JPH08300715A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To form an image with high contrast by making a toner easily release from a carrying roller. CONSTITUTION: An aperture electrode 1 of this image forming apparatus is constituted by forming a plurality of aperture 6 in a line on an insulating sheet 2 and a control electrode 4 on its top surface on each aperture 6 and fixing the underside of the insulating sheet 2 so as to bring it into contact with a toner carrying roller. In addition, on the face of the toner carrying roller side of the insulating sheet 2, namely, the surface of the opposite side to the face provided with a control electrode 4, a plurality of guide walls 7 are obliquely arranged by an angle of about 45 degree so as to correspond to each aperture 6 on the upstream side of the toner feeding direction to the line of the apertures 6. The toner carried on the surface of the carrying roller collides to the guide walls accompanied with rotation of the carrying roller and slides transversely along the wall face to weaken the adhesive force of the toner to the carrying roller.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus applied to a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as one of image forming apparatuses of this type, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-155798, an image is formed on an aperture electrode body having a plurality of small openings (apertures). An image that controls the passage of apertures of toner particles (charged particles) charged to a predetermined polarity by applying a drive signal by a signal and records an image on a medium such as print paper by the passed toner particles. Forming devices have been proposed.

In this image forming apparatus, an aperture electrode body (toner flow control means) made of an insulating sheet in which a plurality of openings (apertures) are arranged in a row is provided, and one surface side thereof is a toner carrying roller (toner carrying body). The aperture electrode body is arranged so as to face the peripheral surface, and the passage of the charged toner (charged particles) is controlled on the surface of the aperture electrode body opposite to the toner carrying roller, that is, the surface facing the recording medium. The control electrodes to be installed are separately provided for each opening, and a rear electrode roller (counter electrode) to which a voltage of a predetermined polarity is applied is arranged so as to contact the back surface side of the recording medium.
The toner pulled out from the opening is caused to fly toward the surface of the recording medium by electrostatic force.

According to this image forming apparatus, since the electric field generated by the control electrode is formed between the control electrode and the inside of the opening, and between the opening and the toner carrying surface of the toner carrying roller facing the opening, the electric field is carried. The control electric field can be applied directly to the toner to be controlled, so that the control efficiency is good, and a part of the supplied toner receives mechanical force due to the contact with the aperture electrode body, and the opening corresponding to the non-image area is opened. Even if you enter the department,
Since the electric field inside the opening can be controlled so as not to pass through the opening, the toner controllability is also good. Therefore, a high quality image can be easily obtained. Furthermore, since the toner carrying roller and the aperture electrode body are opposed to each other with the toner layer interposed therebetween, they can be arranged at a relatively short distance, and the toner flow can be accurately controlled even with a low control voltage. it can. Therefore, excellent effects such as low cost and high reliability can be expected without the need for expensive control drive elements.

[0005]

However, in the conventional image forming apparatus as described above, electrostatic attraction is generated between the surface of the toner carrying roller (toner carrying member) and the toner charged to a predetermined polarity. In addition to the (mainly image force) action, the so-called van der Waals force, which is an intermolecular attraction force, causes the toner to adhere firmly to the carrying roller, so that the voltage applied to the control electrode is When it is low, it is difficult to separate the toner from the surface of the carrying roller. As a result, the toner existing under the aperture cannot be completely separated from the surface of the carrying roller to pass through the aperture, and there is a drawback that an image with high contrast cannot be obtained. In addition, in order to obtain the required image density and contrast, when trying to increase the voltage applied to the control electrode,
There is a drawback in that the cost of the entire apparatus becomes high, such as requiring an expensive drive element for control.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and with a very simple structure, the toner can be easily separated from the surface of the carrier, and the toner flow is low. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that can be appropriately controlled by voltage and that can easily obtain necessary image density and contrast.

[0007]

In order to achieve this object, an image forming apparatus of the present invention supplies a toner flow control unit having a toner flow control unit and a toner charged to the toner flow control unit. The toner carrier and the toner carrier are composed of a back electrode provided on the opposite side of the toner flow control means, and further act on the toner on the toner carrier to remove the toner. It is characterized in that guide means for sliding the carrier while supporting it is provided.

