Gas purification device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

A gas purification device includes an inflow port provided in an upper part of the gas purification device in a gravitational direction so that gas flows therein, a removing member that removes powder contained in the gas when the gas passes through the removing member, the removing member being disposed at a position such as not to overlap with the inflow port when viewed from above in the gravitational direction, and an outflow port provided in a lower part of the gas purification device in the gravitational direction so that the gas flows out therefrom after passing through the removing member.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gas purification device comprising:
 an inflow port provided in an upper part of the gas purification device in a gravitational direction so that gas flows therein;   a removing member that removes powder contained in the gas when the gas passes through the removing member, the removing member being disposed at a position such as not to overlap with the inflow port when viewed from above in the gravitational direction; and   an outflow port provided in a lower part of the gas purification device in the gravitational direction so that the gas flows out therefrom after passing through the removing member.   
     
     
         2 . The gas purification device according to  claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional area of a flow path of the gas at the position of the removing member is larger than an area of the inflow port. 
     
     
         3 . The gas purification device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a collecting portion with which the gas flowing in the collecting portion collides, the collecting portion being disposed below the inflow port in the gravitational direction to collect the powder contained in the gas,   wherein the gas passes through the removing member after passing through the collecting portion.   
     
     
         4 . The gas purification device according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a collecting portion with which the gas flowing in the collecting portion collides, the collecting portion being disposed below the inflow port in the gravitational direction to collect the powder contained in the gas,   wherein the gas passes through the removing member after passing through the collecting portion.   
     
     
         5 . A gas purification device comprising:
 an inflow port provided in an upper part of the gas purification device in a gravitational direction so that gas flows therein;   a collecting portion with which the gas flowing in the collecting portion collides, the collecting portion being disposed at a position overlapping with the inflow port, when viewed from above in the gravitational direction, to collect the powder contained in the gas; and   an outflow port disposed at a position such as not to overlap with the inflow port, when viewed from above in the gravitational direction, so that the gas flows out therefrom after passing through the collecting portion.   
     
     
         6 . The gas purification device according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a second removing member disposed in the collecting portion to remove the powder contained in the gas.   
     
     
         7 . The gas purification device according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a second removing member disposed in the collecting portion to remove the powder contained in the gas.   
     
     
         8 . The gas purification device according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a second removing member disposed in the collecting portion to remove the powder contained in the gas.   
     
     
         9 . The gas purification device according to  claim 6 , wherein the second removing member is disposed at a distance from a surface of the collecting portion opposed to the inflow port. 
     
     
         10 . The gas purification device according to  claim 7 , wherein the second removing member is disposed at a distance from a surface of the collecting portion opposed to the inflow port. 
     
     
         11 . The gas purification device according to  claim 8 , wherein the second removing member is disposed at a distance from a surface of the collecting portion opposed to the inflow port. 
     
     
         12 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 an image carrier;   a latent-image forming device that forms a latent image on a surface of the image carrier;   a developing device that develops the latent image on the image carrier into a visible image;   a transfer device that transfers the visible image on the image carrier onto a medium;   a fixing device that fixes the visible image transferred on the medium; and   the gas purification device according to  claim 1 , the gas purification device purifying and exhausting gas that flows in the gas purification device and contains developer for the development of the visible image.