US 5,398,098 A · Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An forming apparatus of the present invention is provided with a waste-toner transport unit that is installed separately from a photoreceptor drum cartridge. The waste-toner transport unit is pivoted so that the photoreceptor drum cartridge is easily removed from a machine main body. This arrangement makes it possible to miniaturize the photoreceptor drum cartridge and to use the waste-toner transport unit repeatedly. In another image forming apparatus of the present invention, a developer-supplying container, a waste-toner container, and a waste-developer container for receiving excessive developer that has been overflown from the developer tank are integrally formed into a container unit. This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the volumes of the containers in accordance with the respective supplying quantities of developer. Further, a pressing mechanism is provided so that upon replacing the container unit, the developer tank is brought apart from and close to the photoreceptor drum simultaneously with the pivotal movement of the container unit. This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the number of steps that are taken in the replacing operation as well as to prevent misoperations such as caused by negligence of duty in pressing the developer tank toward the photoreceptor.

Claims52

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus comprising:

a drum cartridge for housing a photoreceptor drum;
a waste-toner transport unit for transporting toner that has been scraped off the photoreceptor drum;
a developing cartridge for developing an electrostatic latent image that is formed on the photoreceptor drum;
and
a toner cartridge which is constituted of a waste-toner container for storing the toner that is transported by the waste-toner transport unit and a developer-supply container for supplying developer to the developing cartridge, both integrally formed into one part,
wherein the drum cartridge, the developing cartridge and the toner cartridge are attached so as to be respectively removable in a first direction, and the waste-toner transport unit is pivotally attached independently from the drum cartridge in such a manner that it allows the drum cartridge to be shifted in the first direction and removed from the apparatus.

3 more elements

The image forming apparatus comprising:

a photoreceptor;
a developer tank for storing developer that is used to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor, the developer tank being arranged so that upon supply of the developer, excessive developer is allowed to overflow therefrom;
a developer-supplying container for storing at least one ingredient that is contained in the developer, and for supplying the ingredient to the developer tank;
a waste-toner container for storing waste toner that has been collected from the surface of the photoreceptor;
a waste-developer container for storing developer that has overflown from the developer tank;
and
pressing means for pressing the developer tank toward the photoreceptor,
wherein the three parts, that is, the developer-supplying container, the waste-toner container and the waste-developer container, are integrated into one container unit, which is removable in a first direction with respect to the developer tank;
the container unit is attached so as to freely move between a first station from which the container unit and the developer tank are removed and a second station providing a predetermined position at which the container unit and the developer tank are attached to the image forming apparatus;
and the pressing means presses the developer tank toward the photoreceptor following the movement of the container unit toward the second station, as well as allows the developer tank to separate from the photoreceptor following the movement of the container unit toward the first station.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image forming apparatus

Life of this patent

Image forming apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims52