Waste toner container and image forming apparatus incorporating same
US8428475B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 14, 2010 |
| Grant date | Apr 23, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 28, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03G2215/083
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A waste toner container that collects waste toner that is not used to form an image in an image forming unit of an image forming apparatus, and includes a waste toner collection opening to receive the waste toner output from the image forming unit, a toner amount detector to detect toner amount in the waste toner container, and a waste toner conveyance member disposed inside the waste toner container to convey the waste toner in the waste toner container. The waste toner conveyance member defines a waste toner conveyance direction exchange point, which is a boundary between two different toner conveyance direction regions in which the waste toner is conveyed in opposite directions, and the waste toner conveyance direction exchange point is disposed closer to the toner amount detector than is the waste toner collection opening.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.