Image forming apparatus having waste toner container that stores toner removed from intermediate transfer belt

摘要

An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a chassis having a first opening on a first side, a cover, movable between an open position and a closed position, a plurality of photosensitive members, an intermediate transfer belt, a plurality of primary transfer members, a secondary transfer roller, a first feed roller, a cleaner device, a waste toner container, which is removably installed in the chassis through the first opening and settled in a position opposite from the plurality of photosensitive members across the intermediate transfer belt, to store residual toner collected by the cleaner device, a connector, a first feeding path, a second feeding path, and a second feed roller. The second feed roller is rotatably supported by the cover and movable along with the cover to yield the first opening to the waste toner container when the cover is in the open position.

主权项

1. An image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a recording sheet, comprising:
a chassis having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening being formed on a first side of the chassis, the second opening being formed separately from the first opening; a drawer configured to hold a plurality of photosensitive members therein in line and to be slidably installed in the chassis through the first opening and movable between a first position and a second position in the chassis, the plurality of photosensitive members being configured to carry toner images; a first cover configured to cover the first opening when in a first closed position and to be rotatably movable about a first axis to a first open position when the drawer is moved in the chassis; an intermediate transfer belt unit including an endless belt, the endless belt rolling in a predetermined rolling direction and having a surface which faces the plurality of photosensitive members and being configured to have the toner images on the plurality of photosensitive members transferred onto the surface in cooperation with a plurality of primary transfer members; a secondary transfer roller arranged on a second side opposite from the first side within the chassis and configured to transfer the toner images on the surface of the endless belt onto the recording sheet; a first feed roller arranged closer to the second side than the first side and configured to convey the recording sheet toward the secondary transfer roller; a cleaner device arranged in a position between one of the plurality of photosensitive members being in a most upstream position along the predetermined rolling direction of the endless belt and the secondary-transfer roller, and configured to collect residual toner from the surface of the endless belt; a conveyer configured to convey the collected residual toner toward an outer side of the endless belt; a waste toner container configured to be removably installed in the chassis through the second opening and to store the residual toner collected by the cleaner device; a second cover configured to cover the second opening when in a second closed position and to be rotatably movable about a second axis to a second open position when the waste toner container is moved in the chassis, the second axis being arranged in a lower position with respect to the first axis; a connector connected to the cleaner device, and to which the waste toner container is detachably attached, the connector being configured to convey the residual toner collected by the cleaner device to the waste toner container; a first feeding path configured to extend in a range between the first feed roller and the secondary transfer roller; and a second feeding path configured to extend from the first side toward the second side and merge into the first feeding path between the first feed roller and the secondary transfer roller, the second feeding path including a sheet guide to guide the recording sheet.