said developing chamber, the toner cartridge adapted to be loaded into said toner recovery chamber;
• and
• toner feed means for feeding the toner present in said toner recovery chamber to said developing device.