Patent ID: 7840155

Claim:
A developing device for developing an electrostatic image formed on an image carrier with a developer, the developing device comprising: a frame; a developer carrier configured to carry and convey the developer, the developer carrier facing the image carrier and developing the electrostatic image by causing the developer to fly from the developer carrier to the image carrier upon an application of an alternating-current bias to the developer carrier; a developer flying regulation member including a first end disposed between the image carrier and the developer carrier and being configured to regulate an area where the developer flies; and a development-noise regulation member covering the developer flying regulation member, wherein noise produced by the development-noise regulation member vibrated by an oscillating electric field of the alternating-current bias is smaller than noise produced by the developer flying regulation member vibrated by the oscillating electric field, wherein the developer flying regulation member includes a second end mounted on the frame, the development-noise regulation member includes a third end mounted on the frame, and the developer flying regulation member is covered by the frame, the developer carrier, and the development-noise regulation member, wherein the development-noise regulation member includes a fourth end being in contact with the image carrier, and wherein a length of the fourth end of the development-noise regulation member is longer than a length of the first end of the developer flying regulation member in a direction transverse to a direction of movement of a surface of the image carrier.