US 12,135,513 B2
Toner conveying apparatus having toner conveying paths and image forming apparatus
Tsukasa Abe, Kanagawa (JP); Fumihiko Yamaya, Shizuoka (JP); Mitsuyoshi Arakawa, Tokyo (JP); Takashi Kuwata, Shizuoka (JP); and Shinichi Ueda, Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Aug. 1, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/228,766.
Application 18/228,766 is a continuation of application No. 17/690,110, filed on Mar. 9, 2022, granted, now 11,782,361.
Application 17/690,110 is a continuation of application No. 17/094,953, filed on Nov. 11, 2020, granted, now 11,300,901, issued on Apr. 12, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-207170 (JP), filed on Nov. 15, 2019; application No. 2019-207220 (JP), filed on Nov. 15, 2019; and application No. 2019-207246 (JP), filed on Nov. 15, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0375962 A1, Nov. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. G03G 15/08 (2006.01)
CPC G03G 15/0891 (2013.01) [G03G 15/0877 (2013.01); G03G 15/0879 (2013.01); G03G 2215/068 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
(i) a cartridge including a photosensitive drum and a cleaning member that cleans a surface of the photosensitive drum by removing a toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum,
(ii) a toner container for containing the removed toner, and
(iii) an apparatus main body to and from which the cartridge and the toner container are independently attached and detached, the apparatus main body including
(iii-i) a toner conveying apparatus configured to receive the removed toner from the cartridge and convey the removed toner to the toner container, the toner container being disposed above the cartridge in a gravitational direction, the toner conveying apparatus including:
(iii-i-i) a first conveying portion configured to convey the removed toner received from the cartridge toward the toner container, the first conveying portion having a first screw that includes a first rotation shaft and a first blade portion and that is rotatable about a first rotation axial line, the first conveying portion including a first conveying passage forming member that forms a first conveying space in which the first screw is provided and that has a receiving port for receiving the removed toner from the cartridge and a discharging port through which the removed toner conveyed by the first screw is discharged from the first conveying passage forming member, and
(iii-i-ii) a second conveying portion configured to convey the removed toner conveyed by the first conveying portion toward the toner container, the second conveying portion having a second screw that includes a second rotation shaft and a second blade portion and that is rotatable about a second rotation axial line, the second conveying portion including a second conveying passage forming member that forms a second conveying space in which the second screw is provided, the second conveying passage forming member being in communication with the first conveying passage forming member through the discharging port,
wherein the first conveying space of the first conveying portion includes a first region and a second region that is closer to the discharging port than the first region is to the discharging port in a toner conveying direction of the first screw, and
wherein a cross-sectional area of a first space between the first rotation shaft and an inner wall of the first conveying passage forming member in the second region and which is orthogonal to the first rotation axial line is smaller than a cross-sectional area of a second space between the first rotation shaft and the inner wall of the first conveying passage forming member in the first region and which is orthogonal to the first rotation axial line.