Image Forming Apparatus

• US 20090285593A1
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: SAKUMA, Susumu
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/71
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/095 Removing excess solid developer , e.g. fog preventing
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/161 with means for handling the intermediate support, e.g. heating, cleaning, coating with a transfer agent
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/168 with means for conditioning the transfer element, e.g. cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/105 Arrangements for conveying toner waste
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1623 Means to access the interior of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1671 for the photosensitive element
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/169 for the cleaning unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/1661 of transfer belt
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1642 for the transfer unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1654 Locks and means for positioning or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1684 using extractable subframes, e.g. on rails or hinges
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1884 Projections on process cartridge for guiding mounting thereof in main machine

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit including a plurality of photoconductor drums arranged in tandem; a conveyor belt arranged opposite to the photoconductor drums and configured to convey a recording sheet; and a cleaning unit including a cleaning member positioned in contact with the conveyor belt and configured to collect substance adhering to the conveyor belt, and a receptacle configured to store the substance collected by the cleaning member. The cleaning member is arranged on the same side as the image forming unit with respect to the conveyor belt and upstream from the image forming unit as viewed in a sheet conveyance direction along which the recording sheet is conveyed on the conveyor belt, and the image forming unit and the cleaning unit are pulled out together from a main body of the image forming apparatus toward an upstream side of the sheet conveyance direction.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit including a plurality of photoconductor drums arranged in tandem;

a conveyor belt arranged opposite to the plurality of photoconductor drums and configured to convey a recording sheet; and

a cleaning unit including a cleaning member positioned in contact with the conveyor belt and configured to collect substance adhering to the conveyor belt, and a receptacle configured to store the substance collected by the cleaning member,

wherein the cleaning member is arranged on the same side as the image forming unit with respect to the conveyor belt and upstream from the image forming unit as viewed in a sheet conveyance direction along which the recording sheet is conveyed on the conveyor belt, and

wherein the image forming unit and the cleaning unit are pulled out together from a main body of the image forming apparatus toward an upstream side of the sheet conveyance direction.

2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is a rotatable cleaning roller.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a controller configured to control a rotation of the cleaning roller, and during a cleaning operation the controller causes the cleaning roller to rotate in a first direction such that the cleaning roller and the conveyor belt move in opposite directions at a contacting position where the cleaning roller contacts with the conveyor belt and during an image forming operation to rotate in a second direction such that the cleaning roller and the conveyor belt move in the same direction at the contacting position.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein during a patch test for correcting a position shift, the controller causes the cleaning roller to rotate in the second direction until a patch pattern formed on the conveyor belt reaches a position opposite to a detection member for detecting the patch pattern, and to rotate in the first direction after the patch pattern has passed through the position opposite to the detection member.

5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning roller is made of sponge.

6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a support member supporting the image forming unit and the cleaning unit together and configured to be pulled out from the main body,

wherein in a state where the support member has been pulled out from the main body, the receptacle is attached to or detached from the support member crossing a pull-out direction along which the support member has been pulled out.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a support member supporting the image forming unit and the cleaning unit together and configured to be pulled out from the main body,

wherein in a state where the support member has been pulled out from the main body, the cleaning unit is attached to or detached from the support member crossing a pull-out direction along which the support member has been pulled out.

8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming unit comprises a plurality of developer cartridges each containing developer having a predetermined color, and wherein the receptacle is integrally formed with an adjacent one of the plurality of developer cartridges.

9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming unit comprises a plurality of developer cartridges each containing developer having a predetermined color, and wherein the cleaning unit is integrally formed with an adjacent one of the plurality of developer cartridges.

10. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the adjacent developer cartridge contains black developer.

11. An image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the adjacent developer cartridge contains black developer.

12. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a support member supporting the image forming unit and the cleaning unit together and configured to be pulled out from the main body,

wherein the cleaning member is fixed to the support member while the receptacle is detachably mounted to the support member.