Drum unit
First Claim
1. A drum unit comprising;
- a first photosensitive drum rotatable about a first rotational axis, the first photosensitive drum including a first drum body having a first photosensitive layer and a first supported portion extending from one end of the first drum body in a first direction along a first rotational axis;
a second photosensitive drum rotatable about a second rotational axis, the second photosensitive drum including a second drum body having a second photosensitive layer and a second supported portion extending from one end of the second drum body in a second direction along a second rotational axis of the second photosensitive drum, the first direction being parallel to the second direction, the second photosensitive drum being disposed apart from the first photosensitive drum in an arranged direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction;
a first side plate disposed apart from the first drum body and the second drum body, the first side plate configured to support each of the first supported portion and the second supported portion;
a first cleaning unit having a first cleaner and a first conveyor, the first cleaner being configured to remove waste toner from the first photosensitive drum, the first conveyor configured to convey the waste toner removed by the first cleaner in the first direction;
a second cleaning unit having a second cleaner and a second conveyor, the second cleaner being configured to remove waste toner from the second photosensitive drum, the second conveyor being configured to convey the waste toner removed by the second cleaner in the second direction; and
a waste-toner conveyor unit having a collecting conveyor configured to convey the waste toner conveyed by the first conveyor and the waste toner conveyed by the second conveyor,wherein at least a first portion of the collecting conveyor is disposed between the first side plate and the first drum body and is within a circumference of the first photosensitive drum body projected onto the first side plate,wherein at least a second portion of the collecting conveyor is disposed between the first side plate and the second drum body and is within a circumference of the second photosensitive drum body projected onto the first side plate,wherein the collecting conveyor is disposed below and is overlapped by the first conveyor and the second conveyor,wherein the drum unit is configured to be inserted into and removed from a printer body, andwherein the first side plate is removable from the printer body in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the first photosensitive drum.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A drum unit includes a photosensitive drum, a side plate, a cleaning unit, and a waste-toner conveyor unit. The photosensitive drum has a first drum body and a second drum body, each having a photosensitive layer and a supported portion extending from one end of the drum body in a first direction along a rotational axis of the photosensitive drum. The side plate supports the supported portions. The cleaning unit has cleaners and conveyors corresponding to the drum bodies so as to remove waste toner from the photosensitive drums and convey the waste toner removed by the cleaners in the first direction. The waste-toner conveyor unit has a collecting conveyor configured to convey the waste toner conveyed by the individual conveyors. The collecting conveyor is disposed between the side plate and the drum bodies. The collecting conveyor is disposed below the first conveyor.
13 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A drum unit comprising;
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a first photosensitive drum rotatable about a first rotational axis, the first photosensitive drum including a first drum body having a first photosensitive layer and a first supported portion extending from one end of the first drum body in a first direction along a first rotational axis; a second photosensitive drum rotatable about a second rotational axis, the second photosensitive drum including a second drum body having a second photosensitive layer and a second supported portion extending from one end of the second drum body in a second direction along a second rotational axis of the second photosensitive drum, the first direction being parallel to the second direction, the second photosensitive drum being disposed apart from the first photosensitive drum in an arranged direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction; a first side plate disposed apart from the first drum body and the second drum body, the first side plate configured to support each of the first supported portion and the second supported portion; a first cleaning unit having a first cleaner and a first conveyor, the first cleaner being configured to remove waste toner from the first photosensitive drum, the first conveyor configured to convey the waste toner removed by the first cleaner in the first direction; a second cleaning unit having a second cleaner and a second conveyor, the second cleaner being configured to remove waste toner from the second photosensitive drum, the second conveyor being configured to convey the waste toner removed by the second cleaner in the second direction; and a waste-toner conveyor unit having a collecting conveyor configured to convey the waste toner conveyed by the first conveyor and the waste toner conveyed by the second conveyor, wherein at least a first portion of the collecting conveyor is disposed between the first side plate and the first drum body and is within a circumference of the first photosensitive drum body projected onto the first side plate, wherein at least a second portion of the collecting conveyor is disposed between the first side plate and the second drum body and is within a circumference of the second photosensitive drum body projected onto the first side plate, wherein the collecting conveyor is disposed below and is overlapped by the first conveyor and the second conveyor, wherein the drum unit is configured to be inserted into and removed from a printer body, and wherein the first side plate is removable from the printer body in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the first photosensitive drum. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A drum unit comprising;
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a first photosensitive drum rotatable about a first rotational axis, the first photosensitive drum including a first drum body having a first photosensitive layer and a first supported portion extending from one end of the first drum body in a first direction along a first rotational axis; a second photosensitive drum rotatable about a second rotational axis, the second photosensitive drum including a second drum body having a second photosensitive layer and a second supported portion extending from one end of the second drum body in a second direction along a second rotational axis of the second photosensitive drum, the first direction being parallel to the second direction, the second photosensitive drum being disposed apart from the first photosensitive drum in an arranged direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction; a first side plate disposed apart from the first drum body and the second drum body, the first side plate configured to support each of the first supported portion and the second supported portion; a first cleaning unit having a first cleaner and a first conveyor, the first cleaner being configured to remove waste toner from the first photosensitive drum, the first conveyor configured to convey the waste toner removed by the first cleaner in the first direction; a second cleaning unit having a second cleaner and a second conveyor, the second cleaner being configured to remove waste toner from the second photosensitive drum, the second conveyor being configured to convey the waste toner removed by the second cleaner in the second direction; and a waste-toner conveyor unit having a collecting conveyor configured to convey the waste toner conveyed by the first conveyor and the waste toner conveyed by the second conveyor, wherein at least a first portion of the collecting conveyor is disposed between the first side plate and the first drum body and is closer to the first rotational axis than a radius of the first drum body, wherein at least a second portion of the collecting conveyor is disposed between the first side plate and the second drum body and is closer to the second rotational axis than a radius of the second drum body, wherein the collecting conveyor is disposed below and is overlapped by the first conveyor and the second conveyor, wherein the drum unit is configured to be inserted into and removed from a printer body, and wherein the first side plate is removable from the printer body in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the first photosensitive drum.
