Image forming apparatus and cartridge

• US 8,737,867 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Sato, Shougo
• Primary Examiner(s): Laballe, Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANGHERA, JAS A
• Application Number:
  US13/361,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20120251160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 399/120
• US Class Current: 399/101
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/105 Arrangements for conveying toner waste
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/12 Toner waste containers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1623 Means to access the interior of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1633 using doors or covers G03G21/1638 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1853 the process cartridge being mounted perpendicular to the axis of the photosensitive member

Abstract

An endless belt confronts the photosensitive drum. A developing unit includes a developer accommodation portion that is configured to accommodate developer, and a developing roller that is rotatably provided and supplies the photosensitive drum with the developer. A collecting unit is configured to remove waste developer to be discarded from the endless belt and to collect the waste developer. A waste developer accommodation portion is provided integrally with the developer accommodation portion and is configured to accommodate the waste developer collected by the collecting unit. A conveying mechanism is configured to be connected to both the waste developer accommodation portion and the collecting unit and to convey the waste developer from the collecting unit to the waste developer accommodation portion. The waste developer accommodation portion is movable relative to the conveying mechanism.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a photosensitive drum;

an endless belt confronting the photosensitive drum;

a developing unit comprising a developer accommodation portion that is configured to accommodate developer, and a developing roller that is rotatably provided and supplies the photosensitive drum with the developer;

a collecting unit configured to remove waste developer to be discarded from the endless belt and to collect the waste developer;

a waste developer accommodation portion provided integrally with the developer accommodation portion and configured to accommodate the waste developer collected by the collecting unit; and

a conveying mechanism configured to be connected to both the waste developer accommodation portion and the collecting unit and to convey the waste developer from the collecting unit to the waste developer accommodation portion,

wherein the waste developer accommodation portion is movable relative to the conveying mechanism while maintaining connection between the waste developer accommodation portion and the conveying mechanism.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a main casing;

a retaining member retaining the developing unit and the collecting unit, and configured to move between an accommodated position where the retaining member is accommodated in the main casing and a pulled-out position where the retaining member is pulled out from the main casing, and

wherein the collecting unit is positioned downstream of the developing unit in a direction in which the retaining member is moved from the accommodated position to the pulled-out position.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the retaining member has an opened part that is opened upward, the opened part confronting the endless belt when the retaining member is in the accommodated position, the opened part failing to confront the endless belt when the retaining member is in the pulled-out position.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the opened part is opened upward.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the waste developer accommodation portion includes a connecting portion that is cylindrically shaped,

wherein the conveying mechanism includes a connected portion that is cylindrically shaped and is inserted into the connecting portion such that the connected portion is movable relative to the connecting portion.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the developing roller is configured to rotate about an axis extending in an axial direction,

wherein the conveying mechanism comprises a first conveying member that conveys the waste toner collected by the collecting unit in the axial direction, the conveying mechanism being configured to drop the waste toner conveyed by the first conveying member by using self-weight of the waste toner.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the conveying mechanism comprises a second conveying member that drops the waste toner conveyed by the first conveying member by the self-weigh and a third conveying member that conveys the waste toner conveyed by the second conveying member to the connected portion in the axial direction.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a retaining member retaining the photosensitive drum, and

wherein the developer accommodation portion, which is provided integrally with the waste developer accommodation portion, is provided integrally with the third conveying member and is detachable with respect to the retaining member in the axial direction,

wherein the third conveying member is connected to the second conveying member along the axial direction in a state that the developer accommodation portion is mounted in the retaining member.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second conveying member comprises a cylindrical portion extending in the axial direction, and a shutter movable relative to the cylindrical portion in the axial direction, the cylindrical portion being formed with an opening that receives the waster developer conveyed by the first conveying member,

wherein the opening is closed by the shutter when the third conveying member is not connected to the second conveying member, and the shutter is moved relative to cylindrical portion in the axial direction to open the opening when the third conveying member is connected to the second conveying member.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the developing roller is configured to rotate about a rotational axis extending in an axial direction,

wherein the developing unit is pivotally movable about a pivotal axis parallel to the rotational axis such that the developing unit is moved between a neighboring position where the developing roller is positioned relatively close to the photosensitive drum and a separated position where the developing roller is positioned relatively in separation from the photosensitive drum,

wherein the waste developer accommodation portion includes a connecting portion that is connected to the conveying mechanism to be movable relative to the conveying mechanism.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the connecting portion has a circular arc shape whose center is coincident with the pivotal axis.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the developing unit is disposed below the endless belt,

wherein the conveying mechanism comprises a first conveying member that conveys the waste toner collected by the collecting unit to a prescribed position in the axial direction, the conveying mechanism being configured to drop the waste toner conveyed by the first conveying member by using self-weight of the waste toner.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the connecting portion is disposed at a center of the developing unit in the axial direction.

2. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a photosensitive drum;

an endless belt confronting the photosensitive drum from above;

a developing unit comprising a developer accommodation portion that is configured to accommodate developer, and a developing roller that is rotatably provided and supplies the photosensitive drum with the developer;

a collecting unit configured to remove waste developer to be discarded from the endless belt and to collect the waste developer;

a waste developer accommodation portion provided integrally with the developer accommodation portion and configured to accommodate the waste developer collected by the collecting unit; and

a conveying mechanism configured to be connected to both the waste developer accommodation portion and the collecting unit and to convey the waste developer from the collecting unit to the waste developer accommodation portion,

wherein the waste developer accommodation portion is movable relative to the conveying mechanism.

15. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a target member used for waste developer recovery;

a developing unit comprising a developer accommodation portion that is configured to accommodate developer, and a developing roller that is rotatably provided about a rotational axis extending in an axial direction and bears the developer thereon, the developing unit being pivotally movable about a pivotal axis parallel to the rotational axis;

a collecting unit configured to remove waste developer to be discarded from the target member and to collect the waste developer;

a waste developer accommodation portion provided integrally with the developer accommodation portion and configured to accommodate the waste developer collected by the collecting unit; and

a conveying mechanism configured to be connected to both the waste developer accommodation portion and the collecting unit and to convey the waste developer from the collecting unit to the waste toner accommodation portion,

wherein the waste developer accommodation portion is provided with a connecting portion that is connected to the conveying mechanism to be movable relative to the conveying mechanism.

16. A cartridge configured to be detachably mounted on a developing unit provided on an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus including an endless belt and a collecting unit configured to remove waste developer to be discarded from the endless belt and to collect the waste developer, the cartridge comprising:

a developer accommodation portion configured to accommodate developer;

a waste developer accommodation portion provided integrally with the developer accommodation portion and configured to accommodate the waste developer collected by the collecting unit; and

a conveying mechanism configured to be connected to both the waste developer accommodation portion and the collecting unit and to convey the waste developer from the collecting unit to the waste toner accommodation portion,

wherein the waste developer accommodation portion is provided with a connecting portion, the connecting portion being connected to the conveying mechanism to be movable relative to the conveying mechanism such that the connecting portion is rotatable in a state that the developer accommodation portion and the waste developer accommodation portion are mounted on the developing unit.