| CPC G03G 21/206 (2013.01) [G03G 15/0121 (2013.01); G03G 15/0887 (2013.01); G03G 15/0896 (2013.01); G03G 15/0898 (2013.01); G03G 15/095 (2013.01); G03G 15/50 (2013.01); G03G 21/0052 (2013.01); G03G 2221/0021 (2013.01); G03G 2221/0094 (2013.01); G03G 2221/1645 (2013.01)] | 11 Claims |
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1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image carrier for having an electrostatic latent image formed on its outer circumferential surface;
a charging part for electrically charging the outer circumferential surface of the image carrier;
a developing part for feeding toner to the outer circumferential surface of the image carrier;
a cleaning part for cleaning the outer circumferential surface of the image carrier;
a voltage application part for applying a developing voltage to a developer carrier;
a vibration generating part for vibrating a filter provided in the developing part; and
a controller for controlling the image carrier, the charging part, the developing part, the cleaning part, the voltage application part, and the vibration generating part, wherein
the developing part includes:
a development container which includes a first conveyance chamber and a second conveyance chamber placed in parallel juxtaposition and communicated with each other at their longitudinal both end portions and in which a toner-containing developer to be fed to the image carrier is contained;
a first conveyance member and a second conveyance member which are rotatably supported by the first conveyance chamber and the second conveyance chamber, respectively, and which convey and circulate the developer, while stirring the developer, in mutually opposite directions of the longitudinal direction;
the developer carrier which is rotatably supported by the development container in opposition to the image carrier, and which feeds the toner contained in the second conveyance chamber to the image carrier; and
a toner trapping mechanism for trapping the toner contained in the second conveyance chamber, and
the toner trapping mechanism includes:
a duct which is connected to the second conveyance chamber and which allows air present in the second conveyance chamber to flow therethrough;
an air inlet port which is a connecting portion between the duct and the second conveyance chamber and which is placed upward of the developer carrier to be opposed to the developer carrier, the air inlet port being opened along the longitudinal direction of the second conveyance chamber so as to allow air present in the second conveyance chamber to flow into the duct;
an air exhaust port which is placed at a downstream end in an airflow direction of air flowing in through the air inlet port of the duct so as to allow air in the duct to flow out therethrough;
the filter which traps the toner contained in air flowing through the duct; and
a fan which allows air present in the second conveyance chamber to be sucked into the duct and let to flow outside,
the filter includes:
a first filter covering the air inlet port and opposed to the developer carrier; and
a second filter disposed on a downstream side of the first filter in the airflow direction in the duct to cover an airflow cross-section, the second filter having a higher toner trapping efficiency than the first filter, and
the vibration generating part is placed outside the developing part so as to be opposed to the development container and positioned on a downstream side in a developer conveyance direction of the second conveyance chamber.
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