Hollow Spiral Developer Conveying Member for Adhesion Prevention

The patent removes the shaft portion from the agitating screw, extracting the problematic element that causes developer adhesion. The spiral member is designed to rotate about its own axis without requiring a central shaft, thereby eliminating the source of adhesion while maintaining the conveying function through the spiral geometry alone.

Instead of using a solid shaft structure that causes adhesion, the patent inverts the approach by using a hollow spiral member that rotates without a central shaft. This inversion transforms the problem from dealing with adhesion on a shaft to utilizing the hollow space to prevent adhesion while maintaining rotation.

The patent applies local quality by positioning rib members at specific locations on the spiral member to enhance axial conveying performance in critical areas. The rib members are strategically placed to provide additional pushing force to the developer in the axial direction, compensating for the absence of the shaft while maintaining adhesion resistance.

The rib members perform preliminary action by pre-positioning and pre-conveying the developer along the axial direction before the main spiral conveying action occurs. This ensures that developer is continuously pushed axially, preventing it from staying near the inner wall at axial end parts.

By removing the shaft portion entirely, the patent eliminates the surface that would accumulate adhesion over time. Without a shaft, there is no central surface for developer to adhere to, even after prolonged operation, thus maintaining conveying performance throughout the service life.

The hollow spiral member design allows the conveying system to serve itself by using the hollow interior space to prevent adhesion. The structure inherently resists adhesion accumulation without requiring additional maintenance or intervention, sustaining conveying function over extended periods.