Patent ID: 11868077
Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a body housing having an opening;
a drawer movable through the opening between an accommodated position at which the drawer is accommodated in the body housing and a drawn position at which the drawer is drawn to a position outside the body housing;
a first drum cartridge mountable on the drawer and including:
a first photoconductive drum;
a first drum cleaner configured to collect waste toner from the first photoconductive drum;
a first discharging outlet through which the waste toner collected by the first drum cleaner is discharged; and
a first shutter movable between a first closed position at which the first shutter closes the first discharging outlet and a first open position at which the first discharging outlet is open;

a first toner cartridge mountable on the first drum cartridge and capable of storing toner which is to be supplied to the first photoconductive drum;
a second drum cartridge mountable on the drawer and including:
a second photoconductive drum;
a second drum cleaner configured to collect waste toner from the second photoconductive drum;
a second discharging outlet through which the waste toner collected by the second drum cleaner is discharged; and
a second shutter movable between a second closed position at which the second shutter closes the second discharging outlet and a second open position at which the second discharging outlet is open; and

a second toner cartridge mountable on the second drum cartridge and capable of storing toner which is to be supplied to the second photoconductive drum,
wherein the drawer includes:
a waste toner tube through which the waste toner is allowed to pass, the waste toner tube having (i) a first waste-toner-inlet through which the waste toner discharged from the first discharging outlet of the first drum cartridge mounted on the drawer is received and (ii) a second waste-toner-inlet through which the waste toner discharged from the second discharging outlet of the second drum cartridge mounted on the drawer is received;
a shutter driving member movable with respect to the waste toner tube between a first position and a second position, the shutter driving member being positioned at the first position in at least a state in which the drawer is positioned at the drawn position, the shutter driving member causing the first shutter and the second shutter to move in accordance with a movement of the shutter driving member in a state in which the first drum cartridge and the second drum cartridge are mounted on the drawer,

wherein, in a state in which the shutter driving member is positioned at the first position, the first shutter is positioned at the first closed position and the second shutter is positioned at the second closed position, and
wherein, in a state in which the shutter driving member is positioned at the second position, the first shutter is positioned at the first open position and the second shutter is positioned at the second open position.