Patent ID: 8909107

Claim:
A toner dispersing mechanism, comprising; a housing arranged between a toner storage container and a developing device, the housing having a toner filling port communicating with toner storage container, and a toner discharge port communicating with the developing device; a toner dispersing member including a rotary shaft rotatably supported in the housing, and a large number of dispersing protrusions, made of an elastic material and formed on an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft, for dispersing a lump of toner to come into contact with the large number of dispersing protrusions by rotating the toner dispersing member about the rotary shaft; and a projecting portion formed continuously at least at a part of an inner wall surface in a longitudinal direction of the housing, the large number of dispersing protrusions facing the inner wall surface part and coming into contact with the projecting portion, wherein toner replenished from the toner storage container is dispersed and discharged into the developing device, wherein the large number of dispersing protrusions are formed by wrapping a flexible film member around the outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft, wherein the flexible film member includes a large number of cuts formed on one side thereof, and wherein the cuts are directed outward.