Patent ID: 8831471
Filing Date: 2014-09-09
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus for transferring toner images formed on a plurality of photoconductor drums onto a recording medium comprising: a main body casing; a plurality of cartridges each configured to store developer; a support member configured to support the plurality of cartridges and to be movable, while supporting the cartridges, between an inside position where the support member is located inside the main body casing and an outside position where the support member is located outside the main body casing; an intermediate transfer belt disposed under the support member and configured to accept toner images from the plurality of photoconductor drums and to transfer a complete image onto a recording medium; a cleaning member configured to collect waste toner adhering to the intermediate transfer belt; and a waste toner carrier member configured to carry the waste toner collected by the cleaning member in an axial direction of the waste toner carrier member toward a waste toner box, wherein when the support member is located in the inside position, the support member is configured to be movable between a contacting position where the support member is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt and a spaced-apart position where the support member is away from the intermediate transfer belt, wherein the cleaning member is disposed upstream from the plurality of cartridges in a first direction along which the support member moves from the inside position toward the outside position, and the waste toner carrier member is disposed upstream from the plurality of photoconductor drums in the first direction, and wherein the waste toner box is configured to be detachably mounted to the support member together with an adjacent one of the plurality of cartridges.