Patent ID: 7899369

Claim:
A powder conveying device to convey powder, comprising: a conveying plate having a surface on which the powder to be conveyed is supported; a vibration generating device configured to cause the conveying plate to vibrate; and a plurality of conveying protrusions provided on the surface of the conveying plate to promote a movement of the powder from an upstream end of the conveying plate to a downstream end of the conveying plate; a supply port disposed at the downstream end of the conveying plate to convey the powder to a supply roller disposed adjacent to the downstream end of the conveying plate that receives the powder and that delivers the powder to a developing member disposed adjacent to the supply roller that applies the powder received from the supply roller to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive body, wherein each of the plurality of conveying protrusions has a first inclined surface facing the upstream end of the conveying plate and a second inclined surface facing the downstream end of the conveying plate, each first inclined surface of an associated one of the plurality of conveying protrusions having a smaller incline angle than the second inclined surface of the associated one of the plurality of conveying protrusions.