Image forming apparatus, process cartridge, and waste toner recovery device

• US 6,975,830 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ishii, Hiroshi, Nagashima, Hiroyuki, Arai, Yuji, Zemba, Hideki, Kurimoto, Eiji, Yoshizawa, Hideo, Murakami, Eisaku, Kimura, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Sophia S.
• Application Number:
  US10/660,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20050036810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 399/358, 399/359, 399/360, 399/120, 399/123, 399/119, 399/110, 399/99, 399/125, 399/35, 399/302, 399/299
• US Class Current: 399/358
• 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 2221/1687 using opening shell type machines, e.g. pivoting assemblies

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a frame body, a frame cover supported by the frame body so as to be capable of opening and closing, an image forming unit that forms a toner image on an image carrier, a cleaning unit that removes and collects residual toner from the image carrier, and a toner container for accumulating the toner collected by the cleaning unit. The toner container is supported by the frame cover.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a frame body;

a frame cover supported by the frame body so as to be capable of opening and closing;

an image forming unit that forms a toner image with toner on an image carrier;

a cleaning unit that removes and collects toner residing on the image carrier; and

a toner container configured to accumulate the toner collected by the cleaning unit, wherein the toner container is formed integrally with the frame cover such that the frame cover comprises at least one side of the toner container.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the toner container has such a structure that the toner in the toner container is visible from outside of the toner container.

3. A process cartridge that is used in an image forming apparatus,

the image forming apparatus including a frame body;

a frame cover supported by the frame body so as to be capable of opening and closing;

an image forming unit that forms a toner image with toner on an image carrier;

a cleaning unit that removes and collects toner residing on the image carrier; and

a toner container configured to accumulate the toner collected by the cleaning unit wherein the toner container is formed integrally with the frame cover, such that the frame cover comprises at least one side of the toner container, and at least one unit selected from the image forming unit and the cleaning unit is integrally formed with the image carrier, and

the process cartridge has an arrangement so that the process cartridge can be detachably attached to the frame body.

4. A waste toner recovery device, comprising:

a toner container, detachably attached to a frame cover of an image forming apparatus, configured to collect waste toner produced in the image formation process by the image forming apparatus, the toner container including a conveying unit for moving the waste toner inside the toner container, wherein

the toner container has a shape that fits in a space inside the image forming apparatus.

5. The waste toner recovery device according to claim 4, wherein the toner container has a surface that faces toward a member of the image forming apparatus and the surface is formed in a shape corresponding to a shape of the member.

6. The waste toner recovery device according to claim 5, wherein the member is a cleaning device with a plurality of cleaning units that are aligned in a direction and slantingly with respect to the image forming apparatus, and the surface has a slope in the direction in which the cleaning units are aligned.

7. The waste toner recovery device according to claim 6, wherein the surface is parallel to the cleaning units.

8. The waste toner recovery device according to claim 6, wherein the toner container has a hole at a highest position of the toner container, when the toner container is fit into the image forming apparatus, wherein the hole communicates with the cleaning device so that waste toner collected by the cleaning device accumulates into the toner container via the hole.

9. The waste toner recovery device according to claim 8, wherein an introduction hole is formed on the surface of the container.

10. The waste toner recovery device according to claim 8, the toner container has a side surface, and the hole is formed on the side surface.

11. The waste toner recovery device according to claim 8, wherein the hole communicates with the cleaning device via a conveying path, and the hole is wider than the conveying path.

12. The waste toner recovery device according to claim 6, wherein the toner container has a hole corresponding to each of the cleaning unit, wherein each hole communicates with the corresponding cleaning unit so that waste toner collected by the cleaning unit accumulates into the toner container via the hole.

13. The waste toner recovery device according to claim 12, wherein the holes are formed at regular intervals.

14. The waste toner recovery device according to claim 4, wherein the conveying unit includes

a conveyor;

and

a drive unit that drives the conveyor.

15. The waste toner recovery device according to claim 14, wherein the conveyor conveys the waste toner, coming in the toner container from a hole, away from the hole.

16. The waste toner recovery device according to claim 14, wherein the conveyor conveys the waste toner in the toner container from a relatively lower part to a relatively higher part in the toner container.

17. The waste toner recovery device according to claim 14, wherein the conveyor is a screw conveyor.