Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit including a plurality of photoconductor drums arranged in tandem; a conveyor belt arranged opposite to the photoconductor drums and configured to convey a recording sheet; and a cleaning unit including a cleaning member positioned in contact with the conveyor belt and configured to collect substance adhering to the conveyor belt, and a receptacle configured to store the substance collected by the cleaning member. The cleaning member is arranged on the same side as the image forming unit with respect to the conveyor belt and upstream from the image forming unit as viewed in a sheet conveyance direction along which the recording sheet is conveyed on the conveyor belt, and the image forming unit and the cleaning unit are pulled out together from a main body of the image forming apparatus toward an upstream side of the sheet conveyance direction.

Abstract: A developer cartridge includes an outside frame, an inside frame, a first sealing member and a second sealing member. The outside frame includes an outside supply opening and an outside return opening. The inside frame includes a developer chamber for accommodating a developer, an inside supply opening and an inside return opening. The first sealing member is provided around one of the inside return opening and the outside return opening between the inside frame and the outside frame and is contactable with the inside frame and the outside frame with a first contact pressure. The second sealing member is provided around one of the inside supply opening and the outside supply opening between the inside frame and the outside frame and is contactable with the inside frame and the outside frame with a second contact pressure that is greater than the first contact pressure.

Abstract: An image-forming device includes a plurality of developing units, an endless belt, and a cleaning unit. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning member and a conveying unit. The cleaning member contacts the endless belt to clean a remaining toner on the endless belt. The conveying unit includes a first conveying unit, a second conveying unit, and a first relaying unit. The first relaying member relays the remaining toner conveyed by the first conveying unit to the second conveying unit, and has a relay-axis. The cleaning member pivots about the relay axis to move between a contacting position for contacting the endless belt and a separating position for separating from the endless belt.

Abstract: A toner cartridge is mountable on a process cartridge. The process cartridge includes a supply roller. The toner cartridge includes a first accommodating unit and an agitating member. The first toner accommodating unit has a peripheral surface in which an inner hollow space for accommodating a toner is formed. The agitating member is disposed in the first toner accommodating unit and rotates in a rotating direction to agitate the toner. The peripheral surface has a wall portion formed with a first supply-hole at an upstream side in the rotating direction. The wall portion is curved about a reference line as a center of curvature and depressed inward the first toner accommodating unit. The reference line is outside of the first toner accommodating unit in a radial direction of the agitating member and extending in a prescribed direction.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus including a main body, a drawer, an image forming unit, a belt unit and a cleaning unit. The drawer is movably supported to the main body and configured to be pulled out from an interior of the main body. The image forming unit is supported on the drawer and has a plurality of photosensitive drums arrayed in line in a first direction for forming an image on a recording medium. The belt unit disposed in opposition to each of the plurality of photosensitive drums and extends in the first direction. The cleaning unit is fixed to the drawer and is disposed at a side the same as the image forming unit with respect to the belt unit, whereby the cleaning unit is pulled out integrally with the image forming unit from the main body.

Abstract: A plurality of photosensitive bodies is juxtaposed in a conveying direction, in which a recording medium is conveyed, with confronting the conveying unit. Each of a plurality of developing units is configured to move between a first position where the developing unit is capable of supplying developer to the corresponding photosensitive drum and a second position where the developing unit separates from the corresponding photosensitive drum. A cleaning member is configured to move between a third position where the cleaning member is capable of collecting a waste developer deposited on the conveying unit and a fourth position where the cleaning member separates from the conveying unit. A receptacle is slidably supported on one of the developing units and accommodates the collected waste developer. The cleaning member moves integrally with the receptacle. The receptacle and the one of the developing units are integrally detachably mounted on the main casing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt, a plurality of processing units, a cleaning unit, a waste toner retainer, and a waste toner conveying unit. The plurality of processing units is juxtaposed above the endless belt. The cleaning unit is disposed above the endless belt to collect a waste toner deposited on the endless belt. The waste toner retainer is provided in one processing unit in the plurality of processing units. At least one of another processing units in the plurality of processing units is interposed between the cleaning unit and the one processing unit. The waste toner conveying unit conveys the waste toner collected by the cleaning unit to the waste toner retainer, and extends from the cleaning unit to the waster toner retainer.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes an endless belt, a photosensitive member, a driving member, and a recovering member, and a cleaning member. The endless belt is circularly movable and has a surface extending in a first direction. The photosensitive member is opposed to the surface to provide the surface with a toner. The driving member drives the endless belt so that the surface moves in the first direction during an image-forming period and moves in a second direction opposite to the first direction during a recovering period posterior to the image-forming period. The recovering member recovers, during the image-formation period, a first residual toner remaining on the photosensitive member after the toner has been provided on the surface, and provides, during the recovering period, the recovered first residual toner on the photosensitive member to be provided on the surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit including a plurality of photoconductor drums arranged in tandem; a conveyor belt arranged opposite to the photoconductor drums and configured to convey a recording sheet; and a cleaning unit including a cleaning member positioned in contact with the conveyor belt and configured to collect substance adhering to the conveyor belt, and a receptacle configured to store the substance collected by the cleaning member. The cleaning member is arranged on the same side as the image forming unit with respect to the conveyor belt and upstream from the image forming unit as viewed in a sheet conveyance direction along which the recording sheet is conveyed on the conveyor belt, and the image forming unit and the cleaning unit are pulled out together from a main body of the image forming apparatus toward an upstream side of the sheet conveyance direction.

