Image forming apparatus featuring upward and downward toner carrying paths
First Claim
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- image forming means;
a first carrying path for carrying toner discharged from said image forming means toward a recovery portion;
a first carrying member contained in said first carrying path and for carrying the toner toward said recovery portion;
a second carrying path connected to an aperture of said first carrying path for carrying the toner carried from said first carrying path, wherein an angle formed by a toner carrying direction of said second carrying path in a region opposed to said aperture and a gravitationally downward direction is larger than an angle formed by a toner carrying direction of said first carrying member in the region opposed to said aperture and the gravitationally downward direction; and
a second carrying member contained in said second carrying path for carrying the toner toward said recovery portion,wherein, at least in the region opposed to said aperture a carrying amount per unit time by said second carrying member is made larger than a carrying amount per unit time by said first carrying member.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An image forming apparatus, in which carrying paths for carrying the toner discharged from image forming portion are mutally connected, is capable of stable operation with satisfactory toner carrying at the connecting portion and not causing toner clogging. Preferably the image forming apparatus is low in cost and capable of smooth toner carrying even in case a toner carrying direction is an upward carrying direction. The image forming apparatus includes a plurality of toner carrying paths incorporating toner carrying screws, wherein an aperture is formed on a lateral face of each of the carrying paths, and, an aperture of an upstream carrying path and an aperture of a downstream carrying path are mutually opposed to connect the plurality of carrying paths. An angle formed by a toner carrying direction of the downstream toner carrying path and a gravitationally downward direction is larger than that in the upstream toner carrying path, and a carrying amount per unit time of the toner carrying screw of the downstream toner carrying path is made to be larger than a conveying amount per unit of the carrying screw in the upstream toner carrying path.
25 Citations
9 Claims
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1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
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image forming means; a first carrying path for carrying toner discharged from said image forming means toward a recovery portion; a first carrying member contained in said first carrying path and for carrying the toner toward said recovery portion; a second carrying path connected to an aperture of said first carrying path for carrying the toner carried from said first carrying path, wherein an angle formed by a toner carrying direction of said second carrying path in a region opposed to said aperture and a gravitationally downward direction is larger than an angle formed by a toner carrying direction of said first carrying member in the region opposed to said aperture and the gravitationally downward direction; and a second carrying member contained in said second carrying path for carrying the toner toward said recovery portion, wherein, at least in the region opposed to said aperture a carrying amount per unit time by said second carrying member is made larger than a carrying amount per unit time by said first carrying member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An image forming apparatus comprising:
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image forming means; a first carrying path for carrying toner discharged from said image forming means toward a recovery portion; a first aperture provided in said first carrying path; a first carrying member contained in said first carrying path and for carrying the toner toward said recovery portion, wherein a carrying power, for carrying toner toward said first aperture by said first carrying member, is smaller in the vicinity of said first aperture than in an upstream side of said first aperture; a second carrying path for carrying the toner carried from said first carrying path; a second carrying member contained in said second carrying path and for carrying the toner toward said recovery portion; and a second aperture provided in said second carrying path and connected to said first aperture so that the toner in said first carrying path is carried to said second carrying path.
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Specification