Image forming apparatus having waste toner container commonly used for photosensitive drums and transfer belt
First Claim
1. A drawer movable between an internal position inside a main frame of an image forming apparatus and an external position outside of the main frame, the drawer comprising:
- a supporting portion configured to support a plurality of cartridges;
a first photosensitive drum;
a second photosensitive drum;
a first drum cleaner configured to collect waste toner on the first photosensitive drum;
a second drum cleaner configured to collect waste toner on the second photosensitive drum; and
a collective conveyer configured to convey collectively waste toner collected by the first drum cleaner and the second drum cleaner, the collective conveyer including;
a first connecting portion configured to connect with and disconnect from a belt-cleaning unit that is provided in the main frame and is configured to clean a belt, the first connecting portion connecting with the belt-cleaning unit when the drawer is positioned at the internal position, the first connecting portion disconnecting from the belt-cleaning unit when the drawer is positioned at the external position, the first connecting portion having a belt waste toner receiving opening through which the waste toner collected by the belt-cleaning unit passes; and
a second connecting portion configured to connect with and disconnect from a waste toner cartridge provided in the main frame, the second connecting portion connecting with the waste toner cartridge when the drawer is positioned at the internal position, the second connecting portion disconnecting from the waste toner cartridge when the drawer is positioned at the external position, the second connecting portion having a collective toner ejecting opening through which the waste toner is delivered to the waste toner cartridge.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a main frame, a plurality of process cartridges, a cartridge-supporting body, a belt, a belt cleaning unit, a waste toner cartridge, and a collective conveying unit. Each drum-cleaning unit collects waste toner on a corresponding photosensitive drum. The cartridge-supporting body supports the process cartridges and is movable between an internal position inside the main frame and an external position outside of the main frame. The belt cleaning unit collects waste toner on the belt. The waste toner cartridge accommodates both waste toner collected from the photosensitive drums by the drum-cleaning units and waste toner collected from the belt by the belt cleaning unit. The collective conveying unit aggregates both waste toner collected from the photosensitive drums by the drum-cleaning units and waste toner collected from the belt by the belt cleaning unit and conveys the aggregated waste toner to the waste toner cartridge.
18 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A drawer movable between an internal position inside a main frame of an image forming apparatus and an external position outside of the main frame, the drawer comprising:
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a supporting portion configured to support a plurality of cartridges; a first photosensitive drum; a second photosensitive drum; a first drum cleaner configured to collect waste toner on the first photosensitive drum; a second drum cleaner configured to collect waste toner on the second photosensitive drum; and a collective conveyer configured to convey collectively waste toner collected by the first drum cleaner and the second drum cleaner, the collective conveyer including; a first connecting portion configured to connect with and disconnect from a belt-cleaning unit that is provided in the main frame and is configured to clean a belt, the first connecting portion connecting with the belt-cleaning unit when the drawer is positioned at the internal position, the first connecting portion disconnecting from the belt-cleaning unit when the drawer is positioned at the external position, the first connecting portion having a belt waste toner receiving opening through which the waste toner collected by the belt-cleaning unit passes; and a second connecting portion configured to connect with and disconnect from a waste toner cartridge provided in the main frame, the second connecting portion connecting with the waste toner cartridge when the drawer is positioned at the internal position, the second connecting portion disconnecting from the waste toner cartridge when the drawer is positioned at the external position, the second connecting portion having a collective toner ejecting opening through which the waste toner is delivered to the waste toner cartridge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An image forming apparatus comprising:
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a casing; a first process cartridge including a first photosensitive drum and a first drum-cleaning unit configured to collect waste toner on the first photosensitive drum; a second process cartridge including a second photosensitive drum and a second drum-cleaning unit configured to collect waste toner on the second photosensitive drum, the first process cartridge and the second process cartridge being arrayed in an array direction; a cartridge-supporting body configured to support the first process cartridge and the second process cartridge, the cartridge-supporting body being movable between an internal position inside the casing and an external position outside the casing; a waste toner cartridge configured to accommodate both the waste toner collected from the first photosensitive drum by the first drum-cleaning unit and the waste toner collected from the second photosensitive drum by the second drum-cleaning unit; a first wall arranged inside the casing and having an L-shape as viewed from the array direction, the first wall having a first recess for receiving one end portion of the first process cartridge and a second recess for receiving one end portion of the second process cartridge; a second wall arranged inside the casing and having an L-shape as viewed from the array direction, the second wall having a third recess for receiving another end portion of the first process cartridge and a fourth recess for receiving another end portion of the second process cartridge, the first process cartridge being supported by the first recess and the third recess when the cartridge-supporting body supporting the first and second process cartridges is located at the internal position, the first process cartridge being apart from both the first recess and the third recess when the cartridge-supporting body supporting the first and second process cartridges is located at the external position, the second process cartridge being supported by the second recess and the fourth recess when the cartridge-supporting body supporting the first and second process cartridges is located at the internal position, the second process cartridge being apart from both the second recess and the fourth recess when the cartridge-supporting body supporting the first and second process cartridges is located at the external position; and a conveying unit configured to convey the waste toner collected by the first drum-cleaning unit and the waste toner collected by the second drum-cleaning unit, the conveying unit being provided to the cartridge-supporting body and being disposed between the first wall and the second wall when the cartridge-supporting body is located at the internal position. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An image forming apparatus comprising:
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a casing; a first developing cartridge configured to accommodate toner therein; a second developing cartridge configured to accommodate toner therein, the first developing cartridge and the second developing cartridge being arrayed in an array direction; a drawer unit including; a first photosensitive drum; a first drum-cleaning unit configured to collect waste toner on the first photosensitive drum; a second photosensitive drum; and a second drum-cleaning unit configured to collect waste toner on the second photosensitive drum; a waste toner cartridge configured to accommodate both the waste toner collected from the first photosensitive drum by the first drum-cleaning unit and the waste toner collected from the second photosensitive drum by the second drum-cleaning unit; a first wall arranged inside the casing and having an L-shape as viewed from the array direction, the first wall having a first recess for receiving one end portion of the first photosensitive drum and a second recess for receiving one end portion of the second photosensitive drum; a second wall arranged inside the casing and having an L-shape as viewed from the array direction, the second wall having a third recess for receiving another end portion of the first photosensitive drum and a fourth recess for receiving another end portion of the second photosensitive drum, the first photosensitive drum being configured to be supported by the first recess and the third recess, the second photosensitive drum being configured to be supported by the second recess and the fourth recess; and a conveying unit configured to convey the waste toner collected by the first drum-cleaning unit and the waste toner collected by the second drum-cleaning unit, the conveying unit being provided to drawer unit and being disposed between the first wall and the second wall when the drawer unit is located at an internal position inside the casing. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification