Patent ID: 9442427
Filing Date: 2016-09-13
CPC Classification: G03G

Claim Text:
1. A developing device comprising: a developer carrying member for carrying a developer containing a toner and a carrier; a first chamber in which the developer to be supplied to said developer carrying member is to be fed; a second chamber, communicating with end portions of said first chamber, for forming a circulation path for circulating the developer between said first chamber and said second chamber; a feeding member, provided rotatably in said second chamber, including a normal feeding portion for feeding the developer in the circulation path from one end portion to the other end portion of said second-chamber, and a reverse feeding portion, provided rotatably downstream of the normal feeding portion with respect to a feeding direction of the normal feeding portion, for feeding the developer from an outside of the circulation path toward an inside of the circulation path; a discharging portion, provided upstream of the reverse feeding portion of said second chamber with respect to a feeding direction of the reverse feeding portion, for discharging an excessive developer in said second chamber; and an opposing portion provided in said second chamber so as to oppose a peripheral surface of the reverse feeding portion at an overlapping position overlapping with the reverse feeding portion with respect to a rotational axis direction of said feeding member, wherein said opposing portion includes a projected portion for forming a predetermined clearance with the reverse feeding portion by being projected from a side surface of said second chamber in a horizontal direction, said projected portion being disposed higher than a rotation center of the reverse feeding portion and lower than a top of the reverse feeding portion as seen in the rotational axis direction of said feeding member and which is more remote from said first chamber than a rotation center of said feeding member.