IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH URGING MEMBER FOR URGING PROCESS CARTRIDGE

• US 20200133196A1
• Filed: 12/26/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Sato, Shougo
• Granted Patent: US 10,732,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/0879 for dispensing developer from a developer cartridge not directly attached to the development unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/10 Collecting or recycling waste developer
• 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 21/185 the process cartridge being mounted parallel to the axis of the photosensitive member
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/0132 vertical medium transport path at the secondary transfer

Abstract

An image-forming apparatus includes: a main body; a toner cartridge having a first opening; a process cartridge having a photosensitive drum and a second opening; a positioning part; a transfer unit; and an urging member. The toner cartridge and process cartridge are attachable to and detachable from the main body in an axial direction of the photosensitive drum. The positioning part and transfer unit are positioned above the process cartridge attached to the main body. The positioning part fixes the attached process cartridge in position relative to the main body. The urging member urges the attached process cartridge toward the positioning part and urges the process cartridge such that the toner can be supplied from the toner cartridge to the process cartridge through the first opening and the second opening when the toner cartridge and the process cartridge are attached to the main body.

Claims

1. An image-forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a main casing to which a first processing cartridge and a second processing cartridge are detachably attached, the first processing cartridge including a first photosensitive drum extending in a first direction and the second processing cartridge including a second photosensitive drum extending in the first direction, the main casing comprising;

a front wall having a first opening;

a rear wall;

an upper wall having a tray for catching the sheet;

a right wall having a second opening through which the first processing cartridge and the second processing cartridge are attached to the main casing in the first direction; and

a left wall;

a waste toner container detachably attached to the main casing through the first opening; and

a waste toner conveying unit for conveying waste toner from the first processing cartridge and the second processing cartridge attached to the main casing to the waste toner container, the waste toner conveying unit extending from an upper front portion of the main casing to a lower rear portion of the main casing, the waste toner conveying unit comprising;

a first waste toner receiving opening for receiving the waste toner from the first processing cartridge attached to the main casing; and

a second waste toner receiving opening for receiving the waste toner from the second processing cartridge attached to the main casing,

wherein the first processing cartridge has a first waste toner discharge opening for discharging the waste toner in the first processing cartridge,

wherein the second processing cartridge has a second waste toner discharge opening for discharging the waste toner in the second processing cartridge, and

wherein, when the first processing cartridge and the second processing cartridge are attached to the main casing, the first waste toner discharge opening of the first processing cartridge communicates with the first waste toner receiving opening of the waste toner conveying unit, and the second waste toner discharge opening of the second processing cartridge communicates with the second waste toner receiving opening of the waste toner conveying unit.

2. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the waste toner conveying unit comprises:

a tube extending from the upper front portion of the main casing to the lower rear portion of the main casing; and

a conveying screw arranged inside the tube for conveying the waste toner.

3. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a positioning part extending in a second direction;

a first urging member configured to urge the first processing cartridge attached to the main casing upward for pressing the first photosensitive drum toward the positioning part; and

a second urging member configured to urge the second processing cartridge attached to the main casing upward for pressing the second photosensitive drum toward the positioning part,

wherein the first urging member and the second urging member are disposed closer to the left wall of the main casing than the positioning part is to the left wall of the main casing in the first direction.

4. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the waste toner conveying unit is arranged at a position nearer to the right wall than to the left wall in the first direction in the main casing.

5. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the waste toner container is arranged at a position below the first photosensitive drum and the second photosensitive drum in the main casing when the first processing cartridge and the second processing cartridge are attached to the main casing.