Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transport member that transports a medium; a storage that is disposed below the transport member in a gravitational direction, and that stores the medium which is delivered by the transport member and falls into the storage; a supporter that is provided in the storage, and that has an upper end disposed below the transport member in a gravitational direction, and that allows the medium to be stored with a front end of the medium in a discharge direction matching a lower end of the medium in a gravitational direction; and a guidance member that is disposed in the supporter with the medium interposed between the guidance member and the supporter, and that guides the medium which falls to the supporter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transport member that transports a medium; a storage that is disposed below the transport member in a gravitational direction, and that stores the medium which is delivered by the transport member and falls into the storage; a supporter that is provided in the storage, and that has an upper end disposed below the transport member in a gravitational direction, and that allows the medium to be stored with a front end of the medium in a discharge direction matching a lower end of the medium in a gravitational direction; and a guidance member that is disposed in the supporter with the medium interposed between the guidance member and the supporter, and that guides the medium which falls to the supporter.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an accommodating unit that accommodates a sheet in a state of extending along a gravity direction; a delivery unit that delivers the sheet from an upper end of the accommodating unit; a recording unit that is disposed in an upper portion of a main body of the image forming apparatus and that records an image on the sheet; a discharge unit that is disposed below the recording unit in the gravity direction, the sheet having the image recorded by the recording unit being discharged to the discharge unit; and an opening/closing member supported in the upper portion of the main body of the image forming apparatus to open or close the upper portion of the main body of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transferring unit that transfers an image carried on an image carrier to a medium; a fixing unit that is disposed in an upper portion of a main body of the image forming apparatus, that includes a heat source, and that fixes the image transferred to the medium by heat; a discharge port that is disposed below the fixing unit, the medium having the fixed image being discharged to the discharge port; and a discharge unit that is disposed at a position where the discharge unit overlaps the fixing unit when viewed from above and below the fixing unit, that includes an open portion formed between the discharge unit and the discharge port, and that accommodates the medium having passed through the discharge port.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus is provided with: a replaceable image forming structure body including elements for image formation; a recording medium transporting structure body including elements for transporting a recording medium to the image forming structure body; an output recording medium transporting structure body transporting, to an output port, a recording medium outputted from the image forming structure body; and a connection structure body electrically connected to structure bodies. They each form at least a part of the appearance of the image forming apparatus. The latter three bodies are adjacent to each other, and attachable in a state where the image forming structure body is not attached, the image forming structure body is in contact with at least three surfaces included in surfaces of the other bodies adjacent to each other, and the image forming structure body is attachable in a state where the other bodies have been attached.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit forming an image on a recording medium; a first transportation route that forms a transportation route for the recording medium extending to an outside of the apparatus, and that has a transportation route length longer than a maximum length in a transportation direction of the recording medium, the transportation route length being from an image formation functional unit at a most downstream portion of the image forming unit in the transportation direction to an output position of the recording medium; and a recording medium transportation unit that, upon output of a part of the recording medium from the first transportation route, stops the transportation in a state of holding a remaining part of the recording medium in the first transportation route, and outputs the recording medium to the outside in accordance with pull out operation for the stopped recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit forming an image on a recording medium; a first transportation route that forms a transportation route for the recording medium extending to an outside of the apparatus, and that has a transportation route length longer than a maximum length in a transportation direction of the recording medium, the transportation route length being from an image formation functional unit at a most downstream portion of the image forming unit in the transportation direction to an output position of the recording medium; and a recording medium transportation unit that, upon output of a part of the recording medium from the first transportation route, stops the transportation in a state of holding a remaining part of the recording medium in the first transportation route, and outputs the recording medium to the outside in accordance with pull out operation for the stopped recording medium.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus is provided with: a replaceable image forming structure body including elements for image formation; a recording medium transporting structure body including elements for transporting a recording medium to the image forming structure body; an output recording medium transporting structure body transporting, to an output port, a recording medium outputted from the image forming structure body; and a connection structure body electrically connected to structure bodies. They each form at least a part of the appearance of the image forming apparatus. The latter three bodies are adjacent to each other, and attachable in a state where the image forming structure body is not attached, the image forming structure body is in contact with at least three surfaces included in surfaces of the other bodies adjacent to each other, and the image forming structure body is attachable in a state where the other bodies have been attached.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes an elastic support member, a following movable member disposed so as to contact an uppermost sheet of a stack of sheets stacked on a sheet tray and can follow and move in accordance with the change in the stacking amount of the sheets, a restraining mechanism that restrains the elastic support member in accordance with the stacking amount of the sheets so that the position of the uppermost sheet is held at a substantial constant, and a release mechanism that interlocks with the movement of the following movable member to release the restrained state. The restraining mechanism includes an engagement member that moves together with the elastic support member and a restraining member that restrains the movement of the engagement member. The restraining member moves along a straight locus at least near an engaging portion to engage with and disengage from the engagement member.

Abstract: A recording medium supplied from any one of paper supply units is printed by an image forming section, and then, the image-formed recording medium is transported via a transport path which is formed along a vertical direction, and thereafter is ejected to an ejection unit which is provided at an upper portion of an image forming apparatus main body. While a developing apparatus of a process cartridge owns a developer storage space, a latent image writing position “P” of an image carrier optically written by an optical writing apparatus is located lower than at least a portion of this developer storage space, and a space defined between the paper supply unit 18a and the optical writing apparatus is made small.

