Patent ID: 9436130
Filing Date: 2016-09-06
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. A developing device comprising: a developing container for accommodating a developer; a feeding member, including a blade helically extending on a rotation shaft, for feeding the developer in said developing container along the rotation shaft by rotation thereof in a downstream developer feeding direction; and a discharge opening for permitting discharge of excessive developer, with supply of the developer from said developing container, said discharge opening being provided in a side surface of said developing container opposing said feeding member and being configured to open independently of an amount of the developer in said developing container, wherein in an overlapping region with said discharge opening, said blade is rotatable such that said blade moves the developer in the downstream developer feeding direction at a side opposing said discharge opening, wherein in the overlapping region with said discharge opening, a winding direction of said blade is such as to ascend toward the downstream developer feeding direction, and wherein when a first lower intersection position, with respect to a gravitational direction, between a downstream edge of said discharge opening and a first cross-section perpendicular to a rotational axis of said feeding member and crossing said discharge opening is a first position, and when a second lower intersection position, with respect to the gravitational direction, between the downstream edge of said discharge opening and a second cross-section which is perpendicular to the rotational axis of said feeding member and crossing said discharge opening and which is provided downstream of the first cross-section with respect to the developer feeding direction of said feeding member is a second position, said discharge opening is configured so that the second position is higher than the first position.