Patent ID: 7965972

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming section that forms an image on a recording medium; a first storage part that stores waste powder discarded from the image forming section; a second storage part that stores waste powder discarded from the image forming section; a transport path through which the waste powder is transported; a first discharging part that is provided on the transport path and that discharges, to the first storage part, the waste powder having been transported through the transport path; a second discharging part that is provided on the transport path and that discharges, to the second storage part, the waste powder having been transported through the transport path; a transporting section that is provided along the transport path so as to extend from the first discharging part to the second discharging part, the transporting section transporting the waste powder in the transport path toward the second discharging part when being in a first operating state, and the transporting section transporting the waste powder in the transport path toward the first discharging part when being in a second operating state; a feeding section that feeds the waste powder from the image forming section to the transport path at a location between the first discharging part and the second discharging part; and a controller that causes the transporting section to operate in one of the first operating state and the second operating state, and that stops the feeding section or reduces an output of the feeding section when switching a transporting direction of the waste powder by switching an operating state of the transporting section from the first operating state to the second operating state.