Further, the guide means is composed of a guide wall arranged in a direction intersecting with a traveling direction of the toner carrier.

Further, the guide means is provided on the surface of the toner flow control means on the toner carrier side.

Further, the toner flow control means is provided with a large number of apertures as a toner flow control section, and the guide means is provided at least on the upstream side in the toner supply direction between the apertures, or each aperture and each aperture. It is characterized in that it is provided on the upstream side in the toner supply direction between the apertures.

[0011]

According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, the toner on the toner carrier conveyed toward the toner flow control means is slid while being carried on the carrier by the guide means, The adhesion force due to van der Waals force with the carrier is released. For this reason, the toner carried on the carrier reaches the toner flow control unit in a state in which the adhesive force is sufficiently relaxed, and the controller easily removes the toner from the surface of the carrier with a low voltage. Then, the flow can be controlled appropriately. Therefore, the required image density and contrast can be easily obtained, and a high quality image can be formed.

Further, since the guide means is composed of the guide wall arranged in a direction intersecting with the traveling direction of the toner carrier, the toner contacting with the guide wall can be surely slid along the guide wall, and the guide wall is attached. It is possible to sufficiently relax the force of attachment. Moreover, the structure is extremely simple, and it can be easily manufactured at low cost.

Further, since the guide means is provided on the surface of the toner flow control means on the side of the toner carrier, the guide means can properly act on the toner on the toner carrier, and the guide means can be used. There is no need for special supporting means for arranging the toner in close proximity to or in contact with the surface of the toner carrier.

Further, in correspondence with the toner flow control means having a large number of apertures, at least on the upstream side in the toner supply direction between the apertures, or on the upstream side in the toner supply direction between each aperture and each aperture, Since the guide means is provided, the toner supplied toward the gaps between the apertures can be effectively utilized, and further, the adhesive force of all the supplied toners can be sufficiently relaxed, so that the density of the toner can be increased. A high quality image can be formed.

[0015]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus embodying the present invention. A toner supply device 10 is provided below the toner supply device 10 and an upper portion of the toner supply device 10 is provided with the toner supply device 10.
An aperture electrode body 1 is provided as a toner flow control means (electric field control means) for controlling the toner flow. Above the aperture electrode body 1, a back electrode roller 2 as a back electrode (counter electrode) is held with a space of about 1 mm.
2 is rotatably arranged. In addition, in the gap between the aperture electrode body 1 and the back electrode roller 22, the back electrode roller 2
1, the recording medium 20 is conveyed in the direction of arrow C shown in FIG. 1 by the rotation of the conveying roller 19 in the direction of arrow D shown in FIG. A heat fixing device 26 including a pressure roller and a heating roller is provided. In addition, this heat fixing device 2
No. 6 can be replaced by either a heat fixing method or a pressure fixing method.

Next, the respective constituent elements will be described in detail. First, as shown in FIG. 1, the toner supply device 10 includes a toner case 1 which also serves as a housing of the entire device.
1 is provided, and a toner, preferably an insulating toner 16 is stored in a toner case 11, and a cylindrical toner carrying roller for carrying the toner 16 and carrying it toward the aperture electrode body 1. (Toner carrier) 1
4 is provided so as to be rotatable in the arrow B direction shown in FIG. Further, a cylindrical supply roller 12 for feeding the toner 16 contained in the toner case 11 to the toner carrying roller 14 is provided obliquely below the toner carrying roller 14 in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. It is provided in. The supply roller 12 and the toner carrying roller 14 are arranged parallel to each other so that the generatrixes of their cylindrical surfaces are in contact with each other.

Further, in the toner case 11, the amount of the toner 16 carried by the carrying roller 14 is adjusted to be diagonally above and to the left of the toner carrying roller 14 so that the amount of the toner 16 is uniform on the roller surface. A toner layer regulating blade 18 is provided which also serves as a charging blade for uniformly charging the toner 16 to a predetermined polarity, here negative polarity (minus).

