| 摘要 |
A device for use in electrophotographic equipment for collecting toner particles which are removed from a photoconductive element, or image carrier, after imagewise transfer. A collecting roller is located in a portion of a toner tank remote from the bottom of the tank, while a partition formed with a plurality of holes is situated below and in close proximity to the collecting roller. The partition and the bottom of the toner tank define therebetween a space for accommodating the toner being collected. The toner removed from the photoconductive element drops onto the partition. In a first stage, the toner drops through the holdes of the partition to accumulate in the space between the partition and the bottom of the toner tank. In a second stage wherein the toner accumulates to a level above the partition, the toner on the partition is forced out by the collecting blade which is caused into an oscillatory motion by the collecting roller and is thereby dropped over the front end of the partition to accumulate in the toner tank at the front of the partition. In a third stage wherein the toner reachs the collecting blade, the weight of the toner acts on the blade for the first time, and the toner fills up the space remaining in the upper portion of the toner tank.
|
