Patent ID: 7362992

Claim:
A developing unit, comprising: a developer accommodating section to accommodate developer; a developing member to provide the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating section to an image carrying body by rotating; a developer layer forming member which has a contact part to make contact with the developing member, which forms a developer layer on a surface of the developing member, which is made from an elastic member having a plate shape, and which has a bending piece made by bending the elastic member nearby the contact part outwardly toward a radial direction of the developing member; and a restricting member which restricts fluidity of the developer at an upstream side in a rotating direction of the developing member in front of the contact part of the developer layer forming member and the developing member, which is made from an elastic member having a plate shape, which contacts the bending piece of the developer layer forming member, and which extends upwardly to a blade holder at an upper side of the developer layer forming member.