Patent ID: 8126340

Claim:
A developer recovering device for transporting to waste developer containers a waste developer which has been recovered by a cleaning device for removing a residual developer on an image bearing member after a developer image has been transferred onto a recording material, comprising: a developer transporting section having a plurality of developer discharge portions, for transporting the waste developer from the cleaning device so as to be selectively discharged from any one of the developer discharge portions; a developer detecting section individually corresponding to the plurality of developer discharge portions, for detecting a storing state of the waste developer in the waste developer containers to which the waste developer discharged from the developer discharge portion is to be stored; and a control section for controlling the developer transporting section so as to discharge the waste developer from the developer discharge portion corresponding to a waste developer container of the waste developer containers, which is available for storing the waste developer, based on a detection result of the developer detecting section, wherein the developer transporting section comprises: an agitating tank that receives waste developer from the cleaning device, wherein first and second openings are formed in the agitating tank; and an agitating member that is rotatably mounted in the agitating tank, and that is selectively rotated in first and second rotational directions in the agitating tank, wherein when the agitating member rotates in a first rotational direction, waste developer received from the cleaning device is conveyed by the agitating member directly to the first opening, and wherein when the agitating member is rotated in the second rotational direction, waste developer received from the cleaning device is conveyed by the agitating member directly to the second opening, wherein the agitating member comprises a shaft that is rotationally mounted in the agitating tank, and only a plurality of substantially flat agitating blades that extend radially outward from the shaft and that have a planar surface that extends parallel to the shaft.