IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

Abstract

The image forming unit including a bearing member and a toner detection sensor for detecting the amount of toner collects protocol from the toner detection sensor to provide an amount of toner in the cleaning unit. It prevents from compelling a user to perform excess maintenance or a leakage of toner caused by the incorrect information regarding the amount of toner because the toner on the image bearing member is biased in the longitudinal direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic chart illustrating the rough configuration of the electronic photo image forming apparatus according to the embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating the configuration of the cleaning device according to the embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a primary sectional view illustrating the arrangement of the cleaning device according to the embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the drive transmission to the cleaning device according to the embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are partial sectional views illustrating the residual toner detection device according to the embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a frameless print according to the embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view illustrating each state in which residual toner is conveyed by the residual toner conveyance unit according to the embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view illustrating the configuration of the cleaning device according to the embodiment 2 of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view illustrating the cleaning device according to the embodiment 3 of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a primary sectional view illustrating the positional relationship between the residual toner detection device and the cleaning member according to the embodiment 3 of the present invention;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are partial sectional views illustrating the positional relationship between the residual toner detection device and the cleaning member according to the embodiment 3 of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic chart illustrating the rough configuration of the electronic photo image forming apparatus according to the embodiment 4 of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view illustrating the rough configuration of the cleaning device according to the embodiment 4 of the present invention; and

FIG. 14 is a sectional view illustrating a pile of residual toner according to the related art.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a toner bearing member which bears toner, the toner bearing member being movable in a moving direction;a toner container which contains toner collected from the toner bearing member;a conveyance member which conveys toner in the toner container; anda toner sensor which detects toner at a detect position in the toner container,wherein in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the toner bearing member, the conveyance member conveys the toner in a direction of leaving the detect position.

2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a first area in the toner container, where the conveyance member moves the toner in a direction of leaving the detect position; anda second area in the toner container, where is farther from the detect position than the first area in the toner container,wherein the toner is moved toward the detect position in the second area.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising another conveyance member which conveys toner in the first area toward the detect position.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detect position is in an area in which the toner bearing member bears the toner in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the toner bearing member.

5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image bearing member which bears a toner image, wherein the toner bearing member transfers the toner image from the image bearing member to a record member.

6. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a toner bearing member which bears toner, the toner bearing member being movable in a moving direction;a toner container which contains toner collected from the toner bearing member;a conveyance member which conveys toner in the toner container;a toner sensor which detects toner at a detect position in the toner container;a first area in the toner container; anda second area in the toner container closer to the detect position than the first area in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the toner bearing member,wherein in the first area, the conveyance member conveys the toner toward the detect position, and the conveyance of the toner toward the detect position is suppressed in the second area.

7. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a toner bearing member which bears toner, the toner bearing member being movable in a moving direction;a toner container which contains toner collected from the toner bearing member;a toner sensor which detects toner at a detect position in the toner container;a first area in the toner container; anda second area in the toner container closer to the detect position than the first area,wherein in the first area, the toner is conveyed toward the detect position, and in the second area, the conveyance of the toner toward the detect position is suppressed; andthe detect position is in an area in which the toner bearing member bears the toner in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the toner bearing member.

8. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image bearing member which bears a toner image;a transfer member which transfers the toner image on the image bearing member;a toner container which contains toner collected from the toner bearing member;a toner sensor which detects toner at a detect position in the toner container;a first area in the toner container; anda second area in the toner container closer to the detect position than the first area,wherein the transfer member transfers only an area of a part of a toner image on the image bearing member to a record member;wherein in the first area, the toner is conveyed toward the detect position, and in the second area, the movement of the toner toward the detect position is suppressed.

9. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image bearing member which bears a toner image, the image bearing member being movable in a moving direction;a transfer member which transfers the toner image on the image bearing member;a collecting member which collects residual toner on the image bearing member;a toner container which contains toner collected by the collecting member; anda conveyance member which conveys the toner in the toner container,wherein in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the image bearing member, the transfer member transfers a toner image to a record member except an end portion area of the toner image, and the conveyance member conveys the toner toward the center of the toner container.

10. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a toner bearing member which bears toner, the toner bearing member being movable in a moving direction;a toner container which contains toner collected from the toner bearing member;a toner sensor which detects toner at a detect position in the toner container;a first area in the toner container; anda second area in the toner container closer to the detect position than the first area in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the toner bearing member,wherein in the first area, the toner is conveyed toward the detect position, and in the second area, the toner is conveyed in a direction of leaving the detect position.