US 12,124,206 B2
Powder collection container and image forming apparatus
Osamu Saito, Kanagawa (JP); and Tomonori Tamura, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Osamu Saito, Kanagawa (JP); and Tomonori Tamura, Kanagawa (JP)
Filed on May 11, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/195,939.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-078666 (JP), filed on May 12, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0367256 A1, Nov. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. G03G 21/12 (2006.01); G03G 21/10 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 21/12 (2013.01) [G03G 21/105 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A powder collection container, comprising:
a container body including a collection port from which powder is to flows into the container body; and
a conveying screw including:
a shaft portion extending in an axial direction of the conveying screw; and
a screw portion wound around the shaft portion,
the conveying screw to rotate in a specified direction to convey the powder, which has flowed into the container body, toward an end of the conveying screw in the axial direction,
the conveying screw including a non-screw portion around which no screw portion is wound at a sition of the shaft portion between the collection port and the end of the conveying screw in the axial direction,
wherein a relationship of (H1−H2)/tan θ<M is established,
where H1 is a height from a bottom surface to a ceiling surface in the container body, H2 is a height from the bottom surface to a center of the shaft portion, M is a length of the non-screw portion in the axial direction, and θ is an angle of repose of the powder.