| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To appropriately prevent aggregation of toner around a carrying screw in a carrying pipe and to always stably maintain an excellent carrying function by disposing a member abutting on the inner wall surface of the carrying pipe on the outer periphery of the carrying screw. SOLUTION: The basic constitution of an entire toner recycling means for carrying toner recovered from a cleaner to a hopper through the carrying pipe and a foreign matter separation device does not differ from the conventional one. In the carrying pipe 6, a brush 9 is arranged along the outer periphery of the spiral fin of the carrying screw 7 arranged inside so that its tip may abut on the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 6. By such constitution, the toner which is being carried is advantageously prevented from retaining in a gap part between the outer periphery of the screw 7 and the inner wall surface of the pipe 6. Then, faulty carrying and the lowering of a separation function caused by the retaining of the toner at this part are surely prevented. |
