Image forming apparatus having waste toner collecting function from a plurality of photosensitive drums

• US 10,175,642 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2018
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Sato, Shougo, Fukui, Atsushi, Fukuchi, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Sophia S
• Application Number:
  US15/916,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20180196389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/007 Arrangement or disposition of parts of the cleaning unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/10 Collecting or recycling waste developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/105 Arrangements for conveying toner waste
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/12 Toner waste containers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1633 using doors or covers G03G21/1638 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1814 Details of parts of process cartridge, e.g. for charging, transfer, cleaning, developing G03G21/1835 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1842 for guiding and mounting the process cartridge, positioning, alignment, locks G03G21/1864 and G03G21/1871 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1853 the process cartridge being mounted perpendicular to the axis of the photosensitive member
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/1647 Cleaning of transfer member
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1624 transporting cleaned toner into separate vessels, e.g. photoreceptors, external containers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1684 using extractable subframes, e.g. on rails or hinges
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1869 Cartridge holders, e.g. intermediate frames for placing cartridge parts therein

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a main frame, a plurality of process cartridges, a cartridge-supporting body, a belt, a waste toner cartridge, a contact-separation mechanism, and a collective conveying unit. Each process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and a drum cleaning unit collecting waste toner on the drum. The cartridge-supporting body is movable between an internal position inside the frame and an external position outside the frame. The belt confronts the process cartridges in the internal position. The waste toner cartridge accommodates the waste toner collected from the drums. The contact-separation mechanism moves the cartridge-supporting body between a contact position where the drums are in contact with the belt and a separated position where the drums are out of contact with the belt. The collective conveying unit aggregates waste toner collected from drums and conveys collectively the aggregated waste toner to the waste toner cartridge.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a main casing including;

a first wall; and

a second wall facing the first wall in an array direction;

a plurality of process cartridges;

a cartridge-supporting body for supporting the plurality of process cartridges, the cartridge-supporting body including;

a third wall; and

a fourth wall arranged between the third wall and the second wall in the array direction;

a waste toner cartridge for accommodating waste toner collected from the plurality of process cartridges;

a pair of guiding members for guiding the cartridge-supporting body; and

a pair of positioning members for positioning the plurality of process cartridges; and

a conveying unit for conveying the waste toner to the waste toner cartridge, the conveying unit being disposed between the third wall and the fourth wall in the array direction and being disposed between the pair of positioning members in the array direction.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of positioning members is formed of a plate.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the main casing further includes a side-wall connecting member for connecting the first wall and the second wall, and

wherein the pair of positioning members is connected with the side-wall connecting plate.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein each of the pair of positioning members is formed of a plate, and

wherein the side-wall connecting member is formed of a plate.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of positioning members is disposed below the pair of guiding members.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein one of the pair of guiding members has a first guiding groove for supporting a part of the cartridge-supporting body, and the other of the pair of guiding members has a second guiding groove for supporting a part of the cartridge-supporting body, and

wherein the pair of positioning members is disposed below the pair of guiding members.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of positioning members has an L-shape when viewed in the array direction.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a main casing including;

a first wall; and

a second wall facing the first wall in an array direction;

a plurality of developing cartridges;

a drawer unit including;

a plurality of photosensitive drums;

a third wall; and

a fourth wall;

a waste developer cartridge for accommodating waste developer collected from the plurality of photosensitive drums;

a pair of guiding members for guiding the drawer unit;

a pair of positioning members for positioning the plurality of photosensitive drums; and

a conveying unit for conveying the waste developer, the conveying unit being disposed between the third wall and the fourth wall in the array direction and being disposed between the pair of positioning members in the array direction.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each of the pair of positioning members is formed of a plate.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the pair of positioning members is disposed below the pair of guiding members.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the main casing further includes a side-wall connecting member, the side-wall connecting member being disposed between the first wall and the second wall, and

wherein the pair of positioning members is connected with the side-wall connecting member.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein each of the pair of positioning members is formed of a plate, and

wherein the side-wall connecting member is formed of a plate.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein one of the pair of guiding members has a first guiding groove for supporting a part of the drawer unit, and the other of the pair of guiding members has a second guiding groove for supporting a part of the drawer unit, the first guiding groove being formed in an inner surface of the one of the pair of guiding members, and the second guiding groove being formed in an inner surface of the other of the pair of guiding members, and

wherein the pair of positioning members is disposed below the pair of guiding members.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each of the pair of positioning members has an L-shape when viewed in the array direction.