# US 8,150,307 B2 · Cleaning apparatus having a feeding member and a driving mechanism and image forming apparatus using same

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- Number: US 8,150,307 B2
- Document ID: US8150307B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/606,312
- Filed: 2009-10-27
- Published: 2010-03-25
- Granted: 2012-04-03
- Earliest claimed: 2006-06-19
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Toshihiko Kudo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8150307B2

## CPC

- G03G 21/12: Toner waste containers
- G03G 15/161: {with means for handling the intermediate support, e.g. heating, cleaning, coating with a transfer agent}
- G03G 21/0011: {using a blade; Details of cleaning blades, e.g. blade shape, layer forming}
- G03G 21/105: {Arrangements for conveying toner waste}
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

An image forming apparatus having a high toner containing efficiency of a waste toner-collecting container is provided. Piled toner is broken by an vibrating imparting operation and at the same time, a toner feeding member such as a feeding screw disposed inside the toner-collecting container is rotated by changing a reciprocating operation by the vibrating impartment to a rotational operation in a direction. As a result, the piled toner which cannot be completely broken by the vibrating imparting operation is broken and fed, so that driving noise is reduced and the toner containing efficiency is improved.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cleaning apparatus comprising:
a cleaning member configured and positioned to remove toner from an image bearing member;
a collecting container configured and positioned to collect toner removed by said cleaning member;
a feeding member, provided rotatably in said collecting container, configured and positioned to feed toner in said collecting container; and
a driving mechanism configured and positioned to rotate said feeding member and to swing said collecting container,
wherein said driving mechanism includes a rotatable member provided rotatably on said collecting container, and
wherein when said rotatable member is driven, said collecting container is swung and said feeding member is rotated.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said driving mechanism comprises:
a projection provided on said collecting container so as to overlap with a rotation area of said rotatable member, which is configured and positioned to receive a driving force from said rotatable member and to swing said collecting container; and
a driving gear that drives said rotatable member.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a driving-connecting member that transmits only a rotational driving force of said driving gear in one direction,
wherein said feeding member is rotated in one direction by rotation of said rotatable member in a forward direction and a back direction.

### Claim 4

An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image bearing member;
an image forming unit configured and positioned to form an image borne on said image bearing member on a recording material;
a cleaning member configured and positioned to remove toner from said image bearing member;
a collecting container configured and positioned to collect toner removed by said cleaning member;
a feeding member, provided rotatably in said collecting container, configured and positioned to feed toner in said collecting container; and
a driving mechanism configured and positioned to rotate said feeding member and to swing said collecting container,
wherein said driving mechanism includes a rotatable member provided rotatably on said collecting container, and
wherein when said rotatable member is driven, said collecting container is swung and said feeding member is rotated.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a driving source configured and positioned to rotationally drive in a first direction and a second direction, wherein (i) when said driving source drives in the first direction, a conveying member conveys the recording material, and (ii) when said driving source drives in the second direction, said rotatable member rotates.