Abstract: A sheet supply cassette includes a main frame body and an auxiliary frame body slidable with respect to the main frame body. In the main frame body, there is disposed a sheet placement plate which moves up and down according to the residual quantity of sheets placed, and there is disposed a sheet residual quantity display mechanism which displays the sheet residual quantity according to the upward and downward movements of the sheet placement plate. The display mechanism includes a sheet residual quantity detect portion for detecting the residual quantity of sheets, a sheet residual quantity display portion disposed on the front surface cover portion of the auxiliary frame body, and a connecting portion for connecting together the sheet residual quantity detect portion and sheet residual quantity display portion, while the connecting portion can be expanded and contracted according to the expansion and contraction of the sheet supply cassette.

Abstract: A recording medium printed out by an image forming section is ejected to an ejection unit provided at an upper portion of an image forming apparatus. This ejection unit owns an inclination portion which is obliquely formed and has both a lower edge and an upper edge. At least a portion of a developer storage space is arranged in an area “A” which is surrounded by this inclination portion, a horizontal plane extended from the lower edge of the inclination portion, and also, a vertical plane extended from the upper edge of the inclination portion.

Abstract: A recording medium supplied from any one of paper supply units is printed by an image forming section, and then, the image-formed recording medium is transported via a transport path which is formed along a vertical direction, and thereafter is ejected to an ejection unit which is provided at an upper portion of an image forming apparatus main body. While a developing apparatus of a process cartridge owns a developer storage space, a latent image writing position “P” of an image carrier optically written by an optical writing apparatus is located lower than at least a portion of this developer storage space, and a space defined between the paper supply unit 1 8a and the optical writing apparatus is made small.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes an elastic support member, a following movable member disposed so as to contact an uppermost sheet of a stack of sheets stacked on a sheet tray and can follow and move in accordance with the change in the stacking amount of the sheets, a restraining mechanism that restrains the elastic support member in accordance with the stacking amount of the sheets so that the position of the uppermost sheet is held at a substantial constant, and a release mechanism that interlocks with the movement of the following movable member to release the restrained state. The restraining mechanism includes an engagement member that moves together with the elastic support member and a restraining member that restrains the movement of the engagement member. The restraining member moves along a straight locus at least near an engaging portion to engage with and disengage from the engagement member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a latent image forming unit for forming a latent image on an image carrying body and a developing unit for visualizing the latent image formed on the image carrying body by using a developer. In the image forming apparatus, for the developing unit, a developer replenishment box is communicatively connected to a developing housing in which a developer is contained, and the developer replenishment box is disposed in an upstream of a latent image writing position P on the image carrying body. The developer replenishment box is contained in a process cartridge.

Abstract: A sheet feeder has a sheet tray for storing sheets, a moving bottom plate being disposed on the bottom of the sheet tray for stacking the sheets, the moving bottom plate being elastically urged by an elastic member, a sheet delivery unit having a sheet delivery member being placed in contact with the sheet stored in the sheet tray for delivering the sheets in order from the top through the sheet delivery member, and an interlock mechanism for regulating a move of the moving bottom plate in response to the sheet stack amount so as to keep constant the contact relationship between the top sheet position of the sheets stored in the sheet tray and the sheet delivery member.

Abstract: A sheet supply cassette includes a main frame body and an auxiliary frame body slidable with respect to the main frame body. In the main frame body, there is disposed a sheet placement plate which moves up and down according to the residual quantity of sheets placed, and there is disposed a sheet residual quantity display mechanism which displays the sheet residual quantity according to the upward and downward movements of the sheet placement plate. The display mechanism includes a sheet residual quantity detect portion for detecting the residual quantity of sheets, a sheet residual quantity display portion disposed on the front surface cover portion of the auxiliary frame body, and a connecting portion for connecting together the sheet residual quantity detect portion and sheet residual quantity display portion, while the connecting portion can be expanded and contracted according to the expansion and contraction of the sheet supply cassette.

Abstract: A recording medium printed out by an image forming section 14 is ejected to an ejection unit 16 provided at an upper portion of an image forming apparatus 10. This ejection unit 16 owns an inclination portion 52 which is obliquely formed and has both a lower edge and an upper edge. At least a portion of a developer storage space 70 is arranged in an area “A” which is surrounded by this inclination portion 52, a horizontal plane extended from the lower edge of the inclination portion 52, and also, a vertical plane extended from the upper edge of the inclination portion 52.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a latent image forming unit for forming a latent image on an image carrying body and a developing unit for visualizing the latent image formed on the image carrying body by using a developer. In the image forming apparatus, for the developing unit, a developer replenishment box is communicatively connected to a developing housing in which a developer is contained, and the developer replenishment box is disposed in an upstream of a latent image writing position P on the image carrying body. The developer replenishment box is contained in a process cartridge.

Abstract: A sheet feeder has a sheet tray for storing sheets, a moving bottom plate being disposed on the bottom of the sheet tray for stacking the sheets, the moving bottom plate being elastically urged by an elastic member, a sheet delivery unit having a sheet delivery member being placed in contact with the sheet stored in the sheet tray for delivering the sheets in order from the top through the sheet delivery member, and an interlock mechanism for regulating a move of the moving bottom plate in response to the sheet stack amount so as to keep constant the contact relationship between the top sheet position of the sheets stored in the sheet tray and the sheet delivery member.