US-20260126736-A1 - IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING MOVABLE SHUTTERS FOR OPENING AND CLOSING TONER INLETS AND OUTLETS

US20260126736A1US 20260126736 A1US20260126736 A1US 20260126736A1US-20260126736-A1

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a main housing, an intermediate transfer belt, a development device, a toner box, and a pipe. The development device includes a development housing having an inlet through which toner is received, and a development roller rotatable about a development axis. The development device is detachably attachable to the main housing. The toner box is detachably attachable to the main housing and contains toner therein. The pipe has a pipe opening through which toner is provided to the development device. The development device is positioned below the intermediate transfer belt. The toner box is positioned above the intermediate transfer belt. In a state where the development device is attached to the main housing, the inlet of the development housing is opposed to the pipe opening and is configured to receive toner delivered by the pipe.

Inventors

Nao Itabashi

Assignees

BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20260105
Priority Date: 20210730

Claims (19)

1 . An image forming apparatus, comprising: a main housing; an intermediate transfer belt; a toner box detachably attachable to the main housing, the toner box containing toner therein; a development device comprising a development roller rotatable about a development axis extending in an axial direction; and a pipe configured to deliver toner in the toner box to the development device, wherein the development device further comprises: a development housing having an inlet through which toner delivered by the pipe is received, the development housing having a first end and a second end positioned apart from each other in the axial direction; a first auger rotatable about a first auger axis extending in the axial direction and configured to convey toner in the axial direction, the first auger having a first end and a second end positioned apart from each other in the axial direction; a first gear positioned at the first end of the first auger and rotatable together with the first auger; a second auger rotatable about a second auger axis extending in the axial direction and configured to convey toner in the axial direction, the second auger having a first end and a second end positioned apart from each other in the axial direction; and a second gear positioned at the first end of the second auger and rotatable together with the second auger, the second gear configured to transmit a drive force to the first gear, wherein the toner box is positioned above the intermediate transfer belt, and the development device is positioned below the intermediate transfer belt, the first gear and the second gear are positioned at the first end of the development housing, and the inlet of the development housing is positioned at the second end of the development housing.
2 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first auger is positioned inside the development housing, and the second auger is positioned inside the development housing.
3 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first auger conveys toner from the second end of the development housing toward the first end of the development housing, and the second auger conveys toner from the first end of the development housing toward the second end of the development housing.
4 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the main housing comprises a development cover configured to open and close a development opening and has a first end and a second end positioned apart from each other in the axial direction, the development cover being positioned at the first end of the main housing, the development device is installable into and removable from the main housing in the axial direction through the development opening, and in a state where the development device is attached to the main housing: the inlet of the development housing is positioned at the second end of the main housing; and the first gear and the second gear are positioned at the first end of the main housing.
5 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein, in the state where the development device is attached to the main housing, the first gear and the second gear are positioned closer, than the development roller, to the development opening in the axial direction.
6 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the development roller comprises: a development roller shaft; and a roller body that covers an outer periphery of the development roller shaft, and in the state where the development device is attached to the main housing, the first gear and the second gear are positioned closer, than the roller body, to the development opening in the axial direction.
7 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a waste toner box configured to contain toner therein, wherein the development housing has an outlet through which toner is discharged to the waste toner box, and in the state where the development device is attached to the main housing, the first gear and the second gear are positioned closer, than the inlet or the outlet, to the development opening in the axial direction.
8 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the waste toner box is installable into and removable from the main housing.
9 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a drum unit installable into and removable from the main housing in the axial direction through the development opening, wherein the drum unit comprises: a photosensitive drum rotatable about a drum axis extending in the axial direction; and a drum coupling rotatable together with the photosensitive drum, and in a state where the development device and the drum unit are attached to the main housing, the drum coupling is positioned at the second end of the main housing and transmits a drive force to the second gear.
10 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the drum unit comprises a first drum gear rotatable together with the photosensitive drum and the drum coupling, and in the state where the development device and the drum unit are attached to the main housing: the first drum gear is positioned at the first end of the main housing; and the drum coupling transmits a drive force to the second gear via the first drum gear.
11 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the drum unit comprises an idle gear engaged with the first drum gear, and in the state where the development device and the drum unit are attached to the main housing, the idle gear is positioned at the first end of the main housing and is engaged with the second gear.
