Abstract: A waste toner collecting device includes: a tubular member provided with a toner inlet and a toner outlet; a roller that is provided upstream of the toner outlet in a toner transport direction inside the tubular member, that has a substantially horizontal rotation axis line, and that is elliptical in vertical section; a scraper that is provided on an inner wall of the tubular member on a downstream side of the toner outlet in a rotation direction of the roller, an edge of the scraper being in contact with the roller; and a waste toner collecting bag that is inflatable and is attached to the toner outlet of the tubular member.

Abstract: A motor drive device drives a stepping motor having a rotor mounted on a rotating shaft with a capability of making a transition between a plurality of excitation modes. A motor control unit drives the stepping motor by controlling the rotor to move to a position corresponding to an excitation modes. A stop control unit controls, when stopping the stepping motor, a stop of the rotor at a position to which the rotor is moved by the motor control unit common to the excitation modes after the stop of the rotor is issued.

Abstract: A guiding roller unit has a holder to be mounted on a mount, and a guiding roller rotatably supported by the holder. The holder includes a base, two bearings and widening preventing plates attached respectively to the bearing. The base, the bearings and the widening preventing parts are integral to each other. The base is mounted on the mount. The bearings stand from opposite ends of the base and rotatably support the roller. The widening preventing plates extend in directions opposite to facing directions of the bearings. The holder enables the roller to be attached and detached with leading ends of the bearings elastically widened with respect to base ends thereof connected with the base while being detached from the mount, whereas it prohibits widening of the leading ends of the bearings by contacting the mount in response to forces acting in widening directions while being mounted on the mount.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with a cooling fan for cooling toner boxes within the apparatus. The outlet of the cooling fan and the toner boxes are connected by flexible tubes, respectively. This makes it possible to connect the cooling fan with the toner boxes even if there is not sufficient space, thereby enabling cooling of the toner boxes.

Abstract: A compact cleaning apparatus capable of having a good cleaning function is provided with an image forming apparatus. The cleaning apparatus of the image forming apparatus is pivoted inside this image forming apparatus and cleans an intermediate transfer belt or photosensitive drum. This cleaning apparatus is arranged by a casing having an opening for collecting toner stripped from the surface of the object; a cleaning member mounted on one side edge of the opening of the casing and depressed against the surface of the object; and a drive mechanism having a fulcrum located below the opening of the casing, for pivoting the casing in a direction along which the casing is separated from the object. Three shafts cooperate to perform an engagement or removal operation.

Abstract: A cleaning device for a SCOROTRON type electrostatic charger to be used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine wherein both discharge wire and grid wire are cleaned by reciprocating a first cleaning member which is contactable with the discharge wire of the electrostatic charger and a second cleaning member contactable with the grid wire. Also, the respective cleaning members are alternately brought into contact with the respective discharge and grid wires in the forward stroke and return stroke of the first and second cleaning members.

Abstract: A housing accommodating a fur brush and a cleaning blade is pivoted to a position close to a photoconductive drum and at another position far from the photoconductive drum by positioning a positioning shaft. When the positioning shaft is slid for moving the positioning shaft away from a photoconductive drum, an operating member attached to the positioning shaft is put into contract with a pivoting lever to raise the pivoting lever away from the photoconductive drum. Since the pivoting lever is attached to a blade shaft, a cleaning blade attached to the blade shaft is pivoted away from the photoconductive drum.

Abstract: A movable frame is mounted on a stationary frame so as to be reciprocatingly moved in a predetermined direction by a moving means. The movable frame is equipped with a plurality of developing mechanisms which may be selectively located at a developing position by the motion of the movable frame to carry out multi-color developing. The developing mechanisms are urged toward a rotary drum. In order to prevent the developing agent from scattering, side sealing pieces are provided near the non-developing operation region on both sides of a sleeve member in a magnetic brush mechanism of each developing mechanism. A toner container unit including toner containers and toner feeding means is rotatably supported by the stationary frame. The toner feeding means includes a extensible and contractible means which is detachably coupled to the developing mechanism.

Abstract: A movable frame is mounted on a stationary frame so as to be reciprocatingly moved in a predetermined direction by a moving means. The movable frame is equipped with a plurality of developing mechanisms which may be selectively located at a developing position by the motion of the movable frame to carry cut multi-color developing. The developing mechanisms are urged toward a rotary drum. In order to prevent the developing agent from scattering, side sealing pieces are provided near the non-developing operation region on both sides of a sleeve member in a magnetic brush mechanism of each developing mechanism. A toner container unit including toner containers and toner feeding means is rotatably supported by the stationary frame. The toner feeding means includes a extensible and contractible means which is detachably coupled to the developing mechanism.

Abstract: A movable frame is mounted on a stationary frame so as to be reciprocatingly moved in a predetermined direction by a moving means. The movable frame is equipped with a plurality of developing mechanisms which may be selectively located at a developing position by the motion of the movable frame to carry out multi-color developing. The developing mechanisms are urged toward a rotary drum. In order to prevent the developing agent from scattering, side sealing pieces are provided near the non-developing operation region on both sides of a sleeve member in a magnetic brush mechanism of each developing mechanism. A toner container unit including toner containers and toner feeding means is rotatably supported by the stationary frame. The toner feeding means includes a extensible and contractible means which is detachably coupled to the developing mechanism.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus so composed that it can be furnished with a plurality of developers, can change the developer opposed to the photosensitive body by integrally moving the corresponding developers and can compensate for the position of the corresponding developer at the compensating position thereof while changing developers. Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus, the developers are moved by a motor, the position of the developers is only compensated for when the predetermined compensating position is on a shortest moving path when changing one of the developers to another developer and the developers are always changed through the shortest moving path.

Abstract: A multicolor developing device having a plurality of developing mechanisms for executing developing with differrent colors. The developing device includes a stationary frame member, a movable frame member mounted on the stationary frame member to reciprocally move in a predetermined direction, and a moving device for reciprocally moving the movable frame member. The plurality of developing mechanisms are mounted on the movable frame member and maintaining a distance in the said predetermined direction. Any one of the plurality of developing mechanisms is selectively positioned at a developing zone depending on the movement of the movable frame member. The moving device includes a screw device having a threaded shaft extending in the predetermined direction and a nut engaged with the threaded shaft, a stepping motor for rotating the threaded shaft, and a nonexcited operation-type electromagnetic brake.