Patent ID: 8233834

Claim:
A waste particulate toner collection system for an image forming apparatus, comprising: (a) a container for receiving waste particulate toner from an image forming apparatus, said container including means defining at least one inlet opening for receiving waste particulate toner from said image forming apparatus; (b) a waste particulate toner spreading device movably disposed within said container, said device having a first end and a second end and being movable in a reciprocating manner in a direction generally along the length of said device for spreading waste particulate toner within said container, said device including: (i) a spine member extending along the length of said device from said first end to said second end, (ii) a first plurality of spaced apart raking tine members disposed on said spine member near said first end of said device and substantially transversely of said length of said spine member, and a second plurality of spaced apart raking tine members disposed on said spine member near said second end of said device and substantially transversely of said length of said spine member, said second plurality of spaced apart tine members separated from said first plurality of spaced apart tine members by a gap, and (iii) a crank arm attached at said first end of said device, said crank arm being movable such that movement of said crank arm imparts reciprocating movement to said device substantially along said length thereof; and (c) a post disposed on an inner wall of said container for pivotably supporting said device at a point along the length of said spine member within said gap between said first plurality of raking tine members and said second plurality of raking tine members.