12 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the development device comprises a development gear rotatable together with the development roller, the drum unit comprises a second drum gear rotatable together with the photosensitive drum and the drum coupling, and in the state where the development device and the drum unit are attached to the main housing: the development gear is positioned at the second end of the main housing; and the second drum gear is positioned at the second end of the main housing and is engaged with the development gear.
13 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein, in a state where the development device is attached to the main housing, the development housing is rotatable about the second auger axis between a contact position in which the development roller is in contact with the photosensitive drum and a separated position in which the development roller is separated from the photosensitive drum.
14 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first gear is engaged with the second gear.
15 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an outer diameter of the first gear is smaller than an outer diameter of the second gear.
16 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a sub-tank positioned between the toner box and the pipe, wherein the sub-tank comprises a conveyance member configured to convey toner supplied from the toner box to the pipe.
17 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the main housing has a development opening through which the development device is allowed to pass, and the development roller is positioned between the pipe or the inlet, and the development opening in the axial direction.
18 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the main housing has a development opening through which the development device is allowed to pass, and the intermediate transfer belt is positioned between the pipe and development opening in the axial direction.
19 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pipe is spaced apart from the intermediate transfer belt in the axial direction.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation application U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/425,103, filed Jan. 29, 2024, which is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/JP2022/028715 filed on Jul. 26, 2022 which claims priority from Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2021-125069 and 2021-125070 filed on Jul. 30, 2021. The disclosures of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. BACKGROUND ART An image forming apparatus known in the art includes a main housing, an intermediate transfer belt, a development device, a toner box, a toner supplying device, and a pipe. The development device has a development roller rotatable about a development axis that extends in an axial direction. The toner box and the toner supplying device are positioned above the intermediate transfer belt, and the development device is positioned below the intermediate transfer belt. Toner from the toner box is supplied to the toner supplying device, and then to the development device through the pipe. The development device has an inlet for receiving toner delivered by the pipe. SUMMARY In the above-described image forming apparatus, the development device is not installable into and removable from the main housing in the axial direction. However, if the development device were installable into and removable from the main housing in such an image forming apparatus, it would be necessary to smoothly supply toner from the pipe to the development device. Thus, in an image forming apparatus in which a development device is installable into and removable from a main housing in an axial direction, it would be desirable to smoothly supply toner from a pipe to a development device. In one aspect, an image forming apparatus disclosed herein includes a main housing, an intermediate transfer belt, a development device, a toner box, and a pipe. The development device includes a development housing having an inlet through which toner is received, and a development roller rotatable about a development axis extending in an axial direction. The development device is detachably attachable to the main housing in the axial direction. The toner box is detachably attachable to the main housing in the axial direction. The toner box contains toner therein. The pipe has a pipe opening through which toner is provided to the development device. The development device is positioned below the intermediate transfer belt, and the toner box is positioned above the intermediate transfer belt. The inlet of the development housing is opposed to the pipe opening, and the inlet of the development housing is configured to receive toner delivered by the pipe in a state where the development device is attached to the main housing. According to this configuration in which the development device is installable into and removable from the main housing in the axial direction, since the inlet of the development device and the pipe opening of the pipe are opposed to each other when the development device is attached to the main housing, toner can be smoothly supplied from the pipe to the development device. The development device may include a first shutter movable between a first open position to open the inlet and a first closed position to close the inlet, which first shutter is configured to move from the first closed position to the first open position in a state where the development device is attached to the main housing and the inlet is opposed to the pipe opening. According to this configuration, by opening and closing the inlet with the first shutter, it is possible to supply toner from the pipe to the development device or to stop supplying toner from the pipe to the development device. The main housing may have a development opening through which the development device is allowed to pass. When the development device is attached to the main housing, the first shutter may be positioned farther, than the development roller, from the development opening in the axial direction. The image forming apparatus may further include a waste toner box configured to contain toner therein. The development housing may include an outlet through which toner is discharged to the waste toner box in a state where the development device is attached to the main housing and a second shutter movable between a second open position to open the outlet and a second closed position to close the outlet, which second shutter is configured to move from the second closed position to the second open position in a state where that the development device is attached to the main housing and the inlet is opposed to the pipe opening. According to this configuration, by opening and closing the outlet with the second shutter, it is possible to discharge toner from the development device to the waste toner box or to stop discharging toner from the development device to the waste toner box. The inlet may face upward, and the outlet may face down