Patent ID: 7006784

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a first chamber including a first mixer disposed in a direction that coincides with an axial direction of an image carrying body which carries an electrostatic latent image, the first mixer stirring and conveying a developer containing at least a toner in a first direction and supplying the toner, which is charged with a predetermined potential, to the image carrying body; a second chamber including a second mixer disposed in parallel to the first mixer, the second mixer stirring and conveying the developer in the first direction and applying a predetermined potential to the toner; a third chamber disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber and including a third mixer disposed in parallel to the first mixer and the second mixer, the third mixer stirring and conveying the developer, which is received from downstream sides of the first and second chambers, in a second direction different from the first direction, and guiding the toner, which is charged with a predetermined potential, to at least an upstream side of the first chamber; a recycle toner supply section that is disposed on an upstream side of the second chamber and is supplied with a toner recovered from a surface of the image carrying body; and a fresh toner supply section that is disposed on an upstream side of the third chamber and is supplied with a fresh toner.