Image forming apparatus and developing agent cartridge

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is configured to be formed;

a developing agent carrier configured to transform the electrostatic latent image into a visible image by supplying a developing agent to the image carrier, the developing agent carrier having a rotation axis extending in a horizontal direction, and configured to rotate on the rotation axis; and

a developing agent cartridge configured to accommodate the developing agent to be supplied to the developing agent carrier, the developing agent cartridge located so as not to overlap with the developing agent carrier in a direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the rotation axis of the developing agent carrier, and the developing agent cartridge being formed with an opening,

wherein the developing agent cartridge is positioned to overlap with the developing agent carrier as viewed from the extending direction, and

wherein the opening includes

a feed-side opening configured to allow passage of the developing agent to the developing agent carrier; and

a return-side opening configured to allow passage of the developing agent from the developing agent carrier.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the developing agent cartridge comprises:

a developing agent passing portion in which the feed-side opening is formed, allowing passage of the developing agent to the feed-side opening; and

a developing agent accommodating portion that is horizontally extended from the developing agent passing portion toward a direction orthogonal to the extending direction, and configured to accommodate the developing agent.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the developing agent passing portion comprises:

an inner cylindrical portion comprising an inner cylindrical wall having a generally cylindrical shape, and an inner side wall that closes both axial end portions of the inner cylindrical wall and is formed with the opening, the inner cylindrical portion communicating with the developing agent accommodating portion; and

an outer cylindrical portion comprising an outer cylindrical wall formed in a generally cylindrical shape along the inner cylindrical portion, and an outer member provided in both axial end portions of the outer cylindrical wall, the outer cylindrical portion accommodating the inner cylindrical portion and pivotably opening and closing the opening.

4. A developing agent cartridge accommodating a developing agent to be supplied to a developing agent carrier, and configured to be detachably mounted to a main body casing of an image forming apparatus, the developing agent carrier having a rotation axis extending in a horizontal direction, and configured to be held to a casing mounted to the main body casing to rotate on the rotation axis, the developing agent cartridge comprising:

a developing agent passing portion including an opening positioned to overlap with the casing as viewed from an extending direction of the rotation axis of the developing agent carrier and not to overlap with the developing agent carrier as viewed from a direction orthogonal to the extending direction, the developing agent passing portion configured to allow passage of the developing agent to the opening; and

a developing agent accommodating portion that is horizontally extended from the developing agent passing portion toward a direction orthogonal to the extending direction, and configured to accommodate the developing agent,

wherein the opening includes:

a feed-side opening configured to allow passage of the developing agent to the developing agent carrier; and

a return-side opening configured to allow passage of the developing agent from the developing agent carrier, and

wherein the developing agent cartridge is located beyond the developing agent carrier in the horizontal direction and the developing agent cartridge is formed with the opening permitting the developing agent to be conveyed out horizontally to a position horizontally and longitudinally juxtaposed to the developing agent carrier.

5. The developing agent cartridge according to claim 4 , wherein the developing agent passing portion comprises:

an inner cylindrical portion comprising an inner cylindrical wall having a generally cylindrical shape, and an inner side wall that closes both axial end portions of the inner cylindrical wall and is formed with the opening, the inner cylindrical portion communicating with the developing agent accommodating portion; and

an outer cylindrical portion comprising an outer cylindrical wall formed in a generally cylindrical shape along the inner cylindrical portion, and an outer member provided in both axial end portions of the outer cylindrical wall, the outer cylindrical portion accommodating the inner cylindrical portion and configured to open and close the opening by pivoting.

6. The developing agent cartridge according to claim 5 , further comprising a transport member configured to transport the developing agent to the feed-side opening.

7. The developing agent cartridge according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a partition wall dividing an inner portion of the inner cylindrical portion into a return-side area configured to receive the developing agent from the developing agent carrier, a feed-side area configured to receive the developing agent to be supplied to the developing agent carrier, and a communication area that brings the return-side area and the feed-side area into communication with each other;

a feed-side agitating member configured to agitate the developing agent in the feed-side area and supply the developing agent to the transport member; and

a return-side agitating member configured to agitate a developing agent in the return-side area and supply the developing agent to the communication area.

8. The developing agent cartridge according to claim 4 , wherein a grip is provided in a downstream end portion in a detachment direction with respect to the casing.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a main body casing;

an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is configured to be formed;

a casing;

a developing agent carrier configured to be juxtaposed to the image carrier and configured to form a developing agent image by supplying a developing agent to the image carrier to transform the electrostatic latent image into a visible image, the developing agent carrier having a rotation axis extending in a horizontal direction, and configured to be held to the casing to rotate about the rotation axis;

a transfer member configured to be juxtaposed to the image carrier and configured to transfer the developing agent image to a recording medium;

a fixing unit that is configured to be arranged on an opposite side of the developing agent carrier with respect to the image carrier, and configured to fix the developing agent image transferred on the recording medium, onto the recording medium;

a recording-medium ejecting section which is configured to be arranged on an opposite side of the image carrier with respect to the fixing unit and to which the recording medium is ejected; and

a developing agent cartridge configured to be detachably mountable to the main body casing and configured to accommodate the developing agent to be supplied to the developing agent carrier, having an opening formed in a position to overlap with the developer casing as viewed from an extending direction of the rotation axis of the developing agent carrier and not to overlap with the developing agent carrier as viewed from an direction orthogonal to the extending direction, and including a developing agent passing portion allowing passage of the developing agent to the opening; and

