Image forming apparatus, supporting member, and image forming unit

• US 8,351,819 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2012
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Sakuma, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOOSALIS, FANI POLYZOS
• Application Number:
  US13/572,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20120308284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 151 Days
• Field of Search: 399/101, 399/110, 399/358
• US Class Current: 399/101
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/161 with means for handling the intermediate support, e.g. heating, cleaning, coating with a transfer agent
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/105 Arrangements for conveying toner waste
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/169 for the cleaning unit

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt, a plurality of processing units, a cleaning unit, a waste toner retainer, and a waste toner conveying unit. The plurality of processing units is juxtaposed above the endless belt. The cleaning unit is disposed above the endless belt to collect a waste toner deposited on the endless belt. The waste toner retainer is provided in one processing unit in the plurality of processing units. At least one of the other processing units in the plurality of processing units is interposed between the cleaning unit and the one processing unit. The waste toner conveying unit conveys the waste toner collected by the cleaning unit to the waste toner retainer, and extends from the cleaning unit to the waste toner retainer.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a casing;

a fixing unit accommodated in the casing to fix toner on a recording sheet;

a plurality of developing units arranged parallel to each other in the casing, each of the plurality of developing units comprising a photosensitive drum which has an axis extending in an axial direction and a developing roller;

a plurality of toner cartridges arranged parallel to each other in the casing, each of the plurality of toner cartridges corresponding to each of the plurality of developing units, each of the plurality of toner cartridges having a first accommodating portion configured to accommodate toner, the plurality of toner cartridges including a first toner cartridge and second toner cartridges, the first toner cartridge being positioned closer to the fixing unit than the second toner cartridges when the plurality of toner cartridges is mounted on the casing;

a belt disposed in confrontation with the plurality of the photosensitive drums;

a collecting member in contact with the belt to collect a waste toner remained on the belt;

a first conveying member configured to convey the waste toner collected by the collecting member in the axial direction;

a waste toner conveying passage configured to allow the waste toner conveyed by first conveying member to pass; and

a second conveying member configured to convey the waste toner passing through the waste toner conveying passage in the axial direction,

wherein the first toner cartridge further comprises a second container in which the waste toner conveyed by the second conveying member is stored, and each of the second toner cartridges does not comprise a second container in which the waste toner conveyed by the second conveying member is stored.