Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Yuji Sawa

Noriaki Taguchi

Masaharu Kimura

Masahiko Fujita

Yoshiharu Yoneda

Shinichi Takeda

Hiroki Kanemitsu

Hideaki Kadowaki

An image forming apparatus includes a replacement unit (developing unit) that is provided to be freely inserted into and extracted from an apparatus body, and the replacement unit is provided with a separation duct wall that constitutes a collection path through which powder scattering in the apparatus body is collected.

Image forming apparatus including a replacement unit

A sheet discharge device of the present invention includes discharge rollers configured to transport a sheet in a predetermined transport direction and to discharge the sheet to a discharge tray, and an upper discharge tray disposed above the discharge tray with a space being interposed therebetween. A bottom face of the upper discharge tray that faces the discharge tray includes a guide rib extending in an oblique direction inclined relative to the transport direction.

Sheet discharge device and image forming apparatus including the same

A waste toner collecting device includes a waste toner container having an opening at an upper portion, and a shutter mechanism that opens or closes the opening. The shutter mechanism includes a receiving portion including an insertion port through which the waste toner discharging unit is inserted, the receiving portion having an inner space connected with an inner space of the waste toner container through the opening, a shutter member disposed in the receiving portion to be movable between an open position and a closing position, and an urging member that urges the shutter member to the closing position. The shutter member includes a ridge on an upper portion of an outer circumferential surface. The ridge has a protrusion height corresponding to a gap between the outer circumferential surface and an inner circumferential surface of the receiving portion.

Waste toner collecting device and image forming apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Yuji Sawa