Patent ID: 8355656
Filing Date: 2013-01-15
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image-forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of image-forming units arranged along a direction inclined at an acute angle with respect to a horizontal direction, each of the plurality of image-forming units forming an image with developer; a plurality of developer-containing units positioned above the plurality of image-forming units and arranged along the horizontal direction or along a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction at an angle smaller than the acute angle, each of the plurality of developer-containing units containing the developer supplied to an associated one of the plurality of image-forming units; and a plurality of developer conveyance paths that connect the plurality of image-forming units to respective developer-containing units, each developer conveyance path having a tubular passage that defines a space through which the developer contained in the associated developer-containing unit is conveyed to the associated image-forming unit, wherein the tubular passage of a developer conveyance path connected to an image-forming unit located at a position higher than that of another image-forming unit has a vertically extending portion shorter than that of the tubular passage of a developer conveyance path connected to the another image-forming unit.