Patent ID: 7437116
Filing Date: 2008-10-14
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A developing apparatus including a toner collection apparatus having a waste toner accommodation chamber that temporarily accommodates waste toner removed from a photosensitive medium, a screw installed in the waste toner accommodation chamber for transferring waste toner, a developing chamber for accommodating new toner to be supplied to the photosensitive medium, a collection path that connects the waste toner accommodation chamber to the developing chamber and through which the waste toner is delivered to the developing chamber, and an agitator for agitating waste toner to prevent the collection path from being clogged, wherein the agitator comprises: a pivoting body rotatably installed in the collection path and having one end in connection with the screw, the pivoting body being pivotally mounted to reciprocate about a fixed pivot point in the collection path between a first position and a second position by rotation of the screw; and an agitating body connected to the other end of the pivoting body and arranged lengthwise in the collection path for agitating waste toner by interacting with the pivoting of the pivoting body.