Claims
- 1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising:
- an image bearing member;
- optical means for projecting light corresponding to image information onto said image bearing member;
- developing means for developing a latent image formed on said image bearing member into a toner image;
- transfer means for transferring the toner image onto a recording material;
- fixing means for fixing the toner image transferred onto the recording material;
- first supporting means for supporting the recording material to be fed to said transfer means; and
- second supporting means for supporting the recording material which has been subjected to a fixing operation of said fixing means;
- wherein a supporting surface of said first supporting means for supporting the recording material and a supporting surface of said second supporting means for supporting the recording material are overlapped in a horizontal direction with said optical means therebetween;
- wherein a sheet feeding position for feeding the recording material supported on said first supporting means, an image transfer position where said transfer means transfer the image, and an image fixing position where the toner image is fixed on the recording material, take lower position in the order named;
- wherein a supporting surface of said second supporting means and a horizontal plane form an angle of 55-75 degrees.
- 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first supporting means has a support on an outer casing of said apparatus and a recording material feeding cassette detachably mountable relative to said outer casing.
- 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical means includes laser beam emitting means for emitting a laser beam, wherein said laser beam emitting means includes a semiconductor laser, a polygonal mirror, a lens and a reflection mirror.
- 4. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising:
- an image bearing member;
- optical means for projecting light corresponding to image information onto said image bearing member;
- developing means for developing a latent image formed on said image bearing member into a toner image;
- transfer means for transferring the toner image onto a recording material;
- fixing means for fixing the toner image transferred onto the recording material;
- first supporting means for supporting the recording material to be fed to said transfer means;
- second supporting means for supporting the recording material which has been subjected to a fixing operation of said fixing means;
- wherein a supporting surface of said first supporting means for supporting the recording material and a supporting surface of said second supporting means for supporting the recording material are overlapped in a horizontal direction with said optical means therebetween;
- discharging means, disposed along a back side of said second supporting means, for discharging air in said apparatus along said second supporting means;
- wherein a sheet feeding position for feeding the recording material supported on said first supporting means, an image transfer position where said transfer means transfer the image, an image fixing position where the toner image is fixed on the recording material, take lower position in the order named; and
- wherein a supporting surface of said first supporting member and a horizontal plane form an angle of 60-90 degrees, and a supporting surface of said second supporting means and a horizontal plane form an angle of 55-75 degrees.
- 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said image bearing member is contained in a process cartridge further containing at least one of charging means, said developing means and a cleaning means, said process cartridge being detachably mountable to said apparatus.
- 6. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said image bearing member is contained in a process cartridge further containing charging means, said developing means or a cleaning means, said process cartridge being detachably mountable to said apparatus.
- 7. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said image bearing member is contained in a process cartridge further containing at least said developing means.
- 8. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising:
- an image bearing member;
- optical means for projecting light corresponding to image information onto said image bearing member;
- developing means for developing a latent image formed on said image bearing member into a toner image;
- transfer means for transferring the toner image onto a recording material;
- fixing means for fixing the toner image transferred onto the recording material;
- first supporting means for supporting the recording material to be fed to said transfer means;
- second supporting means for supporting the recording material which has been subjected to a fixing operation of said fixing means; and
- a duct along said first supporting means, at a back side of said first supporting means, said duct being constituted by an inside of an outer casing of said image forming apparatus and a plate provided on an inside surface of said outer casing, wherein a supporting surface of said first supporting means for supporting the recording material and a supporting surface of said second supporting means for supporting the recording material are overlapped in a horizontal direction with said optical means therebetween,
- wherein a sheet feeding position for feeding the recording material supported on said first supporting means, an image transfer position where said transfer means transfer the image, and an image fixing position where the toner image is fixed on the recording material, take lower position in the order named.
