Patent ID: 8326189

Claim:
A developing device that stores therein a developer containing carrier and toner and develops a latent image formed on an image carrier, the developing device comprising: a developer carrier that is disposed opposite to the image carrier and forms a plurality of magnetic poles around the developer carrier, one of the plurality of magnet poles being a developer-releasing magnet pole for releasing the developer carried on the developer carrier, the developer-releasing magnet pole being sandwiched by two magnet poles of said plurality of magnet poles, said two magnet poles having the same polarity as each other; a developer regulating member that is disposed below the developer carrier so as to oppose thereto and regulates an amount of the developer carried on the developer carrier; and a plurality of conveying members that forms a circulation route through which the developer stored in the developing device is conveyed along a longitudinal direction, wherein the plurality of conveying members includes a first conveying member that is opposite to the developer carrier and supplies the developer to the developer carrier while conveying the developer along the longitudinal direction, and a second conveying member that is disposed above the first conveying member so as to face the developer carrier, and conveys the developer released from the developer carrier along the longitudinal direction, the developing device further comprises: a separation member that is disposed in a position opposite to the developer carrier, and separates a first conveying path formed by the first conveying member from a second conveying path formed by the second conveying member; and an opposed member facing a magnetic pole, of the two magnetic poles, at an upstream side of the developer carrier in its rotation direction, the opposed member disposed upstream of the developer carrier in the rotation direction relative to the position of the separation member, the opposed member extending away from a position which supports the opposed member in a direction which is downstream of the position which supports the opposed member, relative to the rotation direction.