Patent ID: 8855528
Filing Date: 2014-10-07
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A developer transporting mechanism comprising: a pipe-like transporting path through which developer is transported, a discharge port formed at part of a side surface of the pipe-like transporting path; a sealing member secured to an outer circumferential surface of the pipe-like transporting path, an opening that overlaps the discharge port formed in the sealing member; a shutter that is slidable along a surface of the sealing member to open and close the discharge port; and an urging member that urges the shutter in a closing direction in which the discharge port is closed, wherein the sealing member has a reduced part that has a dimension in a width direction, orthogonal to a direction in which the shutter moves, that is gradually reduced from an upstream end in the closing direction toward a downstream end in the closing direction, and wherein the reduced part extends to a downstream edge of the sealing member in the closing direction, starting from an upstream opening edge of the opening or a point further upstream of the upstream opening edge of the opening and proceeding beyond a downstream opening edge of the opening.