Patent ID: 9182716
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus configured to form an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive member, develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member into a visible image using developer and transfer the visible image to a recording sheet, the image forming apparatus comprising: a developer accommodating unit configured to accommodate the developer, a conveying path having a first U-shaped portion at which the recording sheet, moving from a recording sheet accommodating unit installed at a lower section of a housing toward one end of the housing, turns in a U shape toward another end of the housing, the image forming apparatus configured to convey the recording sheet from the recording sheet accommodating unit through the conveying path via a region corresponding to the photosensitive member and then out of the housing; a pair of registration rollers disposed at an upstream position of the photosensitive member in the conveying path and configured to regulate a tip end of the recording sheet moving toward the photosensitive member by holding the tip end of the recording sheet in a stopped state for a predetermined amount of time; an inverting path along which the recording sheet returns from a downstream position of the photosensitive member in the conveying path to an upstream position of the registration rollers in the conveying path, the inverting path including a second U-shaped portion joining with the upstream position of the registration rollers; and a supply roller configured to supply the developer to the photosensitive member, a process cartridge including the photosensitive member, the process cartridge being detachably provided in the housing, the housing including a main body; wherein one of the pair of registration rollers is provided in the main body, and the other of the pair of registration rollers is provided in the process cartridge; wherein the pair of registration rollers is at least partially overlapped with the supply roller when viewed in a horizontal direction along the conveying path in a downstream direction, wherein the conveying path includes a downward slope portion that runs obliquely downward from a topmost position of the first U-shaped portion toward a nipping position of the registration rollers, wherein the topmost position, a joining position in which the conveying path is connected to the inverting path and the nipping position are disposed progressively lower, in this order, in a vertical direction, wherein a lower wall portion of the developer accommodating unit is continuous with a roller wall portion formed along a lower circumference of the supply roller, wherein an upwardly depressed portion is formed with the lower wall portion and the roller wall portion, and wherein at least a part each of the registration rollers is placed in the upwardly depressed portion.