JP6601354B2 - Toner conveying device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a toner conveying device and an image forming apparatus including the toner conveying device.

  In general, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a toner conveying device that conveys toner supplied to an image forming unit or toner collected from the image forming unit. The toner transport device includes a casing that forms a toner transport path therein, and a transport screw that transports toner in a predetermined direction by rotating in the toner transport path.

  Both end portions of the shaft portion of the conveying screw are supported by a pair of bearing portions formed at a start end portion and a terminal end portion of the toner conveyance path in the casing.

  In the toner conveying device, it is known that a flange portion that prevents the toner from entering the bearing portion is formed in the vicinity of the end portion of the shaft portion of the conveying screw. Furthermore, it is also known that a seal member that prevents the toner from leaking from the bearing portion is attached in the vicinity of the end portion of the shaft portion of the conveying screw (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-215474

  By the way, it is not possible to completely prevent the toner from getting over the flange portion formed by protruding from the shaft portion and entering the bearing portion side at the end portion of the toner conveyance path.

  Further, when the toner stays between the flange portion and the bearing portion for a long time, the staying toner is melted by frictional heat to the shaft portion, the flange portion, or the inner surface of the casing of the conveying screw. There is a risk of wearing.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a toner conveying device capable of preventing the toner from fusing to the inner surface of a conveying screw or a casing due to toner staying at the end portion of the toner conveying path, and an image forming apparatus including the toner conveying device It is to provide.

  A toner conveying device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a casing, a conveying screw, a pair of bearing portions, a terminal cavity forming portion, and an elastic flange portion. The casing includes a toner discharge port that forms a toner conveyance path therein and opens downward at a position near a terminal portion of the toner conveyance path. The pair of bearing portions are provided at a start end portion and a terminal end portion of the toner conveyance path. The conveying screw has a shaft portion supported at both ends by the pair of bearing portions and a blade portion projecting spirally from the shaft portion, and rotates in a predetermined forward rotation direction to rotate the toner. The toner in the path is transported in the forward transport direction from the start end to the end. The terminal cavity forming portion is a portion between the toner discharge port in the casing and the terminal side bearing portion which is one of the terminal end sides of the pair of bearing portions, and forms a cavity having a circular cross section inside. To do. The elastic collar portion is an elastic member attached to the shaft portion, and is formed so as to protrude from the shaft portion into a disk shape. The elastic flange portion has a circular outer edge along the inner surface of the terminal cavity forming portion, and the side surface on the forward conveyance direction side of the elastic flange portion is moved from the portion closer to the shaft portion toward the outer edge. It is formed to be inclined in the reverse transport direction opposite to the transport direction.

  An image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes an image carrier that carries a toner image, a developing device that supplies toner to the image carrier, and the toner transport device. The toner conveying device conveys the toner removed from the image carrier or the toner supplied to the developing device.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a toner conveying device capable of preventing the toner from being fused to an inner surface of a conveying screw or a casing due to toner staying at a terminal portion of the toner conveying path and an image forming apparatus including the toner conveying device. It becomes possible to provide.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus including a toner conveying device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a belt cleaning device including the toner conveyance device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the start end of the toner conveyance path in the toner conveyance device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the end portion of the toner conveyance path in the toner conveyance device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the periphery of a portion of the toner conveying device according to the first embodiment to which the elastic collar portion is attached in the conveying screw. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a terminal cap member provided in the toner conveyance device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the end-side bearing portion and the shaft end portion in the toner conveyance device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the end portion of the toner conveyance path in the toner conveyance mechanism according to the second embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the following embodiment is an example which actualized this invention, Comprising: It does not have the character which limits the technical scope of this invention.

First Embodiment: Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus 10
An image forming apparatus 10 including a toner conveying device 7 according to the first embodiment is an apparatus that forms an image of toner 9 on a sheet by an electrophotographic method. The sheet is a sheet-like image forming medium such as paper and an envelope.

  The image forming apparatus 10 includes a sheet supply unit 2, a sheet conveyance unit 3, an image formation unit 4, a toner supply unit 5, a toner collection unit 6 and the like in the main body unit 1. The image forming unit 4 includes an image forming unit 4x, an optical scanning unit 40, a sheet transfer device 48, a fixing device 49, and the like.