As shown in detail in FIG. 2, the aperture electrode body 1 is composed of, for example, a polyimide insulating sheet 2 having a thickness of about 25 μm, and a large number of the insulating sheet 2 having a diameter of about 60 μm. Opening (aperture) 6
Are formed in a line in the longitudinal direction of the aperture electrode body 1. Around the opening 6, a control electrode 4 made of a conductive metal pattern such as copper or gold having a thickness of about 8 μm is formed for each opening 6.

Here, the positional relationship between the opening 6 of the aperture electrode body 1 and the toner carrying roller 14 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 1, each opening (aperture) 6 will be described.
Are arranged so that their respective center lines pass through the uppermost portion of the peripheral surface of the toner carrying roller 14 and the central axis of the toner carrying roller 14. According to this, the openings 6 are evenly arranged on the left and right with respect to the uppermost portion of the peripheral surface of the toner carrying roller 14, so that the distribution of the toner 16 passing through the openings 6 is changed to the openings ( The entire area of the aperture 6 can be made uniform. Moreover, since the wall surface of the opening 6 and the flying direction of the toner 16 are parallel to each other, the toner can stably fly.

Further, the aperture electrode body 1 itself moves to the left and right with respect to the toner carrying roller 14 by the same angle (about 3 degrees) between the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction of the recording medium 20 around the opening 6. It is pressed so as to bend. As a result, the contact area between the aperture electrode body 1 and the toner carrying roller 14 can be increased, and the periphery of the lower portion of the opening 6 can be pressed uniformly to the left and right, so that toner density unevenness may occur. It can be suppressed as much as possible.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the insulating sheet 2 is provided on the aperture electrode body 1 in this embodiment.
A large number of guide walls (guide means) 7 made of a conductive metal pattern such as copper or gold having a height of about 35 μm are provided on the lower surface side of the above, that is, the surface on the toner carrying roller side. These guide walls 7 are upstream of the direction of rotation of the toner carrying roller 14 (the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1) with respect to the row of the openings (apertures) 6, that is, the toner supply direction (FIGS. 3 and 4). It is arranged on the upstream side in the direction of arrow E) and at a position corresponding to the gap between the openings 6.

Further, each guide wall 7 is obliquely arranged at an angle of about 45 degrees in a direction intersecting with the toner supply direction. For example, the pitch of the openings (apertures) 6 is about 125 μm (200 dpi). In this case, the barrier-shaped wall having a width of about 20 μm and a length of about 100 μm is formed so as to project on the lower surface of the insulating sheet 2.

Further, the height of each guide wall 7 is such that the toner 1 carried on the surface of the toner carrying roller 14 as a thin layer.
Considering the layer thickness of No. 6, the height is set to be approximately the same as the layer thickness, but it is preferably set to be slightly lower than the layer thickness of the toner 16. That is, the lower surface of the insulating sheet 2 of the aperture electrode body 1 comes into contact with the toner layer carried as a thin layer on the surface of the toner carrying roller 14 and is brought into sliding contact with the toner particles forming the toner layer. ,
By rolling the toner particles, the action of further relaxing the adhesion force with the carrying roller 14 can be achieved.

A control voltage application circuit 8 is connected between the control electrode 4 and the toner carrying roller 14.
The control voltage application circuit 8 applies a positive voltage of about +30 V to the control electrode 4 corresponding to the image portion and 0 V to the control electrode 4 corresponding to the non-image portion, based on the image signal.
Alternatively, it is configured to apply a negative voltage of about −30V. On the other hand, a backside voltage application circuit 24 composed of a DC high voltage power supply is connected between the backside electrode roller 22 and the toner carrying roller 14.
However, a high voltage of about +1 kV can be applied.

Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus configured as described above will be described.

First, the toner 16 contained in the toner case 11 is removed from the toner carrying roller 14 by rotating the supply roller 12 in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG.
Be transported to. Then, the toner 16 supplied from the supply roller 12 is rubbed against the toner carrying roller 14 by the toner layer regulation blade 18 to be thinned, and charged to a predetermined polarity, here negative polarity (minus). Thus, the toner is carried on the toner carrying roller 14 as a thin toner layer having a uniform thickness.

