Patent ID: 7826776
Filing Date: 2010-11-02
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A development apparatus comprising: a developer carrier that rotates with a two-component developer including a magnetic carrier and toner carried on a surface thereof to supply toner for developing a latent image on a surface of a latent image carrier at a location opposing said latent image carrier; a developer supply conveyance path which conveys said two-component developer along an axial direction of said developer carrier, the developer supply conveyance path including a developer supply conveyance member for supplying said two-component developer to said developer carrier; a developer recovery conveyance path including a developer recovery conveyance member for conveying said two-component developer recovered from said developer carrier after having passed through a location opposing said latent image carrier, along the axial direction of said developer carrier and in a same direction as said developer supply conveyance member; and a developer agitation conveyance path to which a surplus developer not employed for development and conveyed to a furthermost downstream side in a direction of conveyance of said developer supply conveyance path and a recovery developer recovered from said developer carrier and conveyed to a furthermost downstream side in a direction of conveyance of said developer recovery conveyance path are supplied, the developer agitation conveyance path including a developer agitation conveyance member for, while agitating said surplus developer and said recovery developer, conveying said surplus developer and said recovery developer along the axial direction of said developer carrier in a reverse direction to said developer supply conveyance member to supply an agitated agitation developer to said developer supply conveyance path, wherein three developer conveyance paths including said developer recovery conveyance path, said developer supply conveyance path and said developer agitation conveyance path are partitioned by respective partition members and toner is replenished to said developer conveyance paths, wherein at least one of an opening of said partition member on the downstream side in the direction of conveyance of said developer supply conveyance path with said developer agitation conveyance path, through which said surplus developer is delivered, and an opening of said partition member on the downstream side in the direction of conveyance of said developer agitation conveyance path with said developer supply conveyance path, through which said agitation developer is delivered, is provided within a development region width which is a width in said axial direction of a development region in which said developer carrier supplies toner to said latent image carrier, and wherein a toner replenishment part where toner is replenished to said developer conveyance paths is either disposed at a furthermost upstream side of said developer agitation conveyance path or at a furthermost downstream side of said developer recovery conveyance path, said toner replenishment part being provided on an outer side of said development region width.