Image forming apparatus

• US 9,841,720 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2016
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Sato, Shougo, Fukui, Atsushi, Fukuchi, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIAMPAOLO II, THOMAS S
• Application Number:
  US15/229,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20160342130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/0011 using a blade; Details of cleaning blades, e.g. blade shape, layer forming
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/105 Arrangements for conveying toner waste

Abstract

An image forming apparatus, including a body with an aperture, a processing unit movable between an inside position and an outside position, and a transfer unit, is provided. The processing unit includes first and second drum cleaners to remove waste toner from first and second photosensitive drums respectively; and a waste toner conveyer including a conveyer tube longitudinally extending in a movable direction of the processing unit, a port, a conveyer screw located inside the conveyer tube, and a shutter movable between an opening position and a closed position to open and close the port. The transfer unit includes a belt unit with a belt arranged to contact the first photosensitive drum and the second photosensitive drum, and a belt cleaner including a container with an opening which communicates with the port of the conveyer tube when the processing unit is in the inside position.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a body;

a drawer unit movable between an inside position, in which the drawer unit is inside the body, and an outside position, in which the drawer unit is outside the body;

a first drum cleaner configured to remove waste toner from a first photosensitive drum, the first drum cleaner including a first cleaning blade contacting the first photosensitive drum, and a first screw extending in an axial direction of the first photosensitive drum;

a second drum cleaner configured to remove waste toner from a second photosensitive drum, the second drum cleaner including a second cleaning blade contacting the second photosensitive drum, and a second screw extending in an axial direction of the second photosensitive drum; and

a positioning plate including;

a first positioning dent configured to position the first photosensitive drum relative to the body when the drawer unit is in the inside position; and

a second positioning dent configured to position the second photosensitive drum relative to the body when the drawer unit is in the inside position;

a waste toner conveyer configured to convey the waste toner removed by the first drum cleaner and the second drum cleaner, the waste toner conveyer including a conveyer tube and a conveyer screw arranged inside the conveyer tube, the waste toner conveyer extending in a direction along the positioning plate,

wherein, when the drawer unit is in the inside position and when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first photosensitive drum, the positioning plate is disposed between at least a portion of the drawer unit and the conveyer screw, and

wherein, when the drawer unit is in the inside position and when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first photosensitive drum, the first screw and the second screw extend from a drawer unit side of the positioning plate toward a conveyer screw side of the positioning plate crossing over an upper end of the positioning plate.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the body includes an inner frame and an outer frame, and

wherein the conveyer screw is arranged between the inner frame of the body and the positioning plate in the axial direction of the first photosensitive drum.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning plate has a shape of an L.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning dents are formed to dent downward from an upper edge of the positioning plate in a shape of a U.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the waste toner conveyer has a port through which the waste toner passes, the port being arranged between an inner frame of the body and the positioning plate in the axial direction of the first photosensitive drum.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyer screw is overlapped with the positioning plate when viewed in the axial direction of the first photosensitive drum.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drawer unit is movable in a movable direction in which the conveyer screw extends.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first drum cleaner includes a first cleaner frame accommodating the first screw and the second drum cleaner includes a second cleaner frame accommodating the second screw, and

wherein the waste toner conveyer has a first connector and a second connector, the first connector being connected to an end of the first cleaner frame, the second connector being connected to an end of the second cleaner frame.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first connector is arranged in a first upper position with respect to the conveyer tube and the second connector is arranged in a second upper position with respect to the conveyer tube.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the waste toner conveyer includes a port and a shutter, the shutter being movable between an opening position in which the port is open and a closed position in which the port is closed.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a transfer unit including a belt unit and a belt cleaner,

wherein the belt unit includes a belt configured to contact the first photosensitive drum and the second photosensitive drum;

and

wherein the belt cleaner includes a container, the container having an opening which communicates with the port of the waste toner conveyer when the drawer unit is in the inside position.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the drawer unit is movable from the inside position to the outside position independently of the container of the belt cleaner such that that the container remains inside the body when the drawer unit is at the outside position.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein an entirety of the container of the belt cleaner is disposed lower than the drawer unit when the drawer unit is in the inside position.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the drawer unit is movable between a contacting position, in which the first photosensitive drum and the second photosensitive drum contact the belt, and a separated position, in which the first photosensitive drum and the second photosensitive drum are separated from the belt, and

wherein the outside position is at a position extended from the separated position along a movable direction in which the drawer unit moves.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the port of the waste toner conveyer is connected with the opening in conjunction with the movement of the drawer unit from the separated position to the contacting position and is disconnected from the opening in conjunction with the movement of the drawer unit from the contacting position to the separated position.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a distance between the port of the waste toner conveyer and the opening when the drawer unit is in the separated position is longer than a distance between the port of the waste toner conveyer and the opening when the drawer unit is in the contacting position.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the body includes a first wall having an aperture and a second wall opposite to the first wall, the port of the waste toner conveyer being arranged closer to the first wall of the body than to the second wall of the body when the drawer unit is in the inside position.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the port of the waste toner conveyer comprises a single first opening provided to the first drum cleaner and the second drum cleaner.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyer tube is cylindrical-shaped.

20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a container configured to store waste toner,

wherein, when the drawer unit is in the inside position and when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first photosensitive drum, the conveyer screw is disposed on a lower side of the first screw and the second screw, and on an upper side of the container.

21. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a body;

a processing unit movable between an inside position, in which the processing unit is inside the body, and an outside position, in which the processing unit is outside the body;

a first drum cleaner configured to remove waste toner from a first photosensitive drum, the first drum cleaner including a first cleaning blade contacting the first photosensitive drum, and a first screw extending in an axial direction of the first photosensitive drum;

a second drum cleaner configured to remove waste toner from a second photosensitive drum, the second drum cleaner including a second cleaning blade contacting the second photosensitive drum, and a second screw extending in an axial direction of the second photosensitive drum;

a transfer unit including a belt unit and a belt cleaner; and

a positioning plate including;

a first positioning dent configured to position the first photosensitive drum relative to the body when the processing unit is in the inside position and a portion of the first photosensitive drum is disposed within the first positioning dent; and

a second positioning dent configured to position the second photosensitive drum relative to the body when the processing unit is in the inside position and a portion of the second photosensitive drum is disposed within the second positioning dent;

a waste toner conveyer configured to convey the waste toner removed by the first drum cleaner and the second drum cleaner, the waste toner conveyer including a conveyer tube and a conveyer screw arranged inside the conveyer tube, the waste toner conveyer extending in a direction along the positioning plate;

wherein the conveyer screw is arranged outside the positioning plate in the axial direction of the first photosensitive drum and inside the body when the processing unit is in the inside position,

wherein the waste toner conveyer includes a port and a shutter, the shutter being movable between an opening position in which the port is open and a closed position in which the port is closed,

wherein the belt unit includes a belt configured to contact the first photosensitive drum and the second photosensitive drum,

wherein the belt cleaner includes a container, the container having an opening which communicates with the port of the conveyer tube when the processing unit is in the inside position, and

wherein the processing unit is movable from the inside position to the outside position independently of the container of the belt cleaner such that that the container remains inside the body when the processing unit is at the outside position.

22. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a body;

a processing unit movable between an inside position, in which the processing unit is inside the body, and an outside position, in which the processing unit is outside the body;

a first drum cleaner configured to remove waste toner from a first photosensitive drum, the first drum cleaner including a first cleaning blade contacting the first photosensitive drum, and a first screw extending in an axial direction of the first photosensitive drum;

a second drum cleaner configured to remove waste toner from a second photosensitive drum, the second drum cleaner including a second cleaning blade contacting the second photosensitive drum, and a second screw extending in an axial direction of the second photosensitive drum;

a transfer unit including a belt unit and a belt cleaner; and

a positioning plate including;

a first positioning dent configured to position the first photosensitive drum relative to the body when the processing unit is in the inside position and a portion of the first photosensitive drum is disposed within the first positioning dent; and

a second positioning dent configured to position the second photosensitive drum relative to the body when the processing unit is in the inside position and a portion of the second photosensitive drum is disposed within the second positioning dent;

a waste toner conveyer configured to convey the waste toner removed by the first drum cleaner and the second drum cleaner, the waste toner conveyer including a conveyer tube and a conveyer screw arranged inside the conveyer tube, the waste toner conveyer extending in a direction along the positioning plate;

wherein the conveyer screw is arranged outside the positioning plate in the axial direction of the first photosensitive drum and inside the body when the processing unit is in the inside position,

wherein the waste toner conveyer includes a port and a shutter, the shutter being movable between an opening position in which the port is open and a closed position in which the port is closed,

wherein the belt unit includes a belt configured to contact the first photosensitive drum and the second photosensitive drum,

wherein the belt cleaner includes a container, the container having an opening which communicates with the port of the conveyer tube when the processing unit is in the inside position, and

wherein an entirety of the container of the belt cleaner is disposed lower than the processing unit when the processing unit is in the inside position.