| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waste toner conveyance mechanism capable of efficiently conveying waste toner recovered from a toner image carrier to a recovery part. <P>SOLUTION: The waste toner conveyance mechanism composes: a conveyance pipe 77 having a vertical conveyance path 77a leading to a bent part 77c; a rotating screw 75 that is incorporated in the conveyance pipe 77 and conveys waste toner 81 along the conveyance pipe 77; and a plurality of wedge-shaped ribs 82 formed on the inner wall of the outside portion of the bent part 77c of the conveyance pipe 77. The ribs 82 do not come into contact with the rotating screw 75 when the rotating screw 75 is conveying waste toner 81 in a normal conveyance condition, but comes in contact with fins 83 of the rotating screw 75 when the rotating screw 75 receives at its bent part 77c a pressing force in the upstream direction of conveyance due to a conveyance resistance of waste toner 81 caused by an excessively increased amount of conveyed waste toner 81 and prevents compression of the rotation screw 77, thereby preventing conveyance failure. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT |