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23. A drum unit comprising:
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a first photosensitive drum rotatable about a first rotational axis, the first photosensitive drum including a first drum body having a first photosensitive layer and a first supported portion extending from one end of the first drum body in a first direction along a first rotational axis; a second photosensitive drum rotatable about a second rotational axis, the second photosensitive drum including a second drum body having a second photosensitive layer and a second supported portion extending from one end of the second drum body in a second direction along a second rotational axis of the second photosensitive drum, the first direction being parallel to the second direction, the second photosensitive drum being disposed apart from the first photosensitive drum in an arranged direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction; a first side plate disposed apart from the first drum body and the second drum body, the first side plate configured to support each of the first supported portion and the second supported portion; a first cleaning unit having a first cleaner and a first conveyor, the first cleaner being configured to remove waste toner from the first photosensitive drum, the first conveyor configured to convey the waste toner removed by the first cleaner in the first direction; a second cleaning unit having a second cleaner and a second conveyor, the second cleaner being configured to remove waste toner from the second photosensitive drum, the second conveyor being configured to convey the waste toner removed by the second cleaner in the second direction; and a waste-toner conveyor unit having a collecting conveyor configured to convey the waste toner conveyed by the first conveyor and the waste toner conveyed by the second conveyor, wherein at least a first portion of the collecting conveyor is disposed between the first side plate and the first drum body and a distance between the at least a first portion of the collecting conveyor and the first rotational axis is less than a radius of the first drum body, wherein at least a second portion of the collecting conveyor is disposed between the first side plate and the second drum body and a distance between the at least a second portion of the collecting conveyor and the second rotational axis is less than a radius of the second drum body, wherein the collecting conveyor is disposed below and is overlapped by the first conveyor and the second conveyor, wherein the drum unit is configured to be inserted into and removed from a printer body, and wherein the first side date is removable from the printer body in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the first photosensitive drum.
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24. A drum unit comprising:
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a first photosensitive drum rotatable about a first rotational axis, the first photosensitive drum including a first drum body having a first photosensitive layer and a first supported portion extending from one end of the first drum body in a first direction along a first rotational axis; a second photosensitive drum rotatable about a second rotational axis, the second photosensitive drum including a second drum body having a second photosensitive layer and a second supported portion extending from one end of the second drum body in a second direction along a second rotational axis of the second photosensitive drum, the first direction being parallel to the second direction, the second photosensitive drum being disposed apart from the first photosensitive drum in an arranged direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction; a first side plate disposed apart from the first drum body and the second drum body, the first side plate configured to support each of the first supported portion and the second supported portion and forming a first clearance between the first side plate and the first drum body and a second clearance between the first side plate and the second drum body; a first cleaning unit having a first cleaner and a first conveyor, the first cleaner being configured to remove waste toner from the first photosensitive drum, the first conveyor configured to convey the waste toner removed by the first cleaner in the first direction; a second cleaning unit having a second cleaner and a second conveyor, the second cleaner being configured to remove waste toner from the second photosensitive drum, the second conveyor being configured to convey the waste toner removed by the second cleaner in the second direction; and a waste-toner conveyor unit having a collecting conveyor configured to convey the waste toner conveyed by the first conveyor and the waste toner conveyed by the second conveyor, wherein at least a first portion of the collecting conveyor is disposed between the first side plate and the first drum body and the at least a first portion of the collecting conveyor is disposed in the first clearance, wherein at least a second portion of the collecting conveyor is disposed between the first side plate and the second drum body and the at least a second portion of the collecting conveyor is disposed in the second clearance, wherein the collecting conveyor is disposed below and is overlapped by the first conveyor and the second conveyor, wherein the drum unit is configured to be inserted into and removed from a printer body, and wherein the first side plate is removable from the printer body in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the first photosensitive drum.
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Specification