Patent ID: 7263315
Filing Date: 2007-08-28
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. A developing apparatus, comprising: a developer carrying member for carrying a developer containing toner and a carrier; a first chamber having an opening in which said developer carrying member is disposed; a carrying member for carrying the developer in a longitudinal direction of said developer carrying member, said carrying member being disposed in said first chamber; a second chamber to which the developer is supplied from said first chamber through a first connection portion communicating with said first chamber and which supplies the developer to said first chamber through a second connection portion communicating with said first chamber; a spiral carrying member for agitating and carrying the developer by rotation, said spiral carrying member being disposed in said second chamber, said spiral carrying member being disposed with its rotation axis slanted by 2° or more and 10° or less with respect to a horizontal direction in such a manner that a portion opposite to the second connection portion is higher than a portion opposite to the first connection portion; and developer replenishing means for replenishing a developer for replenishment to a developer replenishment position in said second chamber, wherein, when a height with respect to the rotation axis of an intersection of a circumference of said spiral carrying member and a developer surface in a first vertical plane on a downstream side of a developer carrying direction with respect to the developer replenishment position is denoted by Ha (mm) and a height with respect to the rotation axis of an intersection of the circumference of said spiral carrying member and the developer surface in a second vertical plane on a 50 (mm) downstream side of the first vertical plane in a direction of a horizontal direction component of the developer carrying direction is denoted by Hb (mm), Ha (mm) and Hb (mm) in a state where an attitude of said spiral carrying member in the first vertical plane and an attitude of said spiral carrying member in the second vertical plane are the same satisfy the following relationship: