Waste powder recovery container, connecting structure to waste powder recovery container, developing device, and image forming apparatus

A connecting structure to a waste powder recovery container comprising:

• a discharging portion including:
• a discharge pipe disposed in a component part constituting a process unit in an image forming apparatus and provided with a discharging port at a lower portion of a tip;
• an opening/closing member which covers the tip of the discharge pipe, has an inclined surface on a main body side, and is fixed in a freely reciprocating manner in an axial direction of the discharge pipe, so as to open or close the discharging port;
• and a biasing member for urging the opening/closing member in a projection direction from the discharge pipe;
• and
• a recovery port for recovering a waste powder discharged from the component part, the recovery port being formed in a waste powder recovery container detachably attached to the image forming apparatus and disposed at an inclined surface on the container side, gradually inclined downward in an attachment direction to the image forming apparatus;
• wherein when the waste powder recovery container is installed in the image forming apparatus, the inclined surface on the container side presses the inclined surface on the main body side so as to push the opening/closing member to open the discharging port, so that the waste powder discharged from the component part through the recovery port is recovered into the waste powder recovery container.

A developing device which circulates and moves a developer contained inside a developer container while agitating the developer by conveying means, supplies the developer to a developer carrier, discards a degraded developer from a discharging portion to a waste powder recovery container, and replenishes a fresh developer from a replenishing portion,

• the discharging portion in the developer container including:
• a discharge pipe having a discharging port at a lower portion of a tip;
• an opening/closing member which covers the tip of the discharge pipe, and is fixed in a freely reciprocating manner in an axial direction of the discharge pipe so as to open or close the discharging port;
• and a biasing member for biasing the opening/closing member in a projection direction from the discharge pipe, and
• the opening/closing member having an inclined surface on a main body side, gradually inclined upward toward the tip;
• wherein when the waste powder recovery container is installed in the image forming apparatus, the inclined surface on the main body side is pushed to an inclined surface on a container side, which is formed at the waste powder recovery container, is gradually inclined downward in an attachment direction to the image forming apparatus, and has a recovery port, so as to move the opening/closing member, thus opening the discharging port, so that the degraded developer is recovered to the waste powder recovery container through the recovery port.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an apparatus main body;
• a component part constituting a process unit, housed inside the apparatus main body and provided with a discharging portion, through which waste powder is discharged, the discharging portion including:
• a discharge pipe having a discharging port formed at a lower portion of a tip;
• an opening/closing member which covers the tip of the discharge pipe, is fixed in a freely reciprocating manner in an axial direction of the discharge pipe, and has an inclined surface on a main body side, gradually inclined upward toward a tip, so as to open or close the discharging port;
• and a biasing member for biasing the opening/closing member in a projection direction from the discharge pipe;
• and
• a waste powder recovery container detachably attached to the apparatus main body and provided with a recovery port, through which waste powder discharged from the component part is recovered, at an inclined surface on the container side, gradually inclined downward in an attachment direction to the image forming apparatus;
• wherein when the waste powder recovery container is installed in the image forming apparatus, the inclined surface on the container side presses the inclined surface on the side of the body, so as to move the opening/closing member, thereby opening the discharging port, so that a degraded developer is recovered to the waste powder recovery container through the recovery port.