Patent ID: 7424263

Claim:
A toner recovery device which conveys residual toner to a toner recovery section, comprising: a toner-conveying pipe extending obliquely upward and having a carry-in section which is provided in a lower section of the toner-conveying pipe and into which the residual toner is carried, and a carry-out section which is provided in an upper section of the toner-conveying pipe and conveys the residual toner after transfer to the toner recovery section; an endless toner-conveying belt which has a plurality of protruding sections on an outer peripheral surface thereof, the endless conveying belt having a center along a lengthwise direction, and the endless conveying belt including notches formed on each side of the center; and two rollers around which the endless toner conveying belt is disposed, at least one of the rollers including at least two pins which are on different circumferential positions of the at least one of the two rollers such that the at least two pins engage with the notches of the endless conveying belt; wherein the toner-conveying belt is rotated by the pins such that the toner-conveying belt descends in a region in which the outer peripheral surface of the toner-conveying belt faces a ceiling surface of the toner-conveying pipe, and that the toner-conveying belt rises in a region in which the outer peripheral surface of the toner-conveying belt faces a bottom surface of the toner-conveying pipe, and the residual toner after transfer carried into the carry-in section is held by the protruding sections of the conveying belt and the bottom surface of the toner-conveying pipe, and conveyed to the carry-out section.