Patent ID: 6308037
Filing Date: 2001-10-23
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus comprising an image forming section for forming a latent image on an image carrier, and a developing apparatus for supplying a visualizing agent to the latent image formed on the image carrier, thereby to develop the latent image, said developing apparatus including:a housing for holding a toner fed to the latent image formed on the image carrier;a developing roller provided to be rotatable about a rotation center positioned below a rotation shaft of the image carrier in a vertical direction;a supporting member as a part of the housing for positioning the toner close to the developing roller; andan agitation member provided to be a rotatable in the housing and having sheet-like member having a free length which is defined to be longer than a distance between a rotation center of the sheet-like member and a wall surface of the housing, for feeding the toner in the housing to the supporting member for agitating the toner in the housing, as the agitation member is rotated along an inner wall of the housing,wherein the supporting member is positioned lower in a vertical direction, compared with a rotation center of the agitation member.