Image forming apparatus

摘要

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a toner-image forming unit, a transfer unit, a cleaner, a plurality of cylindrical transport path forming members, a falling transport path forming member, and a discharge port. The falling transport path forming member has through holes in a side wall thereof. A second end of each of the transport path forming members is inserted into a corresponding one of the through holes. The falling transport path forming member forms a falling transport path that causes toner ejected from an ejection port disposed in the second end to fall. The discharge port is disposed in a lower part of the falling transport path forming member to discharge the toner to a discharge destination. The second ends of the transport path forming members are disposed offset from each other in a horizontal direction on the side wall of the falling transport path forming member.

主权项

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image carrier; a toner-image forming unit to form a toner image on a surface of the image carrier; a transfer unit to transfer the toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier to a transfer material; a cleaner to remove toner adhering to and remaining on the surface of the image carrier after the toner image is transferred by the transfer unit; a plurality of cylindrical transport path forming members, each of which forms a transport path to transport the toner removed by the cleaner and has a first end connected to the cleaner; a falling transport path forming member having through holes in a side wall of the falling transport path forming member, a second end of each of the plurality of transport path forming members inserted into a corresponding one of the through holes, the falling transport path forming member forming a falling transport path that causes toner ejected from an ejection port disposed in the second end of each of the plurality of transport path forming members to fall; and a discharge port disposed in a lower part of the falling transport path forming member to discharge the toner to a discharge destination, wherein the second ends of the plurality of transport path forming members are disposed offset from each other in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction on the side wall of the falling transport path forming member, wherein an extended portion of the second end of at least one of the plurality of transport path forming members extends beyond the side wall, wherein the extended portion includes the ejection port of the at least one of the plurality of transport path forming members, and wherein a first cover that covers an outer circumferential surface of the extended portion of the at least one of the plurality of transport path forming members is disposed above the extended portion of the at least one of the plurality of transport path forming members and below another transport path forming member of the plurality of transport path forming members in the vertical direction in the falling transport path forming member.