Patent ID: 8396380
Filing Date: 2013-03-12
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, said electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of electrophotographic photosensitive drums; a plurality of cartridges that contain developer and which are detachably mountable to a main assembly of said electrophotographic image forming apparatus in a first direction that is perpendicular to axes of said electrophotographic photosensitive drums; a cartridge mounting portion for mounting said cartridges; a plurality of cleaning members for removing developer remaining on surfaces of said electrophotographic photosensitive drums; a removed-developer accommodating container for accommodating the developer removed by said cleaning members, said removed-developer accommodating container being detachably mountable to said main assembly of the apparatus in the first direction; developer feeding members for feeding, in the axial direction of said cartridges, the developer removed by said cleaning members; cases, each of which accommodates one of said developer feeding members, said cases each having a discharging portion for discharging the developer fed by one of said developer feeding members to said removed-developer accommodating container, wherein said cartridges are disposed along a second direction, and said removed-developer accommodating container is adjacent to said cartridges and extends along the second direction so as to be overlapped at least partly with said cartridges in the axial direction, wherein said discharging portions are projected in the axial direction of said cartridges, and wherein said removed-developer accommodating container has (i) recess portions that permit passage of said discharging portions and (ii) receiving openings for receiving the developer discharged from said discharging portions.