Patent ID: 8503914

Claim:
A toner dispersing member, comprising: a rotary shaft; and dispersing protrusions formed of a flexible film member wound along an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft, the flexible film member being provided with a large number of cuts which are formed on one side of the flexible film member and are directed outward, wherein the toner dispersing member is rotated about the rotary shaft so that a lump of toner coming into contact with the dispersing protrusions is dispersed, the flexible film member has a ribbon-like shape in which the large number of cuts are formed on the one side of the flexible film member in a longitudinal direction, the dispersing protrusions are formed by winding the flexible film member helically along the outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft, with another side of the flexible film member which is free from cuts being a fixation portion, the flexible film member includes engagement protrusions formed at both end portions of the flexible film member, and the rotary shaft includes engagement portions formed at two points on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft and having slits into which the engagement protrusions are inserted.