Patent ID: 9513580
Filing Date: 2016-12-06
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a displacement member supported so as to be displaceable; and a drive mechanism configured to displace the displacement member between a first position away from a fall path of a movement path for a powdery developer and a second position at which at least a part of the displacement member enters the fall path, wherein the fall path includes an inclined slide path on an inclined surface and a vertical fall path which is connected to a lower portion of the inclined slide path and formed along a vertical direction, the drive mechanism displaces the displacement member between the first position and the second position at which a part of the displacement member is located in a range from the inclined slide path to the vertical fall path, the displacement member is supported by a support portion of the drive mechanism in a suspended state, and includes a large-diameter portion which is formed at a lower end with a larger contour than an upper supported portion supported by the support portion, and the drive mechanism displaces the displacement member between the first position at which the large-diameter portion is away upward from the fall path and the second position at which the large-diameter portion is located in an inclined state in the range from the inclined slide path to the vertical fall path.