Patent ID: 7706715

Claim:
An image forming apparatus configured so as to arrange fine particles of a developer in an image-wise manner at an image-forming section to form an image by said developer onto a recording medium, said image forming apparatus comprising: a body frame; a developer-supply section accommodated within said body frame, said developer-supply section being configured to accommodate said developer and supplying said accommodated developer to said image forming section; and a recording-medium-transport mechanism configured so as to transport said recording medium along a predetermined transport path, while attaching said developer onto said recording medium, wherein said developer-supply section comprises: a developer-carrying member formed to have a substantially cylindrical shape having a central axis in a direction perpendicular to a transport direction of said recording medium by means of said recording-medium-transport mechanism; a developer-accommodation section configured to accommodate said developer-carrying member and said developer and to have an opening section which enables a part of a circumferential surface of said developer-carrying member to be exposed along said central axis; a sealing member which is provided so as to be interposed between an end portion in said direction of said central axis of said developer-carrying member and said developer-accommodation section, and is configured so as to slide on said circumferential surface of said developer-carrying member to restrain a leak of said developer from said opening section to an outside of said developer-accommodation section; a heat-release member having good heat conductance, said heat-release member being provided so as to extend toward an outside from a sliding portion of said circumferential surface of said developer-carrying member and said sealing member configured to release a frictional heat which is generated on said sealing member at said sliding portion; wherein said developer-supply section further comprises a developer-carrying-amount control member which includes a control-member body section composed of a metallic plate as said heat-release member; and wherein said sealing member comprises: a sliding member which is a sheet-like member having a surface of low coefficient of friction and is disposed so as to contact with said circumferential surface at said end portion of said developer-carrying member; and a sealing body which is attached to said sliding member and said developer-accommodation section and is composed of a foamable synthetic resin having an elasticity so as to be able to bias said sliding member toward said circumferential surface of said developer-carrying member, and wherein said developer-carrying-amount control member is disposed in such a manner that said control-member body section contacts by placement on said sliding member from above so as to elastically compress said sliding member.