Patent ID: 11960233
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 14:
15. An image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said feeding device comprises:
a vertical feeding passage along which the residual toner discharged from said image forming portion is fed in the vertical direction;
a lateral feeding passage capable of feeding the residual toner, delivered from said vertical feeding passage, in a direction crossing the vertical direction, wherein said lateral feeding passage includes a first discharge opening which is provided on one end side of said lateral feeding passage with respect to an extension direction of said lateral feeding passage and along which the residual toner is discharged toward said first collecting container, a second discharge opening which is provided on another side of said lateral feeding passage with respect to the extension direction and along which the residual toner is discharged toward said second collecting container, and a receiving opening which is provided between said first discharge opening and said second discharge opening with respect to the extension direction and through which the residual toner is received from said vertical feeding passage;
a helical feeding member rotatable about a rotational axis along said lateral feeding passage and constituted so as to feed the residual toner, received through said receiving opening, toward said first discharge opening by rotation thereof in a first direction and so as to feed the toner, received through said receiving opening, toward said second discharge opening by rotation thereof in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and
a driving portion configured to rotationally drive said helical feeding member in the first direction and the second direction.