- 9. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising:
- an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
- an optical mechanism which projects light onto said electrophotographic photosensitive drum to form on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum an electrostatic latent image corresponding to image information;
- a developing roller adjacent said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, said developing roller supplying toner to said electrophotographic photosensitive drum so that the latent image is developed into a toner image;
- a transfer roller contacting said electrophotographic photosensitive drum at a transfer position at which the recording material is passed between said electrophotographic photosensitive drum and said transfer roller so that the toner image is transferred onto the recording material;
- a heater for heating the toner image on the recording material at a fixing position;
- a pressing rotatable member which applies pressure to the toner image on the recording material at the fixing position so that the toner image is fixed onto the recording material;
- a first support on which is supported the recording material to be fed to the transfer position; and
- a second support on which is supported the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed,
- wherein a supporting surface of said first support and a supporting surface of said second support are overlapped in a horizontal direction with said optical mechanism therebetween,
- wherein a sheet feeding position for feeding the recording material supported on said first support, the transfer position, and the fixing position take lower positions in the order named; and,
- wherein the supporting surface of said second support and a horizontal plane form an angle of 55-75 degrees.
- 10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said first support has a supporting member on an outer casing of said apparatus and a recording material feeding cassette detachably mountable relative to said outer casing.
- 11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said optical mechanism includes a semiconductor laser, a polygonal mirror, a lens, and a reflection mirror.
- 12. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising:
- an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
- an optical mechanism which projects light onto said electrophotographic photosensitive drum to form on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum an electrostatic latent image corresponding to image information;
- a developing roller adjacent said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, said developing roller supplying toner to said electrophotographic photosensitive drum so that the latent image is developed into a toner image;
- a transfer roller contacting said electrophotographic photosensitive drum at a transfer position at which the recording material is passed between said electrophotographic photosensitive drum and said transfer roller so that the toner image is transferred onto the recording material;
- a heater for heating the toner image on the recording material at a fixing position;
- a pressing rotatable member which applies pressure to the toner image on the recording material at the fixing position so that the toner image is fixed onto the recording material;
- a support on which the recording material is supported; and
- a discharge duct, disposed along a back side of said support, through which air inside said apparatus is discharged along said support,
- wherein said support includes a first supporting member for supporting the recording material to be fed to the transfer position.
- 13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein at a back side of said first supporting member, there is provided an additional duct along said first supporting member, said additional duct being constituted by an inside of an outer casing of said image forming apparatus and a plate provided on an inside surface of said outer casing.
- 14. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said first supporting member has a support on an outer casing of said apparatus and a recording material feeding cassette detachably mountable relative to said outer casing.
- 15. An apparatus according to claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein a supporting surface of said first supporting member and a horizontal plane form an angle of 60-90 degrees.
- 16. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising:
- an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
- an optical mechanism which projects light onto said electrophotographic photosensitive drum to form on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum an electrostatic latent image corresponding to image information;
- a developing roller adjacent said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, said developing roller supplying toner to said electrophotographic photosensitive drum so that the latent image is developed into a toner image;
- a transfer roller contacting said electrophotographic photosensitive drum at a transfer position at which the recording material is passed between said electrophotographic photosensitive drum and said transfer roller so that the toner image is transferred onto the recording material;
- a heater for heating the toner image on the recording material at a fixing position;
- a pressing rotatable member which applies pressure to the toner image on the recording material at the fixing position so that the toner image is fixed onto the recording material;
- a first supporting member on which is supported the recording material to be fed to the transfer position;
- a second supporting member on which is supported the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed,
- wherein a supporting surface of said first supporting member and a supporting surface of said second supporting member are overlapped in a horizontal direction with said optical mechanism therebetween; and
- a discharge duct, disposed along a back side of said second supporting member, for discharging air in said apparatus along said second supporting member,
- wherein a sheet feeding position for feeding the recording material supported on said first supporting member, the transfer position, and the fixing position take lower positions in the order named, and
- wherein a supporting surface of said first supporting member and a horizontal plane form an angle of 60-90 degrees, and a supporting surface of said second supporting member and a horizontal plane form an angle of 55-75 degrees.
- 17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said electrophotographic photosensitive drum is contained in a process cartridge further containing at least one of a charging roller, said developing roller and a cleaning blade, said process cartridge being detachably mountable to said apparatus.
