Developer recovering device and image forming apparatus having the same
First Claim
1. A developer recovering device for transporting to waste developer containers a waste developer which has been recovered by a cleaning device for removing a residual developer on an image bearing member after a developer image has been transferred onto a recording material, comprising:
- a developer transporting section having a plurality of developer discharge portions, for transporting the waste developer from the cleaning device so as to be selectively discharged from any one of the developer discharge portions;
a developer detecting section individually corresponding to the plurality of developer discharge portions, for detecting a storing state of the waste developer in the waste developer containers to which the waste developer discharged from the developer discharge portion is to be stored; and
a control section for controlling the developer transporting section so as to discharge the waste developer from the developer discharge portion corresponding to a waste developer container of the waste developer containers, which is available for storing the waste developer, based on a detection result of the developer detecting section, wherein the developer transporting section comprises;
an agitating tank that receives waste developer from the cleaning device, wherein first and second openings are formed in the agitating tank; and
an agitating member that is rotatably mounted in the agitating tank, and that is selectively rotated in first and second rotational directions in the agitating tank, wherein when the agitating member rotates in a first rotational direction, waste developer received from the cleaning device is conveyed by the agitating member directly to the first opening, and wherein when the agitating member is rotated in the second rotational direction, waste developer received from the cleaning device is conveyed by the agitating member directly to the second opening, wherein the agitating member comprises a shaft that is rotationally mounted in the agitating tank, and only a plurality of substantially flat agitating blades that extend radially outward from the shaft and that have a planar surface that extends parallel to the shaft.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The toner transporting section is provided with a plurality of toner discharge portions, selectively discharges a waste toner from any one of the plurality of toner discharge portions, and stores the waste toner in a waste toner container to which the waste toner discharged from the selected toner discharge portion is to be stored. Accordingly, it is possible to exchange the waste toner container corresponding to the toner discharge portion not used for discharging the waste toner. Therefore, it is possible to exchange the waste toner containers without stopping an image forming operation in an image forming apparatus provided with a cleaning device.
61 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A developer recovering device for transporting to waste developer containers a waste developer which has been recovered by a cleaning device for removing a residual developer on an image bearing member after a developer image has been transferred onto a recording material, comprising:
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a developer transporting section having a plurality of developer discharge portions, for transporting the waste developer from the cleaning device so as to be selectively discharged from any one of the developer discharge portions; a developer detecting section individually corresponding to the plurality of developer discharge portions, for detecting a storing state of the waste developer in the waste developer containers to which the waste developer discharged from the developer discharge portion is to be stored; and a control section for controlling the developer transporting section so as to discharge the waste developer from the developer discharge portion corresponding to a waste developer container of the waste developer containers, which is available for storing the waste developer, based on a detection result of the developer detecting section, wherein the developer transporting section comprises; an agitating tank that receives waste developer from the cleaning device, wherein first and second openings are formed in the agitating tank; and an agitating member that is rotatably mounted in the agitating tank, and that is selectively rotated in first and second rotational directions in the agitating tank, wherein when the agitating member rotates in a first rotational direction, waste developer received from the cleaning device is conveyed by the agitating member directly to the first opening, and wherein when the agitating member is rotated in the second rotational direction, waste developer received from the cleaning device is conveyed by the agitating member directly to the second opening, wherein the agitating member comprises a shaft that is rotationally mounted in the agitating tank, and only a plurality of substantially flat agitating blades that extend radially outward from the shaft and that have a planar surface that extends parallel to the shaft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An image forming apparatus comprising:
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an image forming section that forms a developer image on an image bearing member based on image data and a cleaning section for removing a residual developer on the image bearing member; a developer transporting section that transports waste developer from the cleaning section to selected ones of a plurality of waste developer containers, wherein the developer transporting section comprises; an agitating tank that receives waste developer from the cleaning section, wherein first and second openings are formed in the agitating tank, and an agitating member that is rotatably mounted in the agitating tank and that rotates to convey waste developer in the agitating tank to the first and second openings, wherein the agitating member comprises a shaft that is rotationally mounted in the agitating tank, and only a plurality of substantially flat agitating blades that extend radially outward from the shaft and that have a planar surface that extends parallel to the shaft; and a waste developer calculating section that calculates an amount of waste developer stored in each of the waste developer containers based on input signals values for individual pixels of the image data. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification