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US 7,444,100 B2Granted
Image forming apparatus with a removable holder for holding developing devices
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorShougo Sato
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image forming apparatus is provided which includes a housing, a series of photoconductors on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and developing devices, which each include a developing agent carrier for holding a developing agent. Also, the apparatus may include a holder, which is removable from the housing, for supporting the photoconductors and the developing devices, and an image reader provided at a top portion of the housing, which is configured to read an image on a document.
Claims40
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- a plurality of photoconductors on which an electrostatic latent image is formed;
- a plurality of developing devices, each including a developing agent carrier for holding a developing agent thereon;
- a belt unit including
- a belt frame,
- a belt support roller that is coupled to the belt frame, and
- a belt that is supported by the belt support roller;
- a holder for supporting the plurality of photoconductors and the plurality of developing devices, the holder being removable from the housing;
- an image reader, provided at a top portion of the housing, configured to read an image on a document,
- wherein the belt unit is configured to be removed from the housing without the holder being removed from the housing,
- a sheet container configured to accommodate a stack of sheets, the sheet container being removable from the housing;
- wherein the housing further includes:
- a front cover provided at a front surface of the housing, the front cover being movable between an open position and a closed position;
- a first area, provided inside the housing, configured to receive the holder when the front cover is in the open position;
- a second area, provided inside the housing, configured to receive the sheet container;
- a first sheet path that substantially extends in a horizontal direction below the holder when the holder is received in the first area, the first sheet path configured to guide a sheet to the plurality of photoconductors;
- and
- a sheet discharging portion that is coupled to the first sheet path and extends above the holder when the holder is received in the first area, the sheet discharging portion being configured to transport the sheet from the plurality of photoconductors and to discharge the sheet toward the front surface in a first direction.
15 more elements
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a housing;
- a photoconductor on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, the photoconductor being supported by a supporting shaft;
- a plurality of developing devices, each including at least a developing agent chamber configured to include a developing agent and a developing agent carrier configured to hold the developing agent thereon;
- a transfer device including a belt member and a roller, the transfer device configured to transfer a visible image formed on the photoconductor to a recording medium;
- a first holder configured to hold the plurality of the developing devices along a first direction perpendicular to the supporting shaft of the photoconductor, the first holder being placed in a first area in the housing;
- a first guide configured to guide the first holder in and out of the first area in the first direction;
- a second holder configured to hold the belt member and the roller for supporting the belt member, the second holder being placed in a second area in the housing;
- and
- a second guide configured to guide the second holder in and out of the second area in a second direction substantially parallel to the first direction,
- wherein the second holder is configured to be guided out of the second area in the housing by the second guide while the first holder remains in the first area in the housing.
7 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- a photoconductor on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, the photoconductor members being supported by a corresponding supporting shaft;
- a plurality of developing devices, each including at least a developing agent chamber configured to include a developing agent and a developing agent carrier configured to hold the developing agent thereon;
- a transfer device including a belt member and a roller, the transfer device configured to transfer a visible image formed on the photoconductor to a recording medium;
- a first holder configured to hold the plurality of the developing devices along a first direction perpendicular to the supporting shaft of the photoconductor member, the first holder being placed in a first area in the housing;
- a first guide configured to guide the first holder in and out of the first area in the first direction;
- a second holder configured to hold the belt member and the roller for supporting the belt member, the second holder being placed in a second area in the housing;
- a second guide configured to guide the second holder in and out of the second area in a second direction substantially parallel to the first direction;
- a first cover for covering the first area;
- and
- a second cover for covering the second area,
- wherein the first cover is configured to be moved and the second cover is configured to be moved relative to the first cover.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.