| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus equipped with a powder conveying device capable of stably conveying toner by preventing waste toner from being stuck and solidified inside a cleaning device. SOLUTION: In the cleaning device of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the toner remaining on a photoreceptor is scraped by a cleaning blade, and conveyed by a screw conveyor. A comb-shaped abutting member 13 equipped with a plurality of projecting pieces 13a comes into contact with the conveying blade 14a of the screw conveyor. The width B of the projecting piece 13a is somewhat smaller (B=0.9A) than space A on the section of the conveying blades 14a of the screw conveyor, and the tilt angle of the projecting piece 13a is made nearly parallel with the torsion angle (tilt angle) of the conveying blade 14a so that the projecting piece 13a may enter between the conveying blades 14a. The toner accumulated at the joining part of a rotary shaft 14b with the conveying blade 14a is removed by the up-and-down rocking motion of the projecting piece 13a by the rotation of the conveying blade 14a, thereby preventing the toner from being stuck and solidified. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT |
