Patent ID: 8744318

Claim:
A developing device, comprising: a developing container partitioned into a stirring-transport chamber, a supplying-transport chamber, and a collecting-transport chamber that are arranged substantially in parallel with one another, for storing a two-component developer including a carrier and toner; a developer carrying member supported rotatably by the developing container, for carrying the developer on a surface thereof; a supplying-transport member located within the supplying-transport chamber, for stirring and transporting the developer along an axial direction of the developer carrying member and supplying the developer to the developer carrying member; a stirring-transport member located within the stirring-transport chamber, for stirring and transporting the developer in a reverse direction to the supplying-transport member; a collecting-transport member located within the collecting-transport chamber, for stirring and transporting the developer collected from the developer carrying member in the same direction as the supplying-transport member, the collecting-transport member having a developer transporting speed different from a developer transporting speed of the supplying-transport member; a first developer passage provided between the supplying-transport chamber and the stirring-transport chamber, for passing the developer from the stirring-transport chamber to the supplying-transport chamber; a second developer passage provided between the supplying-transport chamber and the stirring-transport chamber, for passing the developer from the supplying-transport chamber to the stirring-transport chamber; and a communication portion provided at a downstream end of the collecting-transport chamber in terms of a developer transporting direction, for passing the developer from the collecting-transport chamber to the supplying-transport chamber, wherein the collecting-transport member passes the developer to the supplying-transport chamber also from a region on an upstream side of the communication portion in terms of the developer transporting direction.