  The image forming unit 4 executes an image forming process for forming a toner image on the sheet. For example, it is conceivable that the image forming unit 4 executes the image forming process using a two-component developer containing nonmagnetic toner 9 and a carrier. The carrier is a magnetic granular material. It is also conceivable that the toner 9 is a magnetic toner.

  An image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a tandem image forming apparatus and a color printer. Therefore, the image forming unit 4 includes a plurality of image forming units 4 x and a plurality of toner supply units 5 corresponding to a plurality of color toners 9, an intermediate transfer belt 46, and a belt cleaning device 47.

  Each of the image forming units 4x includes a drum-shaped photoreceptor 41, a charging device 42, a developing device 43, a belt transfer device 44, a drum cleaning device 45, and the like.

  The sheet supply unit 2 sends the sheet to the sheet conveyance path 30, and the sheet conveyance unit 3 conveys the sheet along the sheet conveyance path 30. The toner replenishing unit 5 replenishes unused toner 9 to the developing device 43.

  The drum-shaped photoconductor 41 rotates, and the charging device 42 charges the surface of the photoconductor 41. Further, the optical scanning unit 40 writes an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor 41 by scanning with laser light.

  Further, the developing device 43 supplies the toner 9 to the photoconductor 41 to develop the electrostatic latent image as the toner image. Then, the belt transfer device 44 transfers the toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor 41 to the intermediate transfer belt 46. As a result, a color toner image, which is the superimposed toner images of a plurality of colors, is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 46.

  The drum cleaning device 45 removes the toner 9 remaining on the surface of the photoconductor 41 after the toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 46 from the photoconductor 41.

  The intermediate transfer belt 46 rotates while carrying the toner images of a plurality of colors. The sheet transfer device 48 transfers the toner image carried by the intermediate transfer belt 46 to the sheet. The fixing device 49 fixes the toner image to the sheet by heating the toner image transferred to the sheet.

  In the present embodiment, the photoreceptor 41 and the intermediate transfer belt 46 are examples of an image carrier that carries and rotates the toner image.

  The belt cleaning device 47 removes the toner 9 remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 46 after the toner image is transferred to the sheet. In the present embodiment, the belt cleaning device 47 includes the toner conveying device 7.

[Configuration of Belt Cleaning Device 47]
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the belt cleaning device 47 includes a casing 70, a cleaning roller 471, a conveying screw 71, and a pair of bearing portions 72 a and 72 b.

  For example, the casing 70 is constituted by a plurality of synthetic resin mold members combined together. It is also conceivable that the conveying screw 71 is a synthetic resin mold member formed integrally.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the casing 70 forms a toner conveyance path 700 therein. The toner conveyance path 700 is a cavity along a straight line from the start end to the end. As shown in FIG. 4, the casing 70 has a toner discharge port 70 a that opens downward at a position near the end portion of the toner conveyance path 700.

  The cleaning roller 471 rubs off the toner 9 from the intermediate transfer belt 46 by rotating while being in contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 46. The toner 9 scraped off from the intermediate transfer belt 46 falls to the toner conveyance path 700 in the casing 70.

  The casing 70 is a member that forms the toner conveyance path 700 and is also a cover member that covers the cleaning roller 471.

  The pair of bearing portions 72 a and 72 b are provided at the start end portion and the end end portion of the toner conveyance path 700, respectively. The conveying screw 71 includes a shaft portion 711 that is supported at both ends by a pair of bearing portions 72a and 72b, and a blade portion 712 that protrudes spirally from the shaft portion 711.

  The portion of the conveying screw 71 where the blade portion 712 is formed is disposed in the toner conveying path 700 along the forward conveying direction D1. The forward conveyance direction D1 is a horizontal direction or a substantially horizontal lateral direction.

  The transport screw 71 transports the toner 9 in the toner transport path 700 in the forward transport direction D1 from the start end to the end by rotating in a predetermined forward rotation direction R0. In other words, the blade portion 712 is formed along a spiral direction in which the toner 9 can be conveyed in the forward conveyance direction D1 when the conveyance screw 71 rotates in the forward rotation direction R0.

  3 to 5, the forward transport direction D1 and the reverse transport direction D2 that is opposite to the forward transport direction D1 are indicated by arrows.

