Image forming apparatus and waste toner conveying device incorporated in same

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of image carriers to carry a toner image;
• an intermediate transferor, disposed opposite the plurality of image carriers, to receive the toner image transferred from each of the plurality of image carriers and to be transferred onto a recording medium;
• a plurality of primary cleaners, disposed opposite the plurality of image carriers, to remove waste toner failed to be transferred onto the intermediate transferor from the plurality of image carriers, respectively;
• a secondary cleaner, disposed opposite the intermediate transferor, to remove waste toner failed to be transferred onto the recording medium from the intermediate transferor;
• and
• a waste toner conveying device connected to the plurality of primary cleaners and the secondary cleaner to convey the waste toner discharged from the plurality of primary cleaners and the secondary cleaner,
• the waste toner conveying device including:
• a primary conveyor, disposed below and connected to the plurality of primary cleaners, to convey the waste toner discharged from the plurality of primary cleaners, the primary conveyor including a primary conveyor outlet through which the waste toner is discharged from the primary conveyor,
• the primary conveyor includes a hollow, primary conveyor pipe and a rotatable, primary conveyor coil, disposed inside the primary conveyor pipe, to convey the waste toner to the primary conveyor outlet;
• a secondary conveyor, disposed below and connected to the secondary cleaner, to convey the waste toner discharged from the secondary cleaner, the secondary conveyor including a secondary conveyor outlet through which the waste toner is discharged from the secondary conveyor,
• the secondary conveyor includes a hollow curved secondary conveyor pipe and a rotatable, secondary conveyor coil, disposed inside the secondary conveyor pipe, to convey the waste toner to the secondary conveyor outlet;
• a relay conveyor, in communication with the primary conveyor outlet of the primary conveyor and the secondary conveyor outlet of the secondary conveyor, to convey the waste toner discharged from the primary conveyor and the secondary conveyor, the relay conveyor includes a hollow, relay conveyor pipe of which an area of an interior of the relay conveyor is greater than an area of an interior of the primary conveyor pipe and the secondary conveyor pipe;
• and
• a waste toner container including an inlet in communication with the relay conveyor to receive the waste toner discharged from the relay conveyor,
• wherein the primary conveyor, the secondary conveyor, and the relay conveyor are disposed at one end of the image forming apparatus in a front-to-rear direction thereof, and
• wherein the secondary conveyor outlet is disposed below the primary conveyor outlet and above the inlet of the waste toner container.