Patent ID: 7190924

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier; a main charger to uniformly charge the image carrier; an exposure unit to form an electrostatic latent image by exposing the image carrier charged by the main charger; a developing device to form a toner image by developing the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier with two-component developer including toner and carrier, the developing device comprising: a developer vent; a developer replenishing port to replenish developer to the developing device; a developer container to contain the developer; a developer pool portion to once pool the developer over flown from the developer container and to be discharged; a partition to divide the developer pool portion and the developer container; and a connecting port provided at a specified position of the partition and provided at a height of the surface of the developer contained in the developer container; and a transfer unit to transfer the toner image onto an image receiving medium, wherein the developing device removes residual toner remained on the image carrier after transferring the toner image by the transfer unit and discharges paper dust mixed into the developing device when removing the residual toner through the developer vent together with the carrier.