  The toner 9 transported by the transport screw 71 is discharged from the casing 70 through the toner discharge port 70 a and falls to an intermediate transport path (not shown) communicating with the toner recovery unit 6. Waste toner that is used toner 9 is transported to the toner recovery unit 6 along the intermediate transport path, and is recovered by the toner recovery unit 6. It is also conceivable that the toner 9 discharged from the casing 70 falls directly to the toner recovery unit 6.

  In the present embodiment, the casing 70, the conveying screw 71, and the pair of bearing portions 72 a and 72 b are part of the toner conveying device 7. The toner conveying device 7 conveys the toner 9 removed from the intermediate transfer belt 46 which is an example of the image carrier.

  In the following description, one of the pair of bearing portions 72a and 72b is referred to as a start side bearing portion 72a, and the other is referred to as a termination side bearing portion 72b.

  The start end side bearing portion 72a rotatably supports a shaft start end portion 71a, which is one end portion of the shaft portion 711, on the start end portion side of the toner conveyance path 700 (see FIG. 3). Similarly, the end side bearing portion 72b rotatably supports the shaft end portion 71b, which is the other end portion of the shaft portion 711, on the end portion side of the toner conveyance path 700 (see FIG. 4).

  A part of the shaft start end portion 71 a protrudes outside the casing 70 through the start end side bearing portion 72 a. A gear 75 is attached to a portion of the shaft start end 71a that protrudes outside the casing 70. A drive mechanism (not shown) including a motor and a gear mechanism transmits a rotational force to the gear 75, whereby the conveying screw 71 rotates in the forward rotation direction R0.

  Incidentally, a flange portion that prevents the toner 9 from entering the end side bearing portion 72b may be formed in the vicinity of the shaft end portion 71b in the shaft portion 711. However, it is not possible to completely prevent the toner 9 from getting over the flange portion formed to protrude from the shaft portion 711 and entering the end side bearing portion 72b at the end portion of the toner conveyance path 700.

  Further, if the toner 9 stays between the flange portion and the end side bearing portion 72 b for a long time, the staying toner 9 is in contact with the shaft portion 711 of the conveying screw 71, the flange portion or the inner surface of the casing 70. May be fused by frictional heat generated by rubbing against these members.

  The toner conveying device 7 has a structure capable of preventing the toner 9 from being fused to the inner surface of the conveying screw 71 or the casing 70 due to the toner 9 remaining at the end portion of the toner conveying path 700. The structure will be described below.

[Structure of Toner Transport Device 7]
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the toner conveying device 7 further includes a terminal cap member 701 and an elastic flange 74. For example, the end cap member 701 is an integrally molded synthetic resin mold member.

  The end cap member 701 is a member that closes the opening 70 c of the casing 70 at the end portion of the toner conveyance path 700. The end cap member 701 has the above-described end-side bearing portion 72b and a later-described end cavity forming portion 73.

  The end side bearing portion 72b is a recess into which the shaft end portion 71b is inserted, and the recess is formed inside the end cap member 701.

  Accordingly, there is no gap between the shaft end portion 71 b and the end side bearing portion 72 b that communicates with the toner conveyance path 700 and the outside of the casing 70. Therefore, the toner 9 does not leak out of the casing 70 from between the shaft end portion 71b and the end side bearing portion 72b.

  The end cavity forming portion 73 is a portion between the edge 70b on the downstream side of the toner discharge port 70a in the forward conveyance direction D1 of the casing 70 and the end side bearing portion 72b. The terminal cavity forming portion 73 forms a cavity having a circular cross section.

  The elastic collar portion 74 is an elastic member such as an elastomer or other rubber attached to the shaft portion 711. That is, the shaft portion 711 is a hard member, and the elastic flange portion 74 is an elastic member that is more flexible than the shaft portion 711. The conveying screw 71 including the shaft portion 711 and the elastic flange portion 74 are made of different materials.

  For example, the elastic flange portion 74 is bonded to the shaft portion 711 with an adhesive. It is also conceivable that the elastic flange portion 74 is attached to the shaft portion 711 by a fitting structure with a convex portion or a concave portion formed on the shaft portion 711. It is also conceivable that the elastic flange portion 74 is a member molded in a state of being combined with the shaft portion 711 by two-color molding.

