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

• US 7,184,684 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• 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, Kimura, Yoshiyuki, Murakami, Eisaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen; Sophia S.
• Application Number:
  US11/235,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20060024103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 399/358, 399/359, 399/360, 399/120, 399/119, 399/299, 399/302, 399/110, 399/111
• US Class Current: 399/110
• 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:

an intermediate transfer belt disposed slantingly with respect to a base of the image forming apparatus;

a plurality of image forming cartridges disposed along the intermediate transfer belt;

a first cover configured to be opened and closed by pivoting around an axis that is parallel to an axis of the image forming cartridges;

a waste toner container configured to contain waste toner, wherein the waste toner container is linked to the image forming cartridges; and

a second cover configured to be moved between a first position and a second position by pivoting around a lowest end of the second cover, wherein a plane of the second cover is disposed perpendicularly with respect to the axis of the image forming cartridges, wherein the waste toner container is disposed at a side of one end of the image forming cartridges and is configured to move together with the second cover between the first position and the second position when the second cover is moved between the first and second positions.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second cover is parallel to the base of the image forming apparatus when the second cover is in the first position.

3. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the image forming cartridges includes a different color of toner, one of the image forming cartridges includes black toner and is closer to the base of the image forming apparatus than any of the other image forming cartridges.

4. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the waste toner container includes a slanted side, opposite a floor of the waste toner container, slantingly disposed with respect to the base of the image forming apparatus when the second cover is in the second position.

5. The image forming apparatus of claim 4, wherein the waste toner container includes a plurality of holes slantingly disposed such that a first hole is closer to the floor of the waste toner container than a second hole.

6. The image forming apparatus of claim 5, wherein the plurality of holes are disposed in the slanted side of the waste toner container.

7. The image forming apparatus of claim 5, wherein the plurality of holes are disposed in a side adjacent to the slanted side of the waste toner container.

8. The image forming apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a conveyer configured to convey waster toner from the first part of the waste toner container to a second part.

9. The image forming apparatus of claim 8, wherein the conveyor is a belt conveyor.

10. The image forming apparatus of claim 8, wherein the conveyor is a screw conveyor.

11. The image forming apparatus of claim 10, wherein the screw conveyer includes multiple screws on separate axes.

12. The image forming apparatus of claim 10, wherein the screw conveyer includes a plurality of separated screw sections on a single axis.

13. The image forming apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first part of the waste toner container has a lesser height than the second part.

14. The image forming apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first part of the waste toner container has a greater height than the second part.

15. The image forming apparatus for claim 1, wherein the plane of the second cover is perpendicular to the axis of the image forming cartridges when the second cover is in the second position, and the second position is a closed position.

16. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an intermediate transfer belt that is disposed slantingly with respect to a base of the image forming apparatus;

a plurality of image forming cartridges which are disposed along the intermediate transfer belt;

a first cover configured to be opened and closed by pivoting around an axis that is parallel to an axis of the image forming cartridges;

a waste toner container configured to contain waste toner, wherein the waste toner container is linked to the image forming cartridges; and

means for collecting waste toner, disposed on a second cover to be moved between a first position and a second position by pivoting around a lowest end of the second cover,

wherein a plane of the second cover is disposed perpendicularly with respect to the axis of the image forming cartridges, wherein the means for collecting waste toner is disposed at a side of one end of the image forming cartridges and is configured to move together with the second cover between the first position and the second position.

17. The image forming apparatus for claim 16, wherein the plane of the second cover is perpendicular to the axis of the image forming cartridges when the second cover is in the second position, and the second position is a closed position.

18. A method of collecting waste toner, comprising:

closing first cover configured to be opened and closed by pivoting the first cover around an axis that is parallel to an axis of image forming cartridges;

forming an image on an intermediate transfer belt disposed slantingly with respect to a base of the image forming apparatus; and

moving a second cover from a first position and a second position by pivoting the second cover around a lowest end of the second cover, wherein a plane of the second cover is disposed perpendicularly with respect to the axis of the image forming cartridges, wherein a waste toner container is disposed at a side of one end of the image forming cartridges;

moving the waste toner container together with the second cover when the second cover moves from the first position to the second position; and

collecting waste in the waste toner generated by the image forming cartridges in the waste toner container.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising moving the waste toner inside the waste toner container from a first position where the waste toner container has a first height to a second position where the waste toner container has a second height.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein moving the waste toner includes turning a screw conveyor.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein moving the waste toner includes turning a belt conveyor.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein first height is greater than the second height.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the second height is greater than the first height.

24. The image forming apparatus for claim 18, wherein the plane of the second cover is perpendicular to the axis of the image forming cartridges when the second cover is in the second position, and the second position is a closed postion.