- 18. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said electrophotographic photosensitive drum is contained in a process cartridge further containing a charging roller, said developing roller or a cleaning blade, said process cartridge being detachably mountable to said apparatus.
- 19. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said electrophotographic photosensitive drum is contained in a process cartridge further containing at least said developing roller.
- 20. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising:
- an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
- an optical mechanism which projects light onto said electrophotographic photosensitive drum to form on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum an electrostatic latent image corresponding to image information;
- a developing roller adjacent said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, said developing roller supplying toner to said electrophotographic photosensitive drum so that the latent image is developed into a toner image;
- a transfer roller contacting said electrophotographic photosensitive drum at a transfer position at which the recording material is passed between said electrophotographic photosensitive drum and said transfer roller so that the toner image is transferred onto the recording material;
- a heater for heating the toner image on the recording material at a fixing position;
- a pressing rotatable member which applies pressure to the toner image on the recording material at the fixing position so that the toner image is fixed onto the recording material;
- a first supporting member on which is supported the recording material to be fed to the transfer position;
- a second supporting member on which is supported the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed; and
- a duct along said first supporting member, at a back side of said first supporting member, said duct being constituted by an inside of an outer casing of said image forming apparatus and a plate provided on an inside surface of said outer casing,
- wherein a supporting surface of said first supporting member and a supporting surface of said second supporting member are overlapped in a horizontal direction with said optical mechanism therebetween, and
- wherein a sheet feeding position for feeding the recording material supported on said first supporting mechanism, the transfer position, and the fixing position take lower positions in the order named.
- 21. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising:
- an image bearing member;
- optical means for projecting light corresponding to image information onto said image bearing member;
- developing means for developing a latent image formed on said image bearing member into a toner image;
- transfer means for transferring the toner image onto the recording material;
- fixing means for fixing the toner image transferred onto the recording material;
- supporting means for supporting the recording material;
- air intake means, provided in a bottom portion of a main body of said apparatus, for taking air into inside of said apparatus;
- an electrical part electrically connected with an electric circuit substrate, said electrical part disposed vertically between said fixing means and said bottom portion; and
- discharging means, disposed along a back side of said supporting means above said fixing means, for discharging air inside said apparatus along said supporting means.
- 22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said supporting means includes a first supporting member for supporting the recording material to be fed to said transfer means, and wherein air heated by heat generated by the electrical part is discharged through said discharging means in the form of a duct disposed behind said first supporting member.
- 23. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said supporting means includes a second supporting member for supporting the recording material which has been subjected to a fixing operation of said fixing means, and wherein air heated by heat generated by said fixing means is discharged through said discharging means in the form of a duct disposed behind said first supporting member.
- 24. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said supporting means has a first supporting member for supporting the recording material to be fed to said transfer means and a second supporting member for supporting the recording material which has been subjected to a fixing operation of said fixing means, wherein a supporting surface of said first supporting means for supporting the recording material and a supporting surface of said second supporting means for supporting the recording material are overlapped in a horizontal direction with said optical means therebetween.
- 25. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein a sheet feeding position for feeding the recording material supporting on said supporting means, an image transfer position where said transfer means transfer the image, an image fixing position where the toner image is fixed on the recording material, take lower position in the order named.
- 26. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said discharging means has a duct at a back side of said second supporting member along said second supporting member, said duct extending from said fixing means to discharge heat generated at a heat generating portion of said fixing means to an outside of said apparatus.
- 27. An apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said duct is constituted by an inside surface of a cover for permitting mounting and demounting of a process cartridge relative to said image forming apparatus, and by a plate on an inside surface of the cover.
- 28. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein at a back side of said first supporting member, there is provide a duct along said first supporting member, said duct being constituted by an inside of an outer casing of said image forming apparatus and a plate provided on an inside surface of said outer casing.
- 29. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said first supporting member has a support on an outer casing of said apparatus and a recording material feeding cassette detachably mountable relative to said outer casing.
- 30. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said second supporting member is constituted by an outer surface of the cover and a slider slidable relative to the cover.