  The elastic flange portion 74 is formed to protrude from the shaft portion 711 in a disk shape. In the present embodiment, the shaft end portion 71b is a portion closer to the forward conveyance direction D1 than the portion of the shaft portion 711 to which the elastic flange portion 74 is attached (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

  The elastic flange 74 has a circular outer edge 74 b along the inner surface of the terminal cavity forming portion 73. In the following description, the side surface of the elastic flange 74 on the side of the forward conveyance direction D1 is referred to as a downstream side surface 74c. The downstream side surface 74c is formed to be inclined in the reverse transport direction D2 from the inner ring portion 74a near the shaft portion 711 toward the outer edge 74b.

  More specifically, the downstream side surface 74c of the elastic flange portion 74 is formed along a conical surface inclined in the reverse conveying direction D2 from the inner ring portion 74a toward the outer edge 74b with the shaft portion 711 as the center.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, a spiral groove 71c is formed in the shaft end portion 71b. As the conveying screw 71 rotates in the forward rotation direction R0, the shaft end portion 71b in which the spiral groove 71c is formed conveys the surrounding toner 9 in the reverse conveying direction D2.

  In other words, the groove 71c is formed along a spiral direction in which the toner 9 can be transported in the reverse transport direction D2 when the transport screw 71 rotates in the forward rotation direction R0.

  In the toner conveying device 7, the elastic flange 74 prevents the toner 9 conveyed in the forward conveying direction D1 by the conveying screw 71 from entering the terminal side bearing portion 72b. As a result, most of the toner 9 is discharged from the casing 70 through the toner discharge port 70a.

  However, a part of the toner 9 gets over the elastic flange 74 and enters the terminal cavity forming part 73 and the terminal side bearing part 72b. However, since the downstream side surface 74c of the elastic flange portion 74 is formed to be inclined in the reverse conveying direction D2 from the inner ring portion 74a toward the outer edge 74b, the toner 9 that has entered the end side bearing portion 72b side is Guided to the outer edge 74b side of the portion 74.

  Since the elastic flange 74 is positioned on the forward conveyance direction D1 side with respect to the toner discharge port 70a, the pressure in the forward conveyance direction D1 that the elastic flange 74 receives from the toner 9 is very small. Therefore, the elastic flange portion 74 does not bend in the forward conveyance direction D1 due to the pressure received from the toner 9 unless the shape is excessively thin.

  When the toner 9 accumulates in the terminal cavity forming portion 73 and the terminal-side bearing portion 72b, the elastic flange portion 74 bends in the reverse transport direction D2 side by the pressure received from the toner 9. As a result, the toner 9 returns to the toner discharge port 70 a side from the gap between the outer edge 74 b of the elastic flange portion 74 and the terminal cavity forming portion 73.

  Therefore, the toner 9 does not stay in the terminal cavity forming part 73 and the terminal side bearing part 72b for a long time. Further, the toner 9 can be prevented from being compressed in the terminal cavity forming part 73 and the terminal side bearing part 72b.

  Moreover, as FIG.4, 6 shows, the inner surface shape of the termination | terminus cavity formation part 73 is a shape in alignment with the conical surface which a diameter spreads gradually toward the reverse conveyance direction D2. Therefore, the terminal cavity forming part 73 forms a cavity that expands in a conical shape in the reverse conveying direction D2 therein.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower part of the inner surface of the terminal cavity forming portion 73 is an inclined surface 73a that descends from the terminal-side bearing portion 72b side toward the toner discharge port 70a.

  Therefore, the toner 9 easily slides on the inclined surface 73a and falls to the toner discharge port 70a in the gap between the outer edge 74b of the bent elastic flange 74 and the terminal cavity forming portion 73.

  In addition, the inner surface shape of the termination | terminus cavity formation part 73 is a shape in alignment with the conical surface which a diameter spreads gradually toward the reverse conveyance direction D2. Therefore, no matter what direction the end cap member 701 is attached to the casing 70 in the circumferential direction around the end side bearing portion 72b, the lower part of the inner surface of the end cavity forming portion 73 is on the end side bearing portion 72b side. An inclined surface 73a descending from the toner toward the toner discharge port 70a.

