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

• US 7,292,817 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Nagashima, Hiroyuki, Arai, Yuji, Zemba, Hideki, Kurimoto, Eiji, Yoshizawa, Hideo, Murakami, Eisaku, Kimura, Yoshiyuki, Hiroshi, Ishii
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen; Sophia S.
• Application Number:
  US11/610,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20070092290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 399/358, 399/359, 399/360, 399/110, 399/107, 399/123, 399/125
• 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 plurality of image forming sections each having an image carrier;

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

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

wherein the waste toner container, when the cover is in the second position, is linked to the image forming sections via a plurality of holes disposed in one side of the waste toner container, and

each hole of the plurality of holes, when the cover is in the second position, is disposed at a different distance from a floor of the image forming apparatus than another hole of the plurality of holes.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first hole of the plurality of holes, closest to a back side of the image forming apparatus, is farther away from the floor of the image forming apparatus than any of the other holes of the plurality of holes when the cover is in the second position.

3. The image forming apparatus of claim 2, wherein a second hole, which is closer to the first hole than any other hole of the plurality of holes, is a second farthest away from the floor of the image forming apparatus, when the cover is in the second position.

4. The image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of holes includes a lowermost hole, which is a hole closest to the floor of the image forming apparatus when the cover is in the second position, and the lowermost hole is closer to a front of the image forming apparatus than any of the other holes of the plurality of holes.

5. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of image forming sections each having an image carrier;

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

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

a conveyor disposed in the waste toner container and configured to convey waste toner from a first part of the waste toner container to a second part,

wherein the conveyor is a screw conveyor, and

the screw conveyor includes a plurality of separated screw sections on a single axis.

6. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of image forming sections each having an image carrier;

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

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

a conveyor disposed in the waste toner container and configured to convey waste toner from a first part of the waste toner container to a second part,

wherein the conveyor is a screw conveyor, and

the screw conveyor includes multiple screws on multiple axes.

7. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of image forming sections each having an image carrier;

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

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

wherein a first part of the waste toner container, when the waste toner container is in the second position, has an interior height greater than a second part of the waste toner container.

8. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of image forming sections each having an image carrier;

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

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

a conveyor configured to convey waste toner from a first part of the waste toner container to a second part,

wherein the waste toner container is linked to the image forming sections via an introduction hole, the introduction hole is disposed in an uppermost part of the water toner container,

the first part is beneath the introduction hole when the cover is in the second position,

the conveyor is a screw conveyor, and

a part of an upper surface of the waste toner container forming a portion of a ceiling of the waste toner container when the waste toner container is in the second position is disposed at an acute angle with respect to a floor of the waste toner container such that a vertical distance between the floor of the waste toner container and the upper surface is less at the second part of the waste toner container than at the first part of the waste toner container.