Patent ID: 8036543
Filing Date: 2011-10-11
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A developing apparatus for use with an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said developing apparatus comprising: a developer accommodating chamber that accommodates a developer; a developer chamber including a developer carrying member that carries and feeds a developer supplied from said developer accommodating chamber to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member; a developer stirring member, rotatable about a rotation axis in said developer accommodating chamber, that stirs the developer in said developer accommodating chamber, and then supplies the developer from said developer accommodating chamber into said developer chamber through an opening formed in an upper part of said developer accommodating chamber when said developing apparatus is mounted on the electrophotographic image forming apparatus; a wall surface, provided in said developer accommodating chamber, contactable by a free end portion of said developer stirring member while said developer stifling member is moving, wherein said developer stirring member lifts the developer toward said opening along said wall surface in said developer accommodating chamber; and a light emergent portion that permits light for detecting a remaining amount of the developer in said developer accommodating chamber to emerge therefrom into said developer accommodating chamber; and an incident portion that receives the detecting light that emerged from said light emergent portion, wherein, when said developing apparatus is mounted on the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a position where the free end portion of said developer stirring member separates from said wall surface is (i) above said light emergent portion and said incident portion in a vertical direction, and (ii) is closer to the rotation axis of said developer stirring member in a horizontal direction than said light emergent portion and said incident portion as seen along the rotation axis.