1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a casing;
a belt unit configured to be accommodated in the casing, the belt unit comprising:
a first roller having a first rotation axis;
a second roller having a second rotation axis parallel to the first rotation axis, the second roller being spaced apart from the first roller and positioned higher than the first roller; and
a belt looped around the first roller and the second roller and having an upper portion;
a plurality of image bearing members each configured to bear a developer image thereon, the plurality of image bearing members being juxtaposed with each other and spaced apart from each other in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to the first and second rotation axes and that is oriented in a direction from the first roller to the second roller, the plurality of image bearing members each having a bottom portion contacting the upper portion of the belt, the plurality of image bearing members including a first image bearing member positioned closer to the first roller than remaining image bearing members to the first roller and a second image bearing member positioned closer to the second roller than remaining image bearing members to the second roller;
a plurality of developer containers disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of image bearing members, the plurality of developer containers each configured to accommodate developer therein and configured to be detached from and attached to the casing, the plurality of developer containers including a first developer container corresponding to the first image bearing member;
a removing member configured to remove a waste toner deposited on the belt, the removing member being positioned adjacent to the second image bearing member and below an imaginary plane containing a top surface of the upper portion of the belt;
an accommodating member configured to accommodate the waste toner removed by the removing member, the accommodating member being positioned adjacent to the first image bearing member and above the imaginary plane, the accommodating member being configured to be mounted in and removed from the casing along with the first developer container; and
a conveying member configured to convey the waste toner removed by the removing member to the accommodating member.
2. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of image bearing members is elongated in an elongated direction, and
wherein the conveying member comprises:
a first conveying member configured to convey the waste toner removed by the removing member in the elongated direction; and
a second conveying member disposed on a downstream side of the belt in the elongated direction and configured to convey the waste toner conveyed by the first conveying member to the accommodating member.
3. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the belt unit is configured to be mounted in and removed from the casing, with the first conveying member and the second conveying member being integrally moved with the belt unit.
4. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a retainer configured to retain the plurality of image bearing members and configured to move relative to the casing between an accommodated position in which the retainer is accommodated inside the casing and a withdrawn position in which the retainer is withdrawn to an outside of the casing.
5. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the retainer moves from the accommodated position to the withdrawn position in a withdrawal direction,
wherein the first roller is positioned upstream of the second roller in the withdrawal direction,
wherein the first conveying member is provided at the belt unit, and
wherein the second conveying member is provided at the retainer.
6. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the retainer moves from the accommodated position to the withdrawn position in a withdrawal direction,
wherein the first roller is positioned downstream of the second roller in the withdrawal direction, and
wherein the belt unit is configured to be mounted in and removed from the casing, with the first conveying member and the second conveying member being integrally moved with the belt unit.
7. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the belt unit further comprises a pair of conveying rollers configured to convey a recording medium to a position between the plurality of image bearing members and the belt, the pair of conveying rollers being disposed in proximity to each other, the belt unit being configured to move relative to the casing between a mounted position in which the belt unit has been mounted in the casing and a removed position in which the belt unit has been removed from the casing.
8. An image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of image bearing members each has a third rotation axis and is configured to rotate about the third rotation axis; and
wherein each of the plurality of developer containers includes a developer carrying member and a supply member, the developer carrying member being configured to carry developer thereon and contacting the corresponding image bearing member, the developer carrying member each having a fourth rotation axis parallel to the third rotation axis and configured to rotate about the fourth rotation axis, the fourth rotation axis being positioned upstream of the third rotation axis in the orthogonal direction, the supply member being configured to supply developer to the developer carrying member and contacting the developer carrying member, the supply member having a fifth rotation axis parallel to the third rotation axis and configured to rotate about the fifth rotation axis, the fifth rotation axis being positioned upstream of the fourth rotation axis in the orthogonal direction and positioned lower than the fourth rotation axis.
9. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a casing;
a belt unit configured to be accommodated in the casing, the belt unit comprising:
a first roller having a first rotation axis;
a second roller having a second rotation axis parallel to the first rotation axis, the second roller being spaced apart from the first roller and positioned higher than the first roller; and
a belt looped around the first roller and the second roller and having an upper portion;
a plurality of image bearing members each configured to bear an electrostatic latent image thereon, the plurality of image bearing members being juxtaposed with each other and spaced apart from each other in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to the first and second rotation axes and that is oriented in a direction from the first roller to the second roller, the plurality of image bearing members each having a bottom portion contacting the upper portion of the belt, the plurality of image bearing members each having a third rotation axis and configured to rotate about the third rotation axis;
a plurality of developer carrying members disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of image bearing members, the plurality of developer carrying members each being configured to carry developer thereon and contacting the corresponding image bearing member, the plurality of developer carrying members each having a fourth rotation axis parallel to the third rotation axis and configured to rotate about the fourth rotation axis, the fourth rotation axis being positioned upstream of the third rotation axis in the orthogonal direction; and
a plurality of supply members disposed in one-to one correspondence with the plurality of developer carrying members, the plurality of supply members each configured to supply developer to the corresponding developer carrying member and contacting the corresponding developer carrying member, the plurality of supply members each having a fifth rotation axis parallel to the third rotation axis and configured to rotate about the fifth rotation axis, the fifth rotation axis being positioned upstream of the fourth rotation axis in the orthogonal direction and positioned lower than the fourth rotation axis.
10. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the fourth rotation axis is positioned higher than the third rotation axis.
11. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the third rotation axis extends in an extending direction,
the image forming apparatus further comprising a plurality of developer accommodating portions disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of supply members and each configured to accommodate developer therein, the plurality of developer accommodating portions each including a first conveying member positioned upstream of the corresponding supply member in the orthogonal direction and confronting the corresponding supply member, the first conveying member being configured to convey developer in the extending direction.
12. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plurality of developer accommodating portions each further includes a partitioning wall disposed above and in confrontation with the first conveying member and a second conveying member disposed above and in confrontation with the partitioning wall, the second conveying member being configured to convey developer in the extending direction, and
wherein the partitioning wall has a supply port configured to supply the developer conveyed by the second conveying member to the first conveying member, and a collection port configured to supply the developer conveyed by the first conveying member to the second conveying member.
13. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the belt is configured to convey a recording medium.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A label creation apparatus into which a sheet cartridge is loaded, the sheet cartridge including: a label sheet having plural label portions temporarily attached at a predetermined label pitch to a long backing sheet, and plural label position detection target portions provided at a detection target end portion that is one end of each label portion in a direction of width of the backing sheet and configured to indicate a print start position and a cutting position for each label portion; and a cartridge case which accommodates the label sheet that is wound, in such a way that the label sheet can be reeled off, and in which a detection opening for exposing each label position detection target portion for detection is formed, wherein the plural label position detection target portions comprise plural protruding portions formed by projecting the backing sheet in a direction of width of the backing sheet at the detection target end portion, the label creation apparatus controlling printing on and cutting of each label portion, based on a result of detection of the label position detection target portion, the label creation apparatus comprising:
a cartridge loading section where the sheet cartridge is loaded;
a feeding section which reels off and feeds the label sheet from the sheet cartridge;
a printing section which performs printing on each label portion of the label sheet that is sequentially fed within the sheet cartridge;
a cutting section which cuts the backing sheet on a rear side in a feeding direction with respect to each label portion that is printed and fed out of the sheet cartridge;
a detection section which detects passage of each label position detection target portion of the label sheet that is sequentially fed, at a detection position facing the detection opening; and
a control section which controls the printing section based on the detection of the passage of each label position detection target portion by the detection section so as to start printing on each label portion from a planned print start target position indicated by a protrusion forward end portion of the protruding portion, and also controls the feeding section based on the detection of the passage of each label position detection target portion by the detection section so that the backing sheet is cut at a planned cutting target position indicated by a protrusion rear end portion of the protruding portion.
2. The label creation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an open-close cover that opens and closes the cartridge loading section,
wherein the detection section is provided on a back side of the open-close cover and moves to the detection position as the open-close cover closes.
3. The label creation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
the detection section, at the detection position, is located in a space between the protruding portions with respect to the label sheet with the planned cutting target position reaching the cutting section.
4. The label creation apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a mounting section where the detection section is mounted on the open-close cover in such a way that the detection section can move slightly,
wherein the detection section is positioned by a positioning portion for positioning at the detection position, and
the positioning portion is provided at a predetermined position with respect to a platen roller which is accommodated in the cartridge case and which faces a print head of the printing section via the label sheet provided in-between.
5. The label creation apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a platen shaft which rotatably supports the platen roller in a cantilevered form,
wherein the feeding section feeds the label sheet in such a way that the detection target end portion becomes off the platen roller toward a side opposite to a cantilever-support side, by the platen roller having a width corresponding to a width of each label portion.
6. The label creation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cutting section is configured to cut in from a side opposite to the detection target end portion toward the detection target end portion, of both width ends of the backing sheet.
7. A control method for a label creation apparatus into which a sheet cartridge is loaded, the sheet cartridge including: a label sheet having plural label portions temporarily attached at a predetermined label pitch to a long backing sheet, and plural label position detection target portions provided at a detection target end portion that is one end of each label portion in a direction of width of the backing sheet and configured to indicate a print start position and a cutting position for each label portion; and a cartridge case which accommodates the label sheet that is wound, in such a way that the label sheet can be reeled off, and in which a detection opening for exposing each label position detection target portion for detection is formed, wherein the plural label position detection target portions comprise plural protruding portions formed by projecting the backing sheet in a direction of width of the backing sheet at the detection target end portion, the label creation apparatus controlling printing on and cutting of each label portion, based on a result of detection of the label position detection target portion, the control method comprising:
reeling off and feeding the label sheet from the sheet cartridge;
detecting passage of each label position detection target portion of the label sheet that is sequentially fed, at a detection position facing the detection opening;
printing on each label portion of the label sheet that is sequentially fed within the sheet cartridge, based on the detection of the passage of each label position detection target portion so as to start printing on each label portion from a planned print start target position indicated by a protrusion forward end portion of the protruding portion; and
cutting the backing sheet on a rear side in a feeding direction with respect to each label portion that is printed and fed out of the sheet cartridge, based on the detection of the passage of each label position detection target portion so that the backing sheet is cut at a planned cutting target position indicated by a protrusion rear end portion of the protruding portion.