The toner 16 carried on the toner carrying roller 14 is held on the cylindrical roller surface of the toner carrying roller 14 as the toner carrying roller 14 rotates in the direction of arrow B, and the aperture electrode is held. Although it is conveyed toward the body 1, in this process, the aperture electrode body 1 and the toner carrying roller 14 are arranged so as to come into contact with each other, and further, on the surface of the aperture electrode body 1 on the carrying roller side, Since the barrier-shaped guide wall 7 is formed as the guide means, the toner flow can be controlled with a low control voltage.

That is, a part of the toner particles of the toner 16 carried as a thin layer on the surface of the toner carrying roller 14 on the front side in the vicinity of the opening (aperture) 6 of the aperture electrode body 1 is guided by the guide wall. 7 is guided along the guide wall 7. Here, the toner particles hitting the guide wall 7 are laterally displaced from the toner supply direction (conveyance direction) by the rotation of the toner carrying roller 14, causing so-called side slip, and further, the toner particles causing the side slip. The adjacent toner particles (toner particles that are about to be supplied straight toward the opening 6) are also laterally slid by being pushed by.

Moreover, these toner particles roll on the carrying roller 14 even when they come into contact with the lower surface of the insulating sheet 2 of the aperture electrode body 1, so that the adhesive force is further alleviated.

As a result, the guide wall 7 is hit,
Not only the toner particles that are guided toward the opening (aperture) 6 but also the toner particles that are about to be supplied straight toward the opening (aperture) 6 are firm due to the van der Waals force with the toner carrying roller 14. Free from adhesion.

Therefore, the toner (charged particles) 16 supplied below the opening (aperture) 6 of the aperture electrode body 1 in a state where the adhesive force with the toner carrying roller 14 is sufficiently relaxed.
Can control passage through the opening 6 with a low control voltage, and can appropriately control the flow of toner according to the image signal.

For example, when a positive voltage of +30 V is applied from the control voltage application circuit 8 to the control electrode 4 corresponding to the image portion in accordance with the image signal, the opening 6 of the opening 6 corresponding to the control electrode 4 is applied. In the vicinity, due to the potential difference (electric field) between the control electrode 4 and the toner carrying roller 14, an electric force line from the control electrode 4 toward the toner carrying roller 14 is formed.
As a result, the toner 16 charged in the negative polarity (negative) receives an electrostatic force in the direction of high potential, and is drawn from the toner carrying roller 14 through the opening 6 to the control electrode 4 side. The toner 16 thus drawn out further flies toward the recording medium 20 due to an electric field formed between the recording medium 20 and the aperture electrode body 1 by the high voltage of +1 kV applied to the back electrode roller 22. Then, the pixels are deposited on the medium 20 to form dot-shaped pixels.

Here, the toner (charged particles) 16 supplied below the opening (aperture) 6 of the aperture electrode body 1 is added to the toner particles supplied straight toward the opening 6, and the guide wall 7 is also added. In this case, since the toner particles guided toward the openings (apertures) 6 are also included, conventionally, the toner that passes between the openings 6 as it is is also effectively used to improve the toner supply efficiency. Can be made. Therefore, the amount of toner that can be used for recording can be increased, so that the density and the contrast can be improved, a high-quality image can be formed, and high-speed printing can be supported. Become.

A negative voltage of 0V or -30V is applied from the control voltage applying circuit 8 to the control electrode 4 corresponding to the non-image area. As a result, the toner carrying roller 14
An electric field from the control electrode 4 toward the toner carrying roller 14 is not formed between the control electrode 4 and the control electrode 4, and cannot pass through the opening 6. Moreover, at this time, when a negative voltage of -30 V is applied, a voltage lower than that of the toner carrying roller 14 is applied to the control electrode 4, so that an electric field corresponding to the image portion is generated between them. Therefore, the opposite electric field is formed, and the flying of the toner 16 is more effectively suppressed.
Therefore, an image with less fog is formed.

