Abstract: A developing device capable of smoothly dispersing a developer in a development container and an image forming apparatus having the developing device. The developing device includes a development container which contains a developer and has an opening, a development roller which is mounted near the opening of the development container, a conveying member which is movably mounted in the development container to supply the developer to the development roller and moves forward and backward in a direction of the opening, and at least one dispersing member which operates according to the forward/backward movement of the conveying member to disperse the developer in the development container.

Abstract: A developing device capable of smoothly dispersing a developer in a development container and an image forming apparatus having the developing device. The developing device includes a development container which contains a developer and has an opening, a development roller which is mounted near the opening of the development container, a conveying member which is movably mounted in the development container to supply the developer to the development roller and moves forward and backward in a direction of the opening, and at least one dispersing member which operates according to the forward/backward movement of the conveying member to disperse the developer in the development container.

Abstract: A developing unit and an electro-photographic image forming apparatus having the same are provid. The developing unit includes a housing and a photosensitive medium, which has an end exposed to the outer side of the housing and that is rotatably mounted on the housing. A photosensitive medium shutter shields the exposed part of the photosensitive medium when a door is opened and exposes the exposed part of the photosensitive medium to the outside when the door is closed. The photosensitive medium shutter includes a first shielding plate that is moved between a first location where the exposed part is shielded and a second location where the exposed part is exposed to the outside of the housing. A second shielding plate is spread at the first location with respect to the first shielding plate and is overlapped with the first shielding plate at the second location.

Abstract: A transfer unit mounting device of an image forming apparatus to mount and dismount a transfer unit in and from the image forming apparatus. The transfer unit includes a transfer belt driven by a plurality of rollers, and a housing to protect the transfer belt. The transfer unit mounting device includes at least one damping unit to elastically support the transfer unit to prevent a shock from being transferred to the transfer unit when the transfer unit is mounted.

Abstract: A waste toner pulverizing apparatus and a toner cartridge with the same prevents waste toner removed from a surface of a photosensitive drum by a cleaning blade from accumulating at a front end of the cleaning blade. The waste toner pulverizing apparatus in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a waste pulverizing member that is spaced apart from a front end of a cleaning blade that contacts the surface of the photosensitive drum in a longitudinal direction, the waste pulverizing member not contacting the surface of the photosensitive drum, and a pulverizing member driving unit that makes the waste toner pulverizing member reciprocate in an axial direction of the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A housing assembly of an OPC unit to protect an OPC drum in an image forming apparatus includes a main housing enclosing at least a half of a large-diameter OPC drum and provided with a main-opening selectively contacting a plurality of developing units and a plurality of sub-openings, a first housing and a second housing each mounted on a side of the main housing, a handle hingedly connected to the main housing, and a plurality of brackets mounted on opposite sides of the main housing. As a result, the housing assembly of the OPC unit allows easy development, electrification, exposure, image transfer and treatment of a waste toner, and reliability of the image developing process increases due to the fixation of the developing units. Also, since the exposure of the OPC drum is minimized, an area of the OPC drum to be contaminated can be reduced.

Abstract: An organic photoconductive (OPC) unit of an image forming apparatus and a gear assembly arranged in the OPC unit. The gear assembly includes a drum gear formed on a flange of an OPC drum, a cleaning gear driven by a receiving power from the drum gear, and at least one idle gear interposed between the drum gear and the cleaning gear and transmitting the rotational force of the drum gear to the cleaning gear. Therefore, it is possible to drive a plurality of additional rollers with a single power source, and easy to connect the OPC drum with the gears when the OPC drum is fitted into the OPC unit. In addition, because the gear assembly is constructed in a compact form, it is possible to reduce the volume of the OPC unit.

Abstract: A photosensitive unit for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive medium, and a frame supporting the photosensitive medium. A cover covers an exposed portion of an outer circumference of the photosensitive medium that is not covered by the frame. Additionally, the image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive medium on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. Developing units develop the electrostatic latent image into visible images by supplying developers onto the electrostatic latent image of the photosensitive medium. The visible image is transferred onto a transfer medium. A photosensitive unit includes the photosensitive medium, a frame supporting the photosensitive medium, and a cover covering an exposed portion of an outer circumference of the photosensitive medium that is not covered by the frame.

Abstract: A waste toner collecting apparatus separates waste toner remaining on an outer circumferential surface of a photosensitive medium when a visible image is transferred thereon and stores the separated waste toner. An electrophotographic image forming device includes the waste toner collecting apparatus. The waste toner collecting apparatus includes a cleaning blade that separates the waste toner from a photosensitive medium by scratching the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive medium. A waste toner container stores the waste toner. The waste toner separated from the photosensitive medium is transported to the waste toner container through a waste toner passage. An agitating plate reciprocates inside the waste toner passage to prevent accumulation of the waste toner.

Abstract: A photoreceptor unit includes a photoconductive drum assembly, a housing to enclose the photoconductive drum assembly to be rotatable therein, a handgrip rotatably formed on the housing, and a stopper to prevent the housing with the photoconductive drum assembly from becoming lopsided toward its preponderant side of the housing with respect to a center of rotation of the handgrip when the housing is lifted up by the handgrip.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided including a developer comprising a pressurizing device which moves a charging roller into contact with a photosensitive medium when mounting a developer on a main body and separates the charging roller from the photosensitive medium when separating the developer from the main body.

