Cleaning apparatus and process cartridge

A process cartridge detachably attached to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• and a cleaning apparatus for removing toner remaining on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, said cleaning apparatus including a cleaning container:
• a first chamber provided with a cleaning member for removing the toner from the electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
• a second chamber for accumulating the toner removed from the electrophotographic photosensitive drum by said cleaning member;
• a third chamber provided between the first chamber and the second chamber and having a first toner conveying member for conveying the toner fed from the first chamber into the second chamber;
• and
• a second toner conveying member for conveying the toner from the first chamber to the third chamber,
• wherein toner in the first chamber is fed by the second toner conveying member to an opening portion between the first and third chambers and the toner fed via the opening portion into the third chamber is lifted up in the third chamber to be fed to the second chamber.

The cleaning apparatus for use in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for removing a toner from an electrophotographic photosensitive body, comprising:

• a first chamber provided with a cleaning member for removing the toner from the electrophotographic photosensitive body;
• a second chamber for accumulating toner removed from said electrophotographic photosensitive body by said cleaning member;
• a toner conveying member for conveying toner from the first chamber to the second chamber;
• and
• a pair of detecting windows opposed in the second chamber for detecting that toner has a volume to be stored in the second chamber, a cleaning blade for cleaning the windows and a light emitting portion and receiving portion opposed to each other outside a cleaning container.

A cleaning apparatus for use in an image forming apparatus for removing a toner from a photosensitive member, comprising:

• a first chamber provided with a cleaning member for removing the toner from the photosensitive member;
• a second chamber for accumulating the toner removed from the photosensitive member by the cleaning member;
• an opening portion provided at one end of said first chamber, wherein the toner in said first chamber is fed into said second chamber via said opening portion;
• a screw for conveying the toner to said opening portion provided at one end of said first chamber, wherein said opening portion is opened along a conveying direction of said screw;
• and
• a pressure wall adjacent to said screw, wherein said pressure wall is adjacent to an end of said screw opposed to said opening portion,
• wherein an outer circumference, in a rotating direction of said screw, of the end of said screw opposed to said opening portion is covered by said opening portion and said pressure wall.

A process cartridge detachably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a photosensitive member;
• and
• a cleaning apparatus for removing toner from said photosensitive member, wherein said cleaning apparatus includes a first chamber provided with a cleaning member for removing the toner from the photosensitive member;
• a second chamber for accumulating the toner removed from the photosensitive member by the cleaning member;
• an opening portion provided at one end of said first chamber, wherein toner in the first chamber is fed into the second chamber via said opening portion;
• a screw for conveying the toner to said opening portion provided at one end of said first chamber, wherein the opening portion is opened along a conveying direction of the screw;
• and a pressure wall adjacent to the screw, wherein the pressure wall is adjacent to an end of the screw opposed to the opening portion, wherein, at the end of the screw opposed to the opening portion, an outer circumference in a rotating direction of the screw is covered by the opening portion and said pressure wall.

A cleaning apparatus for use in an image forming apparatus for removing a toner from the photosensitive member, comprising:

• a cleaning member for removing the toner from the photosensitive member;
• a chamber for accumulating the toner removed from the photosensitive member by said cleaning member;
• an opening portion provided at one end of said chamber, wherein the toner removed from the photosensitive member is fed from said opening portion into said chamber;
• and
• a screw provided in said chamber for conveying the toner fed from said opening portion, wherein said screw has a portion twisted in a reverse direction.

A process cartridge detachably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a photosensitive member;
• and
• a cleaning apparatus for removing toner from said photosensitive member, wherein said cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning member for removing the toner from the photosensitive member;
• a chamber for accumulating the toner removed from the photosensitive member by the cleaning member;
• and opening portion provided at one end of the chamber, wherein the toner removed from the photosensitive member is fed from the opening portion into the chamber;
• and a screw provided in the chamber for conveying the toner fed from the opening portion, wherein the screw has a portion twisted in a reverse direction.