On the other hand, the recording medium 20 conveyed through the gap between the aperture electrode body 1 and the back electrode roller 22 has an opening (aperture) while one row of pixels is formed on the surface thereof by the toner 16. ) 6 pixels are sent in the direction orthogonal to the 6 column. Then, by repeating the above process, a toner image is formed on the entire surface of the recording medium 20. After that, the toner image formed on the recording medium 20 is fixed on the recording medium 20 by the thermal fixing device 26.

In the image forming apparatus of this embodiment, since the insulating toner is used as the toner 16, the insulating property between the toner carrying roller 14 and the control electrode 4 can be ensured, and the opening ( There is no risk of dielectric breakdown of the aperture 6 by mistake.

Further, even when the toner 16 is no longer present on the toner carrying roller 14 due to a defect in the toner supply system, the insulating sheet 2 of the aperture electrode body 1 causes a gap between the control electrode 4 and the toner carrying roller 14. Since the insulating property is ensured, the control electrode 4 and the toner carrying roller 14 are not electrically short-circuited by mistake, and there is no fear of damaging the control drive element or the like.

[0039]

[Modification] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in detail above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, the aperture electrode body 1 in the above embodiment is arranged so as to come into contact with the uppermost portion of the toner carrying roller 14, and in the vicinity of the opening (aperture) 6, the aperture electrode body 1 and the toner carrying roller. By contact with the toner 16 on the toner carrying roller 14, the toner particles roll on the carrying roller 14 and can be separated from the toner carrying roller 14 with a control voltage weaker than that when the toner particles are stationary. ing. That is, due to the synergistic effect of the side-sliding action of the guide wall 7 and the sliding contact action of the aperture electrode body 1, the adhesive force of the toner 16 to the carrying roller 14 can be more reliably reduced.

However, even in the image forming apparatus in which the aperture electrode body 1 is arranged in the vicinity of the toner carrying roller 14, the aperture electrode body 1 or a member attached separately from the aperture electrode body 1 on the toner carrying roller side is provided. By providing a guide wall that contacts the toner 16 on the surface, the toner 16 can be made to slide laterally, and the adhesive force of the toner can be sufficiently relaxed. Therefore, the toner can be easily released from the surface of the carrying roller, the flow of the toner can be appropriately controlled at a low voltage, and the necessary image density and contrast can be easily obtained.

Further, in the above embodiment, the guide wall 7 is arranged on the upstream side in the toner supply direction between the openings (apertures) 6. However, as shown in FIG. 5, the openings (apertures) 6 are arranged. A guide wall 27 extending to the upstream portion of the above may be provided, and as a result, a guide wall corresponding to each opening (aperture) 6 and the upstream side in the toner supply direction between each opening (aperture) 6 may be provided. In this case, the toner carrying roller 1
It is possible to guide all the toner particles carried by the toner particles 4 toward the respective openings (apertures) 6 while sliding them by the guide wall 27. Therefore, the amount of toner supplied can be increased, and the adhesive force of all the toner carried on the carrying roller 14 can be sufficiently relaxed, so that the transfer efficiency of the toner 16 is further improved.

Further, the shape of the guide wall 27 shown in FIG. 5 is not limited to this, and for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the guide wall 37 further extended to the upstream portion.
Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the guide walls 47a and 47b may be separated and arranged in a plurality of rows. The width of the guide wall 27 is not limited to this, and may be a narrow guide wall 57 as shown in FIG. 9, for example. In this case, a guide wall 67 having a short length may be added in the middle of the guide wall 57 so that the toner 16 can be slid by the guide walls 57 and 67, which makes the toner flow more smoothly. Can be induced.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, narrow guide walls 77 and 87 are arranged in a row at a pitch smaller than the pitch of the openings (apertures) 6 of the aperture electrode body 1. Good. Further, the inclination angle is not specified to 45 degrees (see the guide wall 87 shown in FIG. 11).

