DEVELOPER CONTAINER AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE

• US 20180011422A1
• Filed: 09/13/2017
• Published: 01/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Sato, Shougo
• Granted Patent: US 10,338,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0865 Arrangements for supplying new developer
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0868 Toner cartridges fulfilling a continuous function within the electrographic apparatus during the use of the supplied developer material, e.g. toner discharge on demand, storing residual toner, acting as an active closure for the developer replenishing opening
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0886 by mechanical means, e.g. shutter, plug
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/105 Arrangements for conveying toner waste
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/12 Toner waste containers

Abstract

A developer container includes a casing having a developer accommodating chamber and a waste-developer accommodating chamber, conveying member, a conveying-member accommodating unit, and a supporting member. The conveying member conveys waste developer in a longitudinal direction of the waste-developer accommodating chamber. The conveying-member accommodating unit accommodates the conveying member therein and has a first opening and a second opening. The first opening is provided in an upstream end portion and allows the waste developer to move from outside of the conveying-member accommodating unit to the inside of the conveying-member accommodating unit. The second opening allows the waste-developer to move from the inside of the conveying-member accommodating unit to the waste-developer accommodating chamber. The supporting member is provided on the casing. The supporting member supports the conveying-member accommodating unit such that the conveying-member accommodating unit is movable in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction relative to the casing.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet by forming a toner image on a photosensitive drum and transferring the toner image onto the sheet, the apparatus comprising:

a main casing having an opening;

a scanning unit configured to irradiate laser beam toward the photosensitive drum,

the scanning unit being disposed inside the main casing;

a sheet-conveying unit configured to convey a sheet in a first direction, the sheet-conveying unit being disposed inside the main casing;

a process frame movable between a first position and a second position in the first direction through the opening of the main casing;

a toner cartridge detachably mounted in the process frame, the toner cartridge including;

a waste-toner accommodating section configured to accommodate waste toner therein; and

a toner accommodating section configured to accommodate toner therein, the toner accommodating section being configured such that the toner accommodating section is disposed between the waste-toner accommodating section and the photosensitive drum when the toner cartridge is mounted in the process frame and the process frame is in the first position;

a waste-toner storage section configured to store the waste toner;

a first conveyor configured to convey the waste-toner stored in the waste-toner storage section in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;

a second conveyor configured to convey the waste-toner conveyed by the first conveyor in a third direction perpendicular to the second direction; and

a third conveyor configured to convey the waste-toner conveyed by the second conveyor in a fourth direction to the waste-toner accommodating section in the toner cartridge, the fourth direction being opposite to the second direction.

2. The image forming apparatus according to the claim 1, further comprising a belt cleaner;

wherein the sheet-conveying unit comprises;

a drive roller;

a follow roller; and

a conveying belt mounted around the drive roller and follow roller;

wherein the belt cleaner is configured to collect the waste-toner from the conveying belt and store the waste toner in the waste-toner storage section.

3. The image forming apparatus according to the claim 2, further comprising a developing section configured to develop an image on the photosensitive drum by a toner during an image forming operation.

4. The image forming apparatus according to the claim 3, further comprising a drum cleaning roller;

wherein, during the image forming operation, the waste toner is temporarily retained on the peripheral surface of the drum cleaning roller; and

wherein, during a waste toner recovering operation, the waste-toner temporarily retained on the peripheral surface of the drum cleaning roller is discharged from the drum cleaning roller via the photosensitive drum to the conveying belt and collected by the belt cleaner.

5. The image forming apparatus according to the claim 1,

wherein, when the process frame is in the first position, the toner cartridge is located between the scanning unit and the sheet-conveying unit, and

wherein, when the process frame is in the second position, the toner cartridge is located outside the main casing.

6. The image forming apparatus according to the claim 1,

wherein, when the process frame is in the first position, the photosensitive drum is located between the scanning unit and the sheet-conveying unit, and

wherein, when the process frame is in the second position, the photosensitive drum is located outside the main casing.