Patent ID: 9575452
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: B65H,G03G,H05K

Claim:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a photosensitive drum; a light exposure device spaced apart from the photosensitive drum and configured to expose the photosensitive drum to light by scanning; a developing device disposed between the photosensitive drum and the light exposure device, the developing device including a developing roller configured to supply developer to the photosensitive drum exposed by the light exposure device; a charger disposed opposite to the light exposure device relative to the developing device and configured to charge the photosensitive drum; a fixing unit disposed above the photosensitive drum in a vertical direction and configured to fix a developer image transferred on a sheet; a sheet supply tray disposed below the developing device in the vertical direction and configured to receive sheets to be supplied to the photosensitive drum; an ejection tray disposed above the developing device in the vertical direction and configured to receive a sheet on which image formation is finished, the ejection tray having a sheet receiving surface provided on an upper surface of the ejection tray in the vertical direction, the sheet receiving surface being inclined downward, relative to a horizontal direction, toward the charger, the sheet receiving surface having a lowest end portion disposed closer to the photosensitive drum than to the light exposure device; and a sheet conveying mechanism having a sheet conveying path, the sheet conveying path including a first U-shaped portion disposed downstream relative to the sheet supply tray in a sheet conveying direction in which a sheet is conveyed from the sheet supply tray toward the fixing unit, a second U-shaped portion disposed downstream relative to the fixing unit in the sheet conveying direction and above the first U-shaped portion in the vertical direction, and a connection portion connecting the first U-shaped portion and the second U-shaped portion, wherein the charger, the lowest end portion of the sheet receiving surface, and the developing roller are arranged in this order along a circumference of a circle having a radius extending from an axis of the photosensitive drum to an upper end of the charger.