Patent ID: 8682227

Claim:
A toner discharging device comprising: a toner containing section for containing a toner; a toner discharging member for conveying the toner contained in the toner containing section; and a toner discharging section having a cylindrical wall and accommodating a part of the toner discharging member in an internal space defined by the wall, the toner discharging section having a toner discharge port formed by opening a vertically lower part of the cylindrical wall, the toner discharging member comprising: a rotation axis extended in the same direction as a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical wall; a toner discharge plate fixed to the rotation axis at a position facing the toner discharge port in the vicinity of one end of the toner discharging section and vertically above the toner discharge port; an elastic helical blade being fixed, at one end thereof, to the toner discharge plate and being stretchable in a direction of the rotation axis; and a helical blade section having a helical blade fixed to the rotation axis over an area in the vicinity of another end of the toner discharging section and an area within the toner containing section where the toner discharge plate and the elastic helical blade are not formed, wherein the toner discharge plate, the elastic helical blade and the helical blade section are rotated around the rotation axis thereby to convey the toner contained in the toner containing section toward the toner discharge port.