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US 8,045,887 B2Granted
Image forming apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsTakeshi Sakashita, Tomofumi Inoue, Yuuji Meguro, Takeru Muramatsu, Kohji Hatayama
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An intermediate transfer unit includes a stand member that is integral with an intermediate-transfer-unit body of the intermediate transfer unit. The stand member stretches below the intermediate-transfer-unit body from a trailing edge to a leading edge of the intermediate-transfer-unit in an attachment direction of the intermediate transfer unit.
Claims31
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- an apparatus body including:
- two side surfaces opposing each other, and
- a bottom surface;
- and
- an upper unit configured to be detachably attached to the apparatus body in a space between the two side surfaces by movement in an attachment/detachment direction that is parallel to the two side surfaces and the bottom surface,
- wherein the upper unit includes a unit body and a unit leg, the unit leg extending from the unit body toward the bottom surface, and the unit leg is positioned at least on a leading edge of the unit body in an attachment direction,
- wherein the unit leg is configured so that a lower edge of the unit leg slides on the bottom surface during a process of attachment or detachment of the upper unit from the apparatus body, and
- wherein the upper unit is configured such that the unit body is not in contact with the bottom surface when the upper unit is attached to or detached from the apparatus body.
5 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an apparatus body having two side surfaces, which are opposed to each other, and a bottom surface that spans a width and a length of the apparatus body and adjoins a bottom end of each side surface;
- and
- an upper unit that can be detachably attached to the apparatus body in a space between the two side surfaces by movement in an attachment/detachment direction that is parallel to the two side surfaces and the bottom surface, wherein
- the upper unit includes a unit body and a unit leg, the unit leg extending from the unit body toward the bottom surface and is spaced apart from the side surfaces of the apparatus body and any attachments thereto, and
- the upper unit is configured such that the unit body is not in contact with the bottom surface when the upper unit is attached to or detached from the apparatus body.
2 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an intermediate transfer unit that includes an intermediate transfer medium to which toner images are primary-transferred from image carriers and from which a resultant toner image is secondary-transferred to a recording medium;
- a secondary transfer unit that is opposed to the intermediate transfer medium and is configured to transfer the resultant toner image on the intermediate transfer medium to the recording medium;
- a cleaning unit that cleans and collects residual toner remaining on a surface of the intermediate transfer medium after the resultant toner image is secondary-transferred to the recording medium;
- a collected-toner storage unit that stores therein the residual toner collected by the cleaning unit;
- and
- an apparatus body including:
- two side surfaces that are opposed to each other and extend in a direction from a front to a rear of the apparatus body, and
- a bottom surface that spans a width and a length of the apparatus body and adjoins each of the side surfaces;
- and
- an opening and closing cover that is pivotally attached to the apparatus body,
- wherein the intermediate transfer unit is detachably attached to the apparatus body in a space between the two side surfaces by movement in the direction from the front to the rear of the apparatus body that is an attachment/detachment direction parallel to the two side surfaces,
- wherein the intermediate transfer unit includes a unit body and a pair of unit legs, each of the unit legs extending from the unit body toward the bottom surface,
- wherein the unit body includes the intermediate transfer medium,
- wherein each of the unit legs includes a slide portion that slides on the apparatus body, and the slide portion is positioned such that a first distance between the slide portion and the bottom surface is less than a second distance between the unit body and the bottom surface,
- wherein the intermediate transfer unit is configured such that the unit body is not in contact with the bottom surface when the intermediate transfer unit is attached to or detached from the apparatus body,
- wherein the collected-toner storage unit is positioned between the unit legs, under the intermediate transfer medium and above the bottom surface, and
- wherein the secondary transfer unit is attached to the opening and closing cover.
14 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an intermediate transfer unit that includes an intermediate transfer medium to which toner images are primary-transferred from image carriers and from which a resultant toner image is secondary-transferred to a recording medium;
- a cleaning unit that cleans and collects residual toner remaining on a surface of the intermediate transfer medium after the resultant toner image is secondary-transferred to the recording medium;
- a collected-toner storage unit that stores therein the residual toner collected by the cleaning unit;
- and
- an apparatus body including:
- two side surfaces that are opposed to each other, and
- a bottom surface that spans a width and a length of the apparatus body and adjoins each of the side surfaces,
- wherein the intermediate transfer unit is detachably attached to the apparatus body in a space between the two side surfaces by movement in an attachment/detachment direction that is parallel to the two side surfaces,
- wherein the intermediate transfer unit includes a unit body and a pair of unit legs, each of the unit legs extending from the unit body toward the bottom surface,
- wherein the unit body includes the intermediate transfer medium,
- wherein each of the unit legs includes a slide portion that slides on the apparatus body, and the slide portion is positioned such that a first distance between the slide portion and the bottom surface is less than a second distance between the unit body and the bottom surface,
- wherein the intermediate transfer unit is configured such that the unit body is not in contact with the bottom surface when the intermediate transfer unit is attached to or detached from the apparatus body, and
- wherein the collected-toner storage unit is positioned between the unit legs, under the intermediate transfer medium and above the bottom surface.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.