TONER CONVEYING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toner conveying device capable of preventing generation of an impact sound caused by the collision between a conveying screw and an inner surface of a conveying path and maintaining stable toner conveying performance over a long period of time and an image forming apparatus equipped with the same.SOLUTION: A support member 40 is fixed at an approximately central part in the longitudinal direction of a rotation shaft 35b of a conveying screw 35. The support member 40 is constituted by an annular bearing part 40a having a defective part 41 continuing in the axial direction at a part on the outer peripheral surface and three leg parts 40b protruding radially from the outer peripheral surface of the bearing parts 40a to the radial direction. A distance from a shaft center O of the rotation shaft 35b to the tip of each of the leg parts 40b is larger than the radius of a conveying blade 35a and equal to or smaller than the radius of the inner peripheral surface of a toner conveying pipe 31, and the movement of the conveying screw 35 in the radial direction is regulated by the support member 40.