Abstract: A waste toner pulverizing apparatus and a toner cartridge with the same prevents waste toner removed from a surface of a photosensitive drum by a cleaning blade from accumulating at a front end of the cleaning blade. The waste toner pulverizing apparatus in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a waste pulverizing member that is spaced apart from a front end of a cleaning blade that contacts the surface of the photosensitive drum in a longitudinal direction, the waste pulverizing member not contacting the surface of the photosensitive drum, and a pulverizing member driving unit that makes the waste toner pulverizing member reciprocate in an axial direction of the photosensitive drum.

Abstract: A waste toner collecting apparatus using a disposable OPC drum utilizes an inside space of the disposable OPC drum as a waste toner container to collect waste toner. The waste toner collecting apparatus comprises a waste toner removing unit contacting one side of the OPC drum to remove the waste toner from the OPC drum, first transport unit transporting the waste toner, which is removed by the waste toner removing unit from the OPC drum, in one direction, a second transport unit transporting waste toner, which is transported by the first transport unit, to one side of a storage unit, and a screw member moving the waste toner, which is moved to one side of the storage unit, to the other side of the storage unit to store the waste toner within the storage unit from the one side to the other side without leaving an unused hollow space. A user can conveniently remove the waste toner by replacing only the OPC drum instead of individually replacing the OPC drum and the waste toner container.

Abstract: A developing unit and an electro-photographic image forming apparatus having the same are provided. The developing unit includes a housing and a photosensitive medium, which has an end exposed to the outer side of the housing and that is rotatably mounted on the housing. A photosensitive medium shutter shields the exposed part of the photosensitive medium when a door is opened and exposes the exposed part of the photosensitive medium to the outside when the door is closed. The photosensitive medium shutter includes a first shielding plate that is moved between a first location where the exposed part is shielded and a second location where the exposed part is exposed to the outside of the housing. A second shielding plate is spread at the first location with respect to the first shielding plate and is overlapped with the first shielding plate at the second location.

Abstract: A waste toner collecting apparatus separates waste toner remaining on an outer circumferential surface of a photosensitive medium when a visible image is transferred thereon and stores the separated waste toner. An electrophotographic image forming device includes the waste toner collecting apparatus. The waste toner collecting apparatus includes a cleaning blade that separates the waste toner from a photosensitive medium by scratching the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive medium. A waste toner container stores the waste toner. The waste toner separated from the photosensitive medium is transported to the waste toner container through a waste toner passage. An agitating plate reciprocates inside the waste toner passage to prevent accumulation of the waste toner.

Abstract: A photosensitive unit for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive medium, and a frame supporting the photosensitive medium. A cover covers an exposed portion of an outer circumference of the photosensitive medium that is not covered by the frame. Additionally, the image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive medium on which an electrostatic latent image is formed. Developing units develop the electrostatic latent image into visible images by supplying developers onto the electrostatic latent image of the photosensitive medium. The visible image is transferred onto a transfer medium. A photosensitive unit includes the photosensitive medium, a frame supporting the photosensitive medium, and a cover covering an exposed portion of an outer circumference of the photosensitive medium that is not covered by the frame.

Abstract: An OPC unit exchanging apparatus of a printer includes an organic photo conductor (OPC) unit; a developing cartridge including a developing roller and contacting the OPC unit; a separating unit to separate the OPC unit and developing cartridge by a predetermined distance; a locking unit to settle the developing cartridge at the predetermined distance away from the OPC unit; an unlocking unit to unlock the developing cartridge locked by the locking unit; and a returning unit to return the developing cartridge so that the developing cartridge contacts the OPC unit.

Abstract: A photosensitive drum with a fixed photosensitive sheet on the outer circumference of a cylindrical body that defines an image forming area. A spacer is disposed on at least one end of the outer portion of the image forming area on the cylindrical body. The spacer pushes either an electrostatic charging roller or a developing roller, which access the photosensitive sheet during an image forming process, when a seam of the photosensitive sheet approaches either the electrostatic charging roller or the developing roller to distance either the electrostatic charging roller or the developing roller from the seam of the photosensitive sheet.

Abstract: A housing assembly of an OPC unit to protect an OPC drum in an image forming apparatus includes a main housing enclosing at least a half of a large-diameter OPC drum and provided with a main-opening selectively contacting a plurality of developing units and a plurality of sub-openings, a first housing and a second housing each mounted on a side of the main housing, a handle hingedly connected to the main housing, and a plurality of brackets mounted on opposite sides of the main housing. As a result, the housing assembly of the OPC unit allows easy development, electrification, exposure, image transfer and treatment of a waste toner, and reliability of the image developing process increases due to the fixation of the developing units. Also, since the exposure of the OPC drum is minimized, an area of the OPC drum to be contaminated can be reduced.

Abstract: A transfer unit mounting device of an image forming apparatus to mount and dismount a transfer unit in and from the image forming apparatus. The transfer unit includes a transfer belt driven by a plurality of rollers, and a housing to protect the transfer belt. The transfer unit mounting device includes at least one damping unit to elastically support the transfer unit to prevent a shock from being transferred to the transfer unit when the transfer unit is mounted.