  Further, the shaft end portion 71b in which the spiral groove 71c is formed conveys the surrounding toner 9 in the reverse conveyance direction D2. The shaft end portion 71 b promotes a phenomenon in which the toner 9 returns from the gap between the outer edge 74 b of the elastic flange portion 74 and the end cavity forming portion 73 to the toner discharge port 70 a side.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the elastic flange portion 74 is formed such that the thickness gradually decreases from the inner ring portion 74a near the shaft portion 711 toward the outer edge 74b. In this case, the elastic flange 74 is easily bent at a portion near the outer edge 74b. That is, in the elastic collar portion 74, the portion near the outer edge 74b is more flexible than the portion near the shaft portion 711.

  Therefore, when the toner 9 accumulates in the terminal cavity forming portion 73 and the terminal-side bearing portion 72b, the portion near the outer edge 74b of the elastic flange portion 74 is easily bent toward the reverse conveying direction D2 by the pressure received from the toner 9. . Therefore, the phenomenon that the toner 9 returns to the toner discharge port 70a side from the gap between the outer edge 74b of the bent elastic flange 74 and the terminal cavity forming portion 73 is promoted.

  Moreover, the shape of the axis | shaft terminal part 71b is a shape by which the spiral groove | channel 71c was carved in the square pole (refer FIG.5, 7). Thereby, as FIG. 7 shows, the contact area between the shaft termination part 71b and the termination side bearing part 72b can be made as small as possible. As a result, it is possible to avoid as much as possible the situation where the toner 9 that has entered the end-side bearing portion 72b is fused between the shaft end portion 71b and the end-side bearing portion 72b and fused to the end-side bearing portion 72b. Can do.

[Second Embodiment: Toner Conveying Device 7X]
Next, a toner conveying device 7X according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The toner conveying device 7X has a structure in which the elastic collar portion 74 in the toner conveying device 7 is replaced with an elastic collar portion 74X having a different side surface shape.

  Similarly to the downstream side surface 74c of the elastic collar portion 74, the downstream side surface 74c of the elastic collar portion 74X is also formed to be inclined in the reverse conveying direction D2 from the portion near the shaft portion 711 toward the outer edge 74b. Further, the elastic flange portion 74X is formed so that the thickness gradually decreases from the inner ring portion 74a toward the outer edge 74b.

  However, on the downstream side surface 74 c of the elastic flange portion 74, the outer portion 74 cy near the outer edge 74 b is inclined with a steeper slope than the inner portion 74 cx near the shaft portion 711.

  If the toner conveying device 7X is employed, a portion near the outer edge 74b while ensuring a sufficient thickness of a part of the elastic collar portion 74 on the inner ring portion 74a side within a range of dimensions allowed for the elastic collar portion 74. The thickness of can be further reduced. In this case, in the elastic collar part 74X, the dimension which the part near the outer edge 74b can bend more easily is employable.

  Therefore, the phenomenon that the toner 9 returns to the toner discharge port 70a side through the gap between the outer edge 74b of the bent elastic flange portion 74 and the terminal cavity forming portion 73 is promoted.

[Application example]
In the toner conveying devices 7 and 7X described above, the shape of the shaft end portion 71b may be a shape in which a spiral groove 71c is carved in a polygonal column other than a quadrangular column. For example, the shape of the shaft end portion 71b may be a shape in which a spiral groove 71c is cut in a triangular prism, or a shape in which a spiral groove 71c is cut in a pentagonal prism.

  It is also conceivable that the toner transport devices 7 and 7X are applied to the drum cleaning device 45. In this case, the toner transport devices 7 and 7 </ b> X transport the toner 9 removed from the photoreceptor 41.

  It is also conceivable that the toner transport devices 7 and 7X are applied to the toner supply unit 5. In this case, the toner transport devices 7 and 7 </ b> X transport the toner 9 supplied to the developing device 43.