In the above-described embodiment, the guide wall 7 made of a conductive metal pattern is formed so as to project on the lower surface of the insulating sheet 2 of the aperture electrode body 1 as guide means for sliding the toner. However, for example, the guide wall made of the same material as the insulating sheet 2 may be formed integrally with the insulating sheet 2 or formed separately. Further, even if the guide means is constituted by an aggregate (block) composed of a large number of point-like projections, the same effect can be expected.

Further, in the above embodiment, the aperture electrode body 1 having the circular openings (apertures) 6 arranged in a line was used as the toner flow control means (electric field control means), but, for example, a triangle or a quadrangle. A rectangular opening (aperture) may be used, or a mesh-shaped electrode body as described in JP-A-1-503221 can be used.

[0047]

As is apparent from the above description,
According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the toner on the toner carrier carried toward the toner flow control means is slid while being carried on the carrier by the guide means, and van der Waals with the carrier. Freed from the force of adhesion. Therefore, the toner carried on the carrier is
Since the adhesion force reaches the toner flow control unit in a sufficiently relaxed state, the control unit can easily separate the toner from the surface of the carrier at a low voltage, and the flow can be appropriately controlled. . Therefore, the required image density and contrast can be easily obtained, and a high quality image can be formed.

Further, since the guide means is composed of a guide wall arranged in a direction intersecting with the traveling direction of the toner carrier, the toner contacting with the guide wall can be surely slid along the guide wall, and the guide wall is attached. It is possible to sufficiently relax the force of attachment. Moreover, the structure is extremely simple, and it can be easily manufactured at low cost.

Further, since the guide means is provided on the surface of the toner flow control means on the side of the toner carrier, the guide means can properly act on the toner on the toner carrier and at the same time, the guide means. There is no need for special supporting means for arranging the toner in close proximity to or in contact with the surface of the toner carrier.

Further, corresponding to the toner flow control means having a large number of apertures, at least on the upstream side in the toner supply direction between the apertures, or on the upstream side in the toner supply direction between each aperture and each aperture, Since the guide means is provided, the toner supplied toward the gaps between the apertures can be effectively utilized, and further, the adhesive force of all the supplied toners can be sufficiently relaxed, so that the density of the toner can be increased. A high quality image can be formed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of an aperture electrode body as toner flow control means of the present invention when viewed from above.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of an aperture electrode body as viewed from below.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an aperture electrode body.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of an aperture electrode body showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of an aperture electrode body showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of an aperture electrode body showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of an aperture electrode body showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of an aperture electrode body showing a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of an aperture electrode body showing a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a bottom view of an aperture electrode body showing an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Aperture electrode body (toner flow control means) 2 Insulating sheet 4 Control electrode 6 Opening part (aperture) 7 Guide wall (guide means) 14 Toner carrying roller (toner carrying body) 22 Back electrode roller (back electrode) 27 Guide wall (Guide means) 37 Guide wall (guide means) 47a Guide wall (guide means) 47b Guide wall (guide means) 57 Guide wall (guide means) 67 Guide wall (guide means) 77 Guide wall (guide means) 87 Guide wall ( (Guide means)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A toner flow control means having a toner flow control section, a toner carrier for supplying the toner charged to the toner flow control means, and the toner carrier on the opposite side of the toner flow control means. An image forming apparatus comprising a back electrode provided in the image forming apparatus, wherein guide means is provided which acts on the toner on the toner carrier to cause the toner to slide while carrying the toner on the carrier. apparatus. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide unit includes a guide wall arranged in a direction intersecting a traveling direction of the toner carrier. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide unit is provided on a surface of the toner flow control unit on the toner carrier side. 4. The toner flow control means is provided with a large number of apertures as a toner flow control section, and the guide means is provided at least upstream between the apertures in the toner supply direction. Claim 1
4. The image forming apparatus according to any one of 3 to 3. 5. The toner flow control means is provided with a large number of apertures as a toner flow control section, and the guide means is provided on the upstream side in the toner supply direction between each aperture and each aperture. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: