IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20080166162A1
• Filed: 01/02/2008
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: KANDA, Junji, TOMODA, Yasuaki, MATSUURA, Kuniya, HAYASHI, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,180,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/359
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/105 Arrangements for conveying toner waste
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/12 Toner waste containers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1618 for the cleaning unit

Abstract

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus has an electrostatic latent image bearing members, developing device each including developers and capable of developing corresponding electrostatinc latent images on the electrostatic latent image bearing members into visualized developer images, transfer device capable of transferring the developer images to a sheet, a first collecting device each capable of collecting untransferred developer from the electrostatic latent image bearing members, developer supply devices each capable of supplying the developers to the corresponding developing devices, accommodating sections each combined with the corresponding developer supply devices and capable of accommodating the untransferred developer, a collecting and distributing device capable of collecting the untransferred developers collected by the first collecting devices and distributing the collected untransferred developers to the accommodating sections, and a housing capable of retaining the developer supply devices so that each of the developer supply devices is releasable together with the corresponding accommodating section from the housing.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus using a powder developer, comprising:

electrostatic latent image bearing members;

developing device each including developers and capable of developing corresponding electrostatinc latent images on the electrostatic latent image bearing members into visualized developer images;

transfer device capable of transferring the developer images to a sheet;

a first collecting device each capable of collecting untransferred developer from the electrostatic latent image bearing members;

developer supply devices each capable of supplying the developers to the corresponding developing devices;

accommodating sections each combined with the corresponding developer supply devices and capable of accommodating the untransferred developer;

a collecting and distributing device capable of collecting the untransferred developers collected by the first collecting devices and distributing the collected untransferred developers to the accommodating sections; and

a housing capable of retaining the developer supply devices so that each of the developer supply devices is releasable together with the associated accommodating section from the housing.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the transfer device has a first transfer member on which each of the developer images formed on the electrostatic latent image bearing members is transferred.

5. The image forming apparatus according claim 1, wherein

the collecting and distributing device includes

a major passage through which the untransferred developer is transported;

first connecting portions each connecting the first collecting devices to the major passage so that the untransferred developers collected in the first collecting devices are supplied to the major passage through the first connecting portions;

second connecting portions each connecting the accommodating sections to the major passage and successively branched from the major passage so that the untransferred developer in the passage is supplied to accommodating sections through the second connecting portions; and

a transport member capable of transporting the untransferred developer in the major passage from the first connecting portions toward the second connecting portions.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

each of the supply devices has a first passage for transporting the developer to the corresponding developing unit, and a first developer transport member disposed in the first passage,

each of the accommodating sections has a second passage for accommodating the untransferred developer from the corresponding second connecting portion, and a second developer transport member disposed in the second passage, and

the first and second transport members are coupled to a driving mechanism.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the major passage has

a first transport passage portion which successively passes through the second connecting portion,

a second transport passage portion having a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to the first transport passage through a first path provided on a downstream side of the first connecting portions with respect to a transporting direction of the transport member and the second end being connected to the first transport passage through a second path provided on an upstream side of the first connecting portions with respect to the transporting direction;

and

a circulating transport mechanism capable of circulating the untransferred developer through the first transport passage, the first path, the second transport passage, and the second path.

3. The image forming apparatus wherein

the transferring unit has a second transferring member which transfers the developer image from the first transfer member onto the sheet.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the first transfer member is made of an annular belt,

the image forming apparatus further comprises a second collecting device capable of collecting untransferred developer from the annular belt, and

the collecting and distributing device collects the untransferred developer collected by the second collecting device.