Patent ID: 9423721
Filing Date: 2016-08-23
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. A developing device comprising: a developer container that contains developer; a developer carrier provided in the developer container and that is rotatable while carrying the developer on a surface, the developer carrier facing an image carrier on which a latent image is to be formed; a first transporting member including a rotating shaft and a transporting blade supported by the rotating shaft, the first transporting member configured to transport the developer in the developer container while stirring the developer; and a second transporting member including a rotating shaft and a transporting blade supported by the rotating shaft, the second transporting member being provided side by side with the first transporting member, the second transporting member configured to transport the developer, while stirring the developer, in a direction opposite to a direction of transport by the first transporting member, wherein the rotating shaft of the first transporting member is positioned in an area of projection defined by projecting the developer carrier from an upper side in a gravitational direction, wherein, a first virtual tangent to an outer surface of the developer carrier extends in the gravitational direction on a side of the developer carrier opposite the image carrier and that a second virtual tangent to an outer edge of the transporting blade of the first transporting member extends in the gravitational direction on a side of the first transporting member opposite the image carrier, the second virtual tangent is farther from the image carrier in a horizontal direction than the first virtual tangent, wherein, a distance in the horizontal direction between the first virtual tangent and the second virtual tangent is a first distance, and a distance in the horizontal direction between the first virtual tangent and an inner surface of the developer container on the side of the developer carrier opposite the image carrier is a second distance, the first distance is shorter than the second distance, wherein a developer guiding member that is configured to guide the developer moving along the developer carrier is provided on a downstream side in a direction of rotation of the developer carrier with respect to a facing area where the developer carrier faces the image carrier, wherein the developer guiding member faces the outer surface of the developer carrier with a gap interposed between the developer guiding member and the outer surface of the developer carrier, and wherein the developer guiding member includes an inclined portion that inclines from an upstream side in the direction of rotation of the developer carrier toward a downstream side in the direction of transport by the first transporting member, and wherein the inclined portion of the developer guiding member is one of a plurality of inclined portions, the plurality of inclined portions being arranged at a pitch smaller than a pitch of turns in the transporting blade of the first transporting member.