Patent ID: 7515856

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image bearing member configured to bear an image on a surface thereof; and a developing device configured to develop the image formed on the image bearing member by using a developer accommodated in a chamber thereof, the developing device comprising: a developer bearing member configured to bear the developer on a surface thereof to transfer the developer to the image formed on the image bearing member; a conveying member, disposed within the chamber, configured to agitate and convey the developer in the chamber to the developer bearing member, the chamber having a wall, the conveying member disposed between the wall and the developer bearing member; a first regulating member held in contact with the developer brought up from the chamber onto the surface of the developing roller, the first regulating member configured to uniformly distribute the developer on the surface of the developer bearing member, the first regulating member contacting the wall of the chamber; and a second regulating member configured to regulate a thickness of a layer of the developer conveyed by the conveying member and uniformly distributed by the first regulating member onto the surface of the developer bearing member.