| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus which prevents such failures that toner aggregation occurs and the rotation of a screw member for transferring the toner is interrupted, without increasing the scale of the apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The vertical inner wall 38 of a toner storage part 36 is a planar part extending in the same direction (vertical direction) as the working direction of gravity, and a piezoelectric sensor 46 is disposed on the vertical inside wall 38 so that the detection surface 46A thereof is nearly parallel to the planar part of the vertical inner wall 38. Thus, the detection surface 46A of the piezoelectric sensor 46 extends in the same direction (vertical direction) as the acting direction of the gravity, and one component constituting the gravity of the toner coming in contact with the detection surface 46A does not act against the detection surface 46A, and consequently, the toner is prevented from being accumulated on the detection surface 46A. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT |
