Developer conveying device including a plurality of planar portions and a developing device and image forming apparatus provided with same

摘要

A developer conveying device includes a housing, a developer conveyance path and a conveying member. The developer conveyance path extends between a pair of wall portions. The conveying member includes a spiral member, an inner wall portion and shaft portions. The spiral member is formed by connecting spiral pieces, each forming one spiral turn, in a conveying direction of the developer and includes a hollow interior formed by the connected spiral pieces. The inner wall portion includes a plurality of planar portions which define the hollow interior of the spiral member and are connected at predetermined angles in a circumferential direction of the rotation of the conveying member. The shaft portions are arranged at opposite end parts of the spiral member, rotatably supported on the wall portions and serve as a rotary shaft for the rotation of the conveying member.

主权项

1. A developer conveying device, comprising:
a housing with a pair of wall portions; a developer conveyance path extending between the pair of wall portions; and a conveying member rotatably supported on the wall portions and configured to convey developer from one wall portion to the other; wherein the conveying member includes: a spiral member having opposite first and second end parts and being formed by connecting spiral pieces, each of the spiral pieces forming one spiral turn, in a conveying direction of the developer and including a hollow interior formed by the connected spiral pieces; an inner wall portion including a plurality of planar portions which define the hollow interior of the spiral member and are connected at predetermined angles in a circumferential direction of the rotation of the conveying member in a cross-section intersecting an axial direction of the conveying member, the planar portions constituting inner surfaces of the spiral pieces; first and second shaft portions arranged respectively at the opposite first and second end parts of the spiral member, rotatably supported on the wall portions and serving as a rotary shaft for the rotation of the conveying member; the hollow interior is formed between the first and second shaft portions; and the conveying member has no other shaft part in the hollow interior.