Image forming apparatus and maintenance method thereof

摘要

An image forming apparatus includes a main body frame, an image forming unit disposed in the main body frame and comprising an image carrier and a developing member, a gap control unit to selectively allow the image carrier to be in contact with or spaced apart from the developing member, a lever member disposed at one end of the gap control unit to operate the gap control unit to be moved between a contact position where the image carrier contacts the developing member and a separation position where the image carrier is spaced apart from the developing member, and a waste developer receptacle detachably disposed in the main body frame and having a lever member receiving groove to receive the lever member, wherein if the waste developer receptacle is removed from the main body frame, the image carrier is spaced apart from the developing member.

主权项

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a main body frame; an image forming unit disposed in the main body frame and comprising an image carrier and a developing member; a gap control unit selectively operable to cause the image carrier and the developing member to be in contact with, or to be spaced apart from, each other; a lever member movable to a first position to thereby selectively operate the gap control unit to cause the image carrier and the developing member to be in contact with each other, and to a second position to thereby selectively operate the gap control unit to cause the image carrier and the developing member to be spaced apart from each other; and a waste developer receptacle provided with a lever member receiving groove, the waste developer receptacle detachably positionable in the main body frame and configured so that, while the lever member is in the first position and the waste developer receptacle is being positioned in the main body frame, the lever member is received in the lever member receiving groove, wherein if the waste developer receptacle is removed from the main body frame, the image carrier and the developing member are spaced apart from each other by the gap control unit.