A cleaning apparatus for use in an image forming apparatus for removing a toner from a photosensitive member, comprising:

• a cleaning member for removing the toner from the photosensitive member;
• a chamber for accumulating the toner removed from the photosensitive member by said cleaning member;
• an opening portion provided at one end of said chamber, wherein the toner removed from the photosensitive member is fed from said opening portion into said chamber;
• a toner conveying member provided in said chamber for conveying the toner fed from said opening portion;
• and
• a partition member for partitioning said chamber into small chambers which are arranged side by side along the conveying direction of said toner conveying member, wherein said partition member crosses said conveying member.

A process cartridge detachably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a photosensitive member;
• and
• a cleaning apparatus for removing toner from said photosensitive member, wherein said cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning member for removing the toner from said photosensitive member;
• a chamber for accumulating the toner removed from said photosensitive member by said cleaning member;
• an opening portion provided at one end of the chamber, wherein the toner removed from said photosensitive member is fed from the opening portion into the chamber;
• a toner conveying member provided in the chamber for conveying the toner fed from the opening portion;
• and a partition member for partitioning the chamber into small chambers which are arranged side by side along the conveying direction of the toner conveying member, wherein the partition member crosses the conveying member.

A cleaning apparatus for use in an image forming apparatus for removing a toner from a photosensitive member comprising:

• a first chamber provided with a cleaning member for removing the toner from the photosensitive member;
• a second chamber for accumulating the toner removed from the photosensitive member by the cleaning member;
• and
• a third chamber provided between said first chamber and said second chamber and having a toner conveying member for conveying the toner fed from said first chamber into the second chamber;
• wherein the toner fed into said third chamber is lifted up in said third chamber to be fed to said second chamber by the toner conveying member.

A process cartridge detachably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a photosensitive member;
• and
• a cleaning apparatus for removing toner from said photosensitive member, wherein said cleaning apparatus includes a first chamber provided with a cleaning member for removing the toner from the photosensitive member;
• a second chamber for accumulating the toner removed from the photosensitive member by said cleaning member;
• a third chamber provided between the first chamber and the second chamber and having a toner conveying member for conveying the toner fed from the first chamber into the second chamber;
• wherein the toner fed into the third chamber is lifted up in the third chamber to be fed to the second chamber by said toner conveying member.

A cleaning apparatus for use in an image forming apparatus for removing a toner from a photosensitive member, comprising:

• a cleaning member for removing the toner from the photosensitive member;
• a toner container for accumulating toner removed from the photosensitive member by said cleaning member;
• a pair of light transmitting windows provided in said toner container for detecting accumulated toner in said toner container;
• and
• a cleaning member for cleaning said pair of light transmitting windows, wherein said cleaning member is provided in said toner container.

A process cartridge detachably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a photosensitive member;
• and
• a cleaning apparatus for removing toner from said photosensitive member, wherein said cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning member for removing the toner from said photosensitive member;
• a toner container for accumulating toner removed from said photosensitive member by said cleaning member;
• a pair of light transmitting windows provided in the toner container for detecting accumulated toner in the toner container;
• and a cleaning member for cleaning the pair of light transmitting windows, wherein said cleaning member is provided in the toner container.

A cleaning apparatus for use in an image forming apparatus for removing a toner from a photosensitive member, comprising:

• a cleaning member for removing the toner from the photosensitive member;
• a chamber for accumulating the toner removed from the photosensitive member by said cleaning member;
• an opening portion provided at one end of said chamber, wherein the toner removed from the photosensitive member is fed from said opening portion into said chamber;
• a toner conveying member provided in said chamber for conveying the toner fed from said opening portion;
• and
• a plurality of partition members for partitioning said chamber into small chambers along the conveying direction of said toner conveying member, wherein said small chambers are arranged side by side along said conveying member.

A process cartridge detachably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a photosensitive member;
• and
• a cleaning apparatus for removing toner from said photosensitive member, wherein said cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning member for removing the toner from said photosensitive member;
• a chamber for accumulating the toner removed from said photosensitive member by said cleaning member;
• an opening portion provided at one end of the chamber, wherein the toner removed from said photosensitive member is fed from the opening portion into the chamber;
• a toner conveying member provided in the chamber for conveying the toner fed from the opening portion;
• and a plurality of partition members for partitioning the chamber into small chambers along the conveying direction of the toner conveying member, wherein the small chambers are arranged side by side along the conveying member.