Patent ID: 6983116
Filing Date: 2006-01-03
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member; exposing means for performing an image exposure on the image bearing member; developing means for developing, with a toner, an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member; a toner supplying container for supplying the toner to the developing means; a toner supplying opening disposed on the toner supplying container, for supplying the toner to the developing means; a toner transporting screw disposed in the toner supplying container, for transporting the toner to the toner supplying opening; transporting means for transporting, from a lower position to an upper position, a recording medium onto which a toner image is to be transferred from the image bearing member; a transferring roller for transferring the toner image on the image bearing member to the recording medium, while forming a transferring nip with the image bearing member, and transporting the recording medium by nipping in the transferring nip, and a piling portion disposed, which is diagonally disposed with the downstream side in a direction of transportation of the recording medium being higher, for piling the recording medium transported by the transporting means, wherein an optical path extending from the exposing means to the image bearing member is substantially horizontal, wherein the developing means is disposed below the optical path and the toner supplying container is disposed above the optical path and below the piling portion, wherein, the toner transporting screw is disposed such that a rotational axis thereof is substantially parallel to the optical path and substantially perpendicular to a rotational axis of the image bearing member.