The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 21, 2014
Filed:
Apr. 22, 2013
Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Shinji Kawashima, Kanagawa, JP;
Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section that forms an image with toner, a housing that houses the image forming section, and a toner collection mechanism. The toner collection mechanism includes a suction unit that sucks the toner, which leaves the image forming section and is flying, and air, and a separation unit separating the toner from air. The separation unit includes a separator that collects the toner and allows air to pass therethrough, a casing that houses the separator that has an opening, through which the toner and air flow, and a joining unit that is disposed along an edge of the opening and joins the casing and the housing to each other. The joining unit projects upward beyond the edge of the opening at least in the lower portion of the opening, thereby forming a space that allows the toner to be trapped.