Abstract: A developer cartridge includes a first frame and a second frame, which confronts the first frame. The second frame includes an opening, through which developer is passed, and which is openable and closable by the first frame in accordance with a relative movement between the second frame and the first frame, and a seal member, which is provided around the opening, and which does not overlap the first frame as viewed from a direction in which the developer passes the opening when the opening is opened.

Abstract: A developer cartridge includes a first frame and a second frame that confronts the first frame. The second frame includes an opening, through which developer is passed, and which is openable and closable by the first frame in accordance with a relative movement between the second frame and the first frame, a seal member, which is provided around the opening for preventing leakage of the developer from the opening, and which comprises a seal side confronting portion confronting the first frame when the second frame moves relative to the first frame, and a protection member, which has an elastic modulus higher than an elastic modulus of the seal member, and which is provided between the seal side confronting portion of the seal member and the first frame for protecting the seal member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit having a plurality of photoconductor drums arranged in tandem; an intermediate transfer belt arranged opposite to the photoconductor drums and configured to receive developer images formed on the photoconductor drums and to transfer the developer images onto a recording sheet; a cleaning unit comprising a cleaning member positioned in contact with the intermediate transfer belt and configured to collect substance adhering to the intermediate transfer belt, and a receptacle configured to store the substance collected by the cleaning member, wherein the cleaning unit is arranged on the same side as the image forming unit with respect to the intermediate transfer belt; and a support member configured to support the image forming unit and the cleaning unit and to be pulled out from a main body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit having a plurality of photoconductor drums arranged in tandem; a conveyor belt arranged opposite to the plurality of photoconductor drums and configured to convey a recording sheet; a cleaning unit having a cleaning member positioned in contact with the conveyor belt to collect substance adhering to the conveyor belt, and a receptacle configured to store the substance collected by the cleaning member, wherein the cleaning unit is arranged on the same side as the image forming unit with respect to the conveyor belt; and a positioning member configured to cause the cleaning member to be positioned at a contacting position where the cleaning member contacts with the conveyor belt and at a spaced-apart position where the cleaning member is away from the conveyor belt.

Abstract: The invention provides an image formation apparatus, to which developing devices, each having an opening, and developer cartridges for respectively supplying a developing agent to the openings of the developing devices are mountable. The apparatus includes: developing device shutters, each configured to open and close a respective one of the openings of the developing devices mounted to the apparatus; and a link mechanism configured to move the developing device shutters in linking with each other.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: a casing defining a first direction, a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions; and first and second developer storage members, each having an developer supply port. The first and second developer storage members are disposed in the casing to be juxtaposed substantially in the first direction and to elongate in the second direction so that the developer supply ports of the first and second developer storage members are offset in the second direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: at least one retaining member configured to temporarily retain remaining developer remaining on a photosensitive member; a belt arranged opposite to a plurality of photosensitive members; a cleaning device collecting developer on the belt; a remaining developer collecting unit configured to cause the remaining developer retained by the retaining member to be transferred onto the belt via the photosensitive member and thereafter collected by the cleaning device; a circulation mechanism configured to circulate developer between the development chamber and the developer storage chamber; a detector detecting the amount of developer in the developer storage chamber; a determination unit configured to determine if the amount of developer in the developer storage chamber is less than a predetermined amount; and a notifying unit notifying to replace a developer receptacle when the amount of developer stored in the developer storage chamber becomes less than the predetermined amoun

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of photosensitive members; at least one retaining member configured to temporarily retain remaining developer remaining on a corresponding photosensitive member; a belt arranged opposite to the plurality of photosensitive members; a cleaning device configured to collect developer on the belt; a remaining developer collecting unit configured to cause the remaining developer retained by the retaining member to be transferred onto the belt via the photosensitive member and thereafter to be collected by the cleaning device; and a plurality of developing devices each including a development chamber in which is provided a developing roller for supplying developer to the corresponding photosensitive member, and a developer storage chamber arranged above the development chamber and configured to store developer. Each development device includes a circulation mechanism configured to circulate developer between the development chamber and the developer storage chamber.

Abstract: A developing unit comprising a developer cartridge comprising an outside frame and an inside frame that comprises a first opening and is movable between a first opening position where the first opening is opened and a first closing position where the first opening is closed by the outside frame, a first seal disposed around the first opening on the inside frame, a housing that comprises a cartridge holding part for holding the developer cartridge and is capable of holding a developer holding member, and a capturing member which is provided on the cartridge holding part, which has a developer capturing force greater than that of the first seal, and which is slide contactable with the first seal when the inside frame moves from the first opening position to the first closing position.

Abstract: A developing unit includes a developer cartridge for accommodating developer and including a first opening for enabling communication between an inside of the developer cartridge and an outside of the developer cartridge, a housing including a cartridge housing part and a second opening provided in a position opposite to the first opening and formed toward the cartridge housing part, a shutter including a third opening and being movable between an open position and a closed position, and a protruding portion provided at an upstream end portion of the third opening in a movement direction of the shutter from the open position to the closed position and including a first end at a side close to the first opening and a second end at a side close to the second opening. The first end protrudes more downstream in the movement direction than the second end.

Abstract: A developing unit includes a developer cartridge for accommodating developer and including a first opening, a first elastic member including a first through hole surrounding the first opening, a housing including a cartridge housing part and a second opening provided in a position opposite to the first opening, a second elastic member including a second through hole surrounding the second opening, and a shutter including a third opening and being movable between an opening position and a closing position. When the shutter is located at the opening position, an upstream end of the third opening in a movement direction of the shutter from the opening position to the closing position is located more upstream than upstream ends of the first through hole and the second through hole in the movement direction.