a developing agent accommodating portion that is horizontally extended from the developing agent passing portion toward a direction orthogonal to the extending direction, and accommodates the developing agent.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , comprising a recording medium feeding section that is configured to be detachably mountable to the casing from the recording-medium ejecting section side, and configured to accommodate a recording medium to be fed to the transfer member.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein a portion of the recording medium feeding section overlaps with the recording-medium ejecting section in a direction orthogonal to the first direction and the longitudinal direction.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , comprising an operation section configured to operate the image forming apparatus, on the recording-medium ejecting section side of the casing.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein on the recording-medium ejecting section side of the casing, a casing-side opening configured to pass the developing agent cartridge is formed in a position juxtaposed to the developing agent cartridge in the first direction,

a cover that, when closed, is configured to cover the casing-side opening is provided, and

when the cover is in a state of closing the casing-side opening, the developing agent cartridge is configured to be extended to a position adjacent to the cover.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the developing agent cartridge is provided with a grip in a position juxtaposed to the cover in the state of closing the casing-side opening.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 ,

wherein the first direction is a generally horizontal direction, and

the image forming apparatus comprises an image reading unit provided above the casing and capable of reading image information of a document.

16. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is configured to be formed;

a developing agent carrier configured to transform the electrostatic latent image into a visible image by supplying a developing agent to the image carrier;

a casing configured to accommodate the developing agent carrier and is formed with a first opening;

a first shutter member provided in the casing, and configured to open and close the first opening;

a developing agent cartridge formed with a second opening that is configured to communicate with the first opening, configured to be attached to and detached from the casing, and configured to accommodate the developing agent to be supplied to the developing agent carrier;

a second shutter member provided in the developing agent cartridge, and configured to open and close the second opening;

a cover openably covering a third opening formed in a position juxtaposed to the developing agent cartridge in an attachment/detachment direction of the developing agent cartridge in the casing in order to pass the developing agent cartridge attached to and detached from to the casing,

wherein the first shutter member and the second shutter member are opened and closed in conjunction with an opening/closing operation of the cover.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the first shutter member is opened and closed by opening and closing the second shutter member.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17 ,

wherein the developing agent cartridge comprises a first projection that comes into engagement with the first shutter member, and opens and closes the first shutter member in conjunction with opening and closing of the second shutter member.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the first projection is provided in the second shutter member.

20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16 , comprising a transmission member that couples the second shutter member and the cover and transmits a power generated at the opening/closing operation of the cover to the second shutter member to open and close the second shutter member.

21. The image forming apparatus according to claim 20 ,

wherein the developing agent cartridge comprises a second projection that comes into engagement with the transmission member, and opens and closes the second shutter member by the power which is transmitted by the transmission member.

22. The image forming apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein the second projection is provided in the second shutter member.

23. A developing agent cartridge accommodating a developing agent to be supplied to a developing agent carrier outside of the developing agent cartridge, and configured to be detachably mounted to a main body casing of an image forming apparatus, the developing agent carrier having a rotation axis extending in a horizontal direction, the rotation axis being configured to be held to a casing mounted to the main body casing, the developing agent cartridge comprising:

a developing agent passing portion including a feed-side opening positioned to overlap with the casing as viewed from an extending direction of the rotation axis of the developing agent carrier and not to overlap with the developing agent carrier as viewed from a direction orthogonal to the extending direction, the developing agent passing portion configured to allow horizontal movement of the developing agent to the feed-side opening; and

a developing agent accommodating portion configured to accommodate the developing agent,

wherein the feed-side opening is configured to permit passage of the developing agent to the developing agent carrier, and

wherein the developing agent cartridge includes a return-side opening configured to permit passage of the developing agent into the developing agent cartridge.

24. The developing agent cartridge according to claim 23 ,

wherein the return-side opening is located on the developing agent passing portion, and the return-side opening is configured to permit passage of the developing agent from the developing agent carrier into the developing agent passing portion, and

wherein the developing agent passing portion is configured to permit the developing agent received from the return-side opening to be supplied to the feed-side opening.

25. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a main body casing;

an image carrier disposed in the main body casing;

a developing agent carrier configured to supply the developing agent to the image carrier, the developing agent carrier having a rotation axis extending in a horizontal direction, the rotation axis being configured to be held to a casing mounted to the main body casing; and

a developing agent cartridge configured to be detachably mounted to the main body casing,

wherein the developing agent cartridge includes:

a developing agent passing portion including a feed-side opening positioned to overlap with the casing as viewed from an extending direction of the rotation axis of the developing agent carrier and not to overlap with the developing agent carrier as viewed from a direction orthogonal to the extending direction, the developing agent passing portion configured to allow passage of the developing agent to the feed-side opening; and

a developing agent accommodating portion configured to accommodate the developing agent,

wherein the feed-side opening is configured to permit passage of the developing agent to the developing agent carrier, and

wherein the developing agent cartridge includes a return-side opening configured to permit passage of the developing agent into the developing agent cartridge.

26. The image forming apparatus according to claim 25 ,

wherein the return-side opening is located on the developing agent passing portion, and the return-side opening is configured to permit passage of the developing agent from the developing agent carrier into the developing agent passing portion, and

wherein the developing agent passing portion is configured to permit the developing agent received from the return-side opening to be supplied to the feed-side opening.