Patent ID: 8676081

Claim:
A development apparatus, comprising: a stir member that stirs a developer in a development container; a stir gear that rotates the stir member; a stir rotation shaft that connects the stir member and the stir gear to each other; a development member that supplies the developer onto a surface of an image carrier; a development gear that collaborates with the stir gear to form a series of gears and rotates the development member; a development rotation shaft that connects the development member and the development gear to each other; a housing box that houses the stir gear and the development gear, supports rotatably the stir rotation shaft and the development rotation shaft, and is provided with an air take-in opening for taking in air and an air discharge opening for discharging the taken-in air; and a wind sending member that takes in the air from the air take-in opening into the housing box and makes the taken-in air pass through the housing box to discharge the air from the air discharge opening; wherein the air take-in, opening and the air discharge opening are disposed such that the air flows in a direction perpendicular to the stir rotation shaft, the air discharge opening is disposed at a position higher than the air take-in opening, the stir gear is disposed to oppose the air take-in opening; and air flowing into the housing box from the air take-in opening flows from the stir gear to the development gear.