Image forming apparatus featuring a toner supply opening positioned to avoid contamination of an exposure slit

• US 7,409,174 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsurusaki, Teruaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray; David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do; Andrew V
• Application Number:
  US11/270,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20060104658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 399 91- 93, 399/98, 399/110, 399/111, 399/119, 399/224, 399/258, 399/262, 399344-360
• US Class Current: 399/98
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1604 Arrangement or disposition of the entire apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1666 for the exposure unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/163 for the developer unit
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1636 for the exposure unit

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image bearing member; an exposure unit, disposed below the image bearing member, including a transmitting portion for transmitting a laser beam to which the image bearing member is exposed; a developing unit disposed above the exposure unit for developing, with toner, a electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member; and a toner supply opening for supplying toner into the developing unit above the exposure unit, wherein the toner supply opening is in a range, with respect to a rotation axial direction of image bearing member, inside an end of the exposure unit and outside the transmission portion.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a rotatable image bearing member;

an exposure unit, disposed below said image bearing member, including a transmitting portion for transmitting a laser beam to which said image bearing member is exposed;

a developing unit disposed above said exposure unit for developing, with toner, an electrostatic latent image formed on said image bearing member,

wherein said developing unit is upwardly removable from the image forming apparatus; and

a toner supply opening for supplying toner into said developing unit above said exposure unit,

wherein said toner supply opening is in a range, with respect to a rotational axial direction of said image bearing member, inside an end of said exposure unit and outside said transmitting portion.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising airflow producing means for forming an airflow toward one end of said transmitting portion where said toner supply opening is provided from the other end of said transmitting portion.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said airflow producing means includes a fan.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a toner container disposed proximate to said toner supply opening and juxtaposed relative to said developing unit in the rotational axial direction of said image bearing member.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first shutter for opening and closing said toner supply opening,

wherein said developing unit includes an opening portion, and said developing unit is provided with a second shutter for opening and closing said toner supply opening.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second image bearing member, a second developing unit for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said second image bearing member;

a second transmitting portion for transmitting a laser beam to which said second image bearing member is exposed,

wherein said exposure unit includes said second transmitting portion; and

a second toner supply opening for supplying toner into said developing unit above said exposure unit,

wherein said second toner supply opening is in a range, with respect to a rotational axial direction of said second image bearing member, inside an end of said second exposure unit and outside said second transmitting portion.