Belt conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a toner adhesion member to which a toner adheres, said toner adhesion member causing the toner to move;
• a cleaning member provided in contact with a surface of said toner adhesion member;
• a toner accumulation member disposed below a contact portion between said toner adhesion member and said cleaning member so that a part of the toner scraped off by said cleaning member is accumulated on said toner accumulation member;
• a toner storing portion provided below said toner accumulation member, said toner storing portion storing the toner scraped off by said cleaning member;
• and
• a belt conveying portion having a movable endless belt;
• the toner accumulated on said toner accumulation member being supplied to said contact portion as lubricant;
• said toner accumulation member being provided between said cleaning member and an adhered-material storing portion;
• said toner accumulation member being configured to hold a predetermined amount of adhered-material scraped off by said cleaning member, and an amount of the adhered-material that exceeds the predetermined amount being released to said adhered-material storing portion;
• the adhered-material held on said accumulation member being supplied as lubricant;
• said toner accumulation member having a plate shape extending substantially parallel with said belt from a wall of said toner storing portion, said wall being disposed on an upstream side of said toner storing portion in a conveying direction of said belt;
• and
• a region being formed between said toner accumulation member and said belt, the toner scraped off by said cleaning member being held in said region.

A belt conveying apparatus for conveying a recording medium, said belt conveying apparatus comprising:

• a belt conveying portion having a movable endless belt provided around at least two supporting members;
• a cleaning member provided in contact with a surface of said belt;
• a lubricant supply portion provided below a contact portion between said belt and said cleaning member, said lubricant supply portion supplying lubricant to said contact portion;
• and
• an adhered-material storing portion provided below said lubricant supply portion, said adhered-material storing portion storing adhered-material scraped off from said belt by said cleaning member;
• said lubricant supply portion including an accumulation member provided between said cleaning member and said adhered-material storing portion;
• said accumulation member being configured to hold a predetermined amount of the adhered-material, and an amount of the adhered-material that exceeds the predetermined amount being released to said adhered-material storing portion;
• the adhered-material held on said accumulation member being supplied to said belt as the lubricant;
• said accumulation member having a plate shape extending substantially parallel with said belt from a wall of said adhered-material storing portion, said wall being disposed on an upstream side of said adhered-material storing portion in a conveying direction of said belt;
• and
• a region being formed between said accumulation member and said belt, the adhered-material scraped off by said cleaning member being held in said region.