US 9,804,553 B2Granted

Image forming apparatus and drum unit

AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsJunichi Hashimoto, Ryuya Yamazaki

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Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a drum unit movable between an inside position inside a main body casing and an outside position outside the main body casing. The drum unit includes a photoconductive drum extending in an axial direction intersecting a moving direction of the drum unit from the outside position toward the inside position, and a transporter transporting toner removed by a cleaner toward a waste toner container. The transporter includes a transportation member transporting the toner along the moving direction, a transportation tube accommodating the transportation member and having an outlet, and a shutter movable between a closed position to close the outlet and an open position to open the outlet. The shutter includes a protruding section protruding along the axial direction from a shutter main body when the shutter is in the closed position, the protruding section being upstream of the photoconductive drum in the moving direction.

Claims37

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus comprising:

a main body casing;
a waste toner container:
and
a drum unit movable between an inside position inside the main body casing and an outside position outside the main body casing, the drum unit comprising:
a photoconductive drum having an axis extending in an axial direction intersecting a moving direction of the drum unit from the outside position toward the inside position;
a cleaner configured to remove toner remaining on a surface of the photoconductive drum;
and
a transporter configured to transport the toner removed by the cleaner toward the waste toner container, the transporter comprising:
a transportation member configured to transport the toner removed by the cleaner, along the moving direction of the drum unit;
a transportation tube configured to accommodate the transportation member, the transportation tube having an outlet configured to allow the toner transported by the transportation member to pass therethrough toward the waste toner container;
and
a shutter movable between a closed position to close the outlet and an open position to open the outlet, the shutter comprising:
a shutter main body;
and
a protruding section configured to protrude along the axial direction from the shutter main body when the shutter is in the closed position, the protruding section being positioned upstream of the photoconductive drum in the moving direction of the drum unit from the outside position toward the inside position, and the protruding section being movable relative to the outlet of the transportation tube together with the shutter main body when the shutter moves between the closed position and the open position.

12 more elements

An image forming apparatus comprising:

a main body casing having a first surface that faces in a first direction;
and
a drum unit movable between an inside position inside the main body casing and an outside position outside the main body casing, the drum unit being positioned relative to the main body casing in the first direction, the drum unit comprising:
a photoconductive drum;
a frame having an opening;
an urging member;
and
a shutter rotatable between a closed position to close the opening and an open position to open the opening, the shutter being urged from the open position toward the closed position by an urging force from the urging member, the shutter comprising:
a shutter main body;
and
a protruding section protruding outward from the shutter main body, the protruding section having a second surface configured to, when the shutter is in the open position, face in a second direction opposite to the first direction and be pressed by the first surface of the main body casing.

8 more elements

A drum unit comprising:

a first photoconductive drum having an axis extending in an axial direction;
a second photoconductive drum having an axis extending in the axial direction, the drum unit being movable along a moving direction between an inside position inside a main body casing and an outside position outside the main body casing, the moving direction being a direction along which the first photoconductive drum and the second photoconductive drum are arranged, the moving direction being a direction intersecting the axial direction;
a first cleaner configured to remove toner remaining on a surface of the first photoconductive drum;
a second cleaner configured to remove toner remaining on a surface of the second photoconductive drum;
and
a transporter configured to transport the toner removed by the first cleaner and the toner removed by the second cleaner, the transporter comprising:
a transportation member configured to transport the toner removed by the first cleaner and the toner removed by the second cleaner, along the moving direction;
a transportation tube configured to accommodate the transportation member, the transportation tube having an outlet configured to allow the toner transported by the transportation member to pass therethrough;
and
a shutter movable between a closed position to close the outlet and an open position to open the outlet, the shutter comprising:
a shutter main body;
and
a protruding section configured to protrude along the axial direction from the shutter main body when the shutter is in the closed position, the protruding section being positioned upstream of each of the first photoconductive drum and the second photoconductive drum in the moving direction of the drum unit from the outside position toward the inside position, and the protruding section being movable relative to the outlet of the transportation tube together with the shutter main body when the shutter moves between the closed position and the open position.

10 more elements

A drum unit movable between an inside position inside a main body casing and an outside position outside the main body casing, the main body casing having a first surface that faces in a first direction, the drum unit being positioned relative to the main body casing in the first direction, the drum unit comprising:

a first photoconductive drum;
a second photoconductive drum;
a frame having an opening;
an urging member;
and
a shutter rotatable between a closed position to close the opening and an open position to open the opening, the shutter being urged from the open position toward the closed position by an urging force from the urging member, the shutter comprising:
a shutter main body;
and
a protruding section protruding outward from the shutter main body, the protruding section having a second surface configured to, when the shutter is in the open position, face in a second direction opposite to the first direction and be pressed by the first surface of the main body casing.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.