Image forming apparatus, powder transporting apparatus and waste-powder transporting method
First Claim
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image forming section that forms an image on a recording medium;
a first storage part that stores waste powder discarded from the image forming section;
a second storage part that stores waste powder discarded from the image forming section;
a transport path through which the waste powder is transported;
a first discharging part that is provided on the transport path and that discharges, to the first storage part, the waste powder having been transported through the transport path;
a second discharging part that is provided on the transport path and that discharges, to the second storage part, the waste powder having been transported through the transport path;
a transporting section that is provided along the transport path so as to extend from the first discharging part to the second discharging part, the transporting section transporting the waste powder in the transport path toward the second discharging part when being in a first operating state, and the transporting section transporting the waste powder in the transport path toward the first discharging part when being in a second operating state;
a feeding section that feeds the waste powder from the image forming section to the transport path at a location between the first discharging part and the second discharging part; and
a controller that causes the transporting section to operate in one of the first operating state and the second operating state, and that stops the feeding section or reduces an output of the feeding section when switching a transporting direction of the waste powder by switching an operating state of the transporting section from the first operating state to the second operating state.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming section forming an image on a recording medium; first and second storage parts storing waste powder discarded from the image forming section; a transport path of the waste powder; first and second discharging parts provided on the transport path and discharging the waste powder to the first and second storage parts, respectively; a transporting section provided along the transport path between both discharging parts, and transporting the waste powder toward the second and first discharging parts in first and second operating states, respectively; a feeding section feeding the waste powder from the image forming section to the transport path between both discharging parts; and a controller making the transporting section operate in both operating states, and stopping the feeding section or reducing its output when switching a transporting direction of the waste powder by switching from the first to second operating state.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
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an image forming section that forms an image on a recording medium; a first storage part that stores waste powder discarded from the image forming section; a second storage part that stores waste powder discarded from the image forming section; a transport path through which the waste powder is transported; a first discharging part that is provided on the transport path and that discharges, to the first storage part, the waste powder having been transported through the transport path; a second discharging part that is provided on the transport path and that discharges, to the second storage part, the waste powder having been transported through the transport path; a transporting section that is provided along the transport path so as to extend from the first discharging part to the second discharging part, the transporting section transporting the waste powder in the transport path toward the second discharging part when being in a first operating state, and the transporting section transporting the waste powder in the transport path toward the first discharging part when being in a second operating state; a feeding section that feeds the waste powder from the image forming section to the transport path at a location between the first discharging part and the second discharging part; and a controller that causes the transporting section to operate in one of the first operating state and the second operating state, and that stops the feeding section or reduces an output of the feeding section when switching a transporting direction of the waste powder by switching an operating state of the transporting section from the first operating state to the second operating state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An image forming apparatus comprising:
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an image forming section that forms an image on a recording medium; a first storage part that stores waste powder discarded from the image forming section; a second storage part that stores waste powder discarded from the image forming section; a transport path through which the waste powder is transported; a first discharging part that is provided on the transport path and that discharges, to the first storage part, the waste powder having been transported through the transport path; a second discharging part that is provided on the transport path and that discharges, to the second storage part, the waste powder having been transported through the transport path; a receiving part that is provided on the transport path between the first discharging part and the second discharging part and that receives the waste powder from the image forming section; a transporting section that is provided along the transport path so as to extend from the first discharging part to the second discharging part, the transporting section transporting the waste powder in the transport path to the second discharging part in a first operating state, and the transporting section transporting the waste powder in the transport path to the first discharging part in a second operating state; and a controller that causes the transporting section to operate with an output set in advance, and that causes the transporting section in the second operating state to operate with a larger output than the output set in advance when switching an operating state of the transporting section from the first operating state to the second operating state. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A powder transporting apparatus comprising:
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a transport path through which powder is allowed to be transported in one direction and in an opposite direction to the one direction; a transporting member that has one end and other end and is provided along the transport path, the transporting member transporting the powder in the one direction in a first operating state and transporting the powder in the opposite direction in a second operating state; a feeding section that feeds the powder to the transporting member at a location between the one end and the other end of the transporting member; and a controller that causes the transporting member to operate in one of the first operating state and the second operating state, and that stops the feeding section or reduces an output of the feeding section when switching a transporting direction of the powder by switching an operating state of the transporting member from the first operating state to the second operating state.
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10. A powder transporting apparatus comprising:
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a transport path through which powder is allowed to be transported in one direction and in an opposite direction to the one direction; a transporting member that has one end and other end and is provided along the transport path, the transporting member transporting the powder in the one direction in a first operating state and transporting the powder in the opposite direction in a second operating state; a feeding section that feeds the powder to the transporting member at a location between the one end and the other end of the transporting member; and a controller that causes the transporting member to operate with an output set in advance, and that causes the transporting member in the second operating state to operate with an output larger than the output set in advance when switching an operating state of the transporting member from the first operating state to the second operating state.
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11. A waste-powder transporting method of an image forming apparatus including:
- an image forming section that forms an image on a recording medium, a first storage part that stores waste powder discarded from the image forming section, a second storage part that stores waste powder discarded from the image forming section, and a transport path through which the waste powder is transported, the waste-powder transporting method comprising;
discharging, from a first discharging part that is provided on the transport path to the first storage part, the waste powder having been transported through the transport path; discharging, from a second discharging part that is provided on the transport path to the second storage part, the waste powder having been transported through the transport path; transporting the waste powder in the transport path toward the second discharging part when being in a first operating state, and transporting the waste powder in the transport path toward the first discharging part when being in a second operating state; feeding the waste powder from the image forming section to the transport path at a location between the first discharging part and the second discharging part; and causing a transporting section to operate in one of the first operating state and the second operating state, and stopping the feeding of the waste powder or reducing an output of the feeding of the waste powder when switching a transporting direction of the waste powder by switching an operating state of the transporting section from the first operating state to the second operating state.
- an image forming section that forms an image on a recording medium, a first storage part that stores waste powder discarded from the image forming section, a second storage part that stores waste powder discarded from the image forming section, and a transport path through which the waste powder is transported, the waste-powder transporting method comprising;
Specification