- 31. An apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the cover is rotatably mounted to an outer casing of said apparatus.
- 32. An apparatus according to claim 22, 25, 28 or 29, wherein a supporting surface of said first supporting member and a horizontal plane form an angle of 60-90 degrees.
- 33. An apparatus according to claim 23, 24 or 30, wherein a supporting surface of said second supporting member and a horizontal plane form an angle of 55-75 degrees.
- 34. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising:
- mounting means for detachably mounting a process cartridge having an electrophotographic photosensitive member and process means actable on said photosensitive member;
- optical means for projecting light corresponding to image information onto the photosensitive member of said process cartridge;
- transfer means for transferring a toner image formed on said photosensitive member onto a recording material;
- fixing means for fixing the toner image transferred onto the recording material;
- supporting means for supporting the recording material;
- air intake means, provided in a bottom portion of a main body of said apparatus, for taking air into inside of said apparatus;
- an electrical part electrically connected with an electric circuit substrate, said electrical part disposed vertically between said fixing means and said bottom portion; and
- discharging means, disposed along a back side of said supporting means, disposed along a back side of said supporting means above said fixing means, for discharging air inside said apparatus along said supporting means.
- 35. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said process means includes at least one of a developing member for developing a latent image formed on said photosensitive member, a charging member for charging said photosensitive member and a cleaning member for removing residual matter from said photosensitive member.
- 36. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said supporting means includes a first supporting member for supporting the recording material to be fed to said transfer means, and wherein air heated by heat generated by the electrical part is discharged through said discharging means in the form of a duct disposed behind said first supporting member.
- 37. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said supporting means includes a second supporting member for supporting the recording material which has been subjected to a fixing operation of said fixing means, and wherein air heated by heat generated by said fixing means is discharged through said discharging means in the form of a duct disposed behind said first supporting member.
- 38. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein said supporting means has a first supporting member for supporting the recording material to be fed to said transfer means and a second supporting member for supporting the recording material which has been subjected to a fixing operation of said fixing means, wherein a supporting surface of said first supporting member for supporting the recording material and a supporting surface of said second supporting member for supporting the recording material are overlapped in a horizontal direction with said optical means therebetween.
- 39. An apparatus according to claim 34, wherein a sheet feeding position for feeding the recording material supporting on said supporting means, an image transfer position where said transfer means transfer the image, an image fixing position where the toner image is fixed on the recording material, take lower position in the order named.
- 40. An apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said discharging means has a duct at a back side of said second supporting member along said second supporting member, said duct extending from said fixing means to discharge heat generated at a heat generating portion of said fixing means to an outside of said apparatus.
- 41. An apparatus according to claim 40, wherein said duct is constituted by an inside surface of a cover for permitting mounting and demounting of a process cartridge relative to said image forming apparatus, and by a plate on an inside surface of the cover.
- 42. An apparatus according to claim 36, wherein at a back side of said first supporting member, there is provide a duct along said first supporting member, said duct being constituted by an inside of an outer casing of said image forming apparatus and a plate provided on an inside surface of said outer casing.
- 43. An apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said first supporting member has a support on an outer casing of said apparatus and a recording material feeding cassette detachably mountable relative to said outer casing.
- 44. An apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said second supporting member is constituted by an outer surface of the cover and a slider slidable relative to the cover.
- 45. An apparatus according to claim 44, wherein the cover is rotatably mounted to an outer casing of said apparatus.
- 46. An apparatus according to claim 36, 39, 42 or 43, wherein a supporting surface of said first supporting member and a horizontal plane form an angle of 60-90 degrees.
- 47. An apparatus according to claim 37, 38, or 44, wherein a supporting surface of said second supporting member and a horizontal plane form an angle of 55-75 degrees.
- 48. An apparatus according to claim 21 or 34, wherein said electrical part includes a controller, an AC input portion, voltage generating means, or a motor.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
6-113981 |
Apr 1994 |
JPX |
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7-082502 |
Apr 1995 |
JPX |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/429,094, filed Apr. 26, 1995, now abandoned.
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
429094 |
Apr 1995 |
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