  It should be noted that the toner conveying device and the image forming apparatus according to the present invention can be freely combined with the above-described embodiments and application examples within the scope of the invention described in each claim, or the embodiments and application examples. It is also possible to configure by appropriately modifying or omitting a part.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Main-body part 2: Sheet supply part 3: Sheet conveyance part 4: Image formation part 4x: Image formation part 5: Toner replenishment unit 6: Toner collection unit 7, 7X: Toner conveyance apparatus 9: Toner 10: Image formation apparatus 30 : Sheet conveyance path 40: Optical scanning unit 41: Photoconductor (image carrier)
42: charging device 43: developing device 44: belt transfer device 45: drum cleaning device 46: intermediate transfer belt (image carrier)
47: belt cleaning device 48: sheet transfer device 49: fixing device 70: casing 70a: toner discharge port 70b: toner discharge port edge 70c: casing opening 71: conveying screw 71a: shaft start end 71b: shaft end 71c: Groove 72a: Start end side bearing portion 72b: Termination side bearing portion 73: Termination cavity forming portion 73a: Inclined surface 74, 74X: Elastic flange portion 74a: Inner ring portion 74b of elastic flange portion: Outer edge 74c of elastic flange portion: Elastic flange portion Downstream side surface 74cx: Inner portion 74cy of downstream side surface: Outer portion 75 of downstream side surface: Gear 471: Cleaning roller 700: Toner transport path 701: End cap member 711: Shaft portion 712: Blade portion D1: Forward transport direction D2: Reverse Transport direction R0: Forward rotation direction

Claims (6)

A casing having a toner discharge path formed therein and having a toner discharge port opened downward at a position near the terminal end of the toner transfer path;
A pair of bearing portions provided at a starting end portion and a terminal end portion of the toner conveying path;
The shaft portion having both ends supported by the pair of bearing portions and the blade portion projecting spirally from the shaft portion, and rotates the toner in the toner transport path by rotating in a predetermined forward rotation direction. A transport screw for transporting in a forward transport direction from the start end to the end;
A terminal cavity forming portion that is a portion between the toner discharge port in the casing and a terminal-side bearing portion that is one of the terminal-end portions of the pair of bearing portions;
An elastic member attached to the shaft portion, formed in a disc shape from the shaft portion, having a circular outer edge along the inner surface of the terminal cavity forming portion, and the side surface on the forward conveying direction side An elastic flange formed by inclining in the reverse conveyance direction opposite to the forward conveyance direction from the portion closer to the shaft portion toward the outer edge,
A spiral groove is formed in a shaft end portion that is a portion on the forward conveyance direction side of a portion of the shaft portion to which the elastic flange portion is attached,
The terminal-end bearing portion is a recess into which the shaft end portion is inserted;
By the conveyor screw is rotated to the forward rotational direction, the shaft end portion to convey the toner around to the opposite conveying directions, preparative toner conveying device. A casing having a toner discharge path formed therein and having a toner discharge port opened downward at a position near the terminal end of the toner transfer path;
A pair of bearing portions provided at a starting end portion and a terminal end portion of the toner conveying path;
The shaft portion having both ends supported by the pair of bearing portions and the blade portion projecting spirally from the shaft portion, and rotates the toner in the toner transport path by rotating in a predetermined forward rotation direction. A transport screw for transporting in a forward transport direction from the start end to the end;
A terminal cavity forming portion that is a portion between the toner discharge port in the casing and a terminal-side bearing portion that is one of the terminal-end portions of the pair of bearing portions;
An elastic member attached to the shaft portion, formed in a disc shape from the shaft portion, having a circular outer edge along the inner surface of the terminal cavity forming portion, and the side surface on the forward conveying direction side An elastic flange formed by inclining in the reverse conveyance direction opposite to the forward conveyance direction from the portion closer to the shaft portion toward the outer edge,
The lower part of the inner surface of the end cavity forming portion is an inclined surface descending toward the toner discharge port from the end side bearing portion side bets toner conveying device. 3. The toner conveying device according to claim 1, wherein, in the elastic flange portion, a portion closer to the outer edge is more flexible than a portion closer to the shaft portion. The toner conveying device according to claim 3 , wherein the elastic flange portion is formed so that a thickness gradually decreases from an inner ring portion near the shaft portion toward an outer edge. 5. The toner conveying device according to claim 4 , wherein a portion near the outer edge of the elastic flange portion is inclined with a steeper slope than a portion near the shaft portion on a side surface on the forward conveying direction side. An image carrier for carrying a toner image;
A developing device for supplying toner to the image carrier;
Image forming apparatus and a toner conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 for conveying the toner supplied to the toner or the developing device is removed from said image bearing member.

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