Patent ID: 8620189

Claim:
A developing device, comprising: a developer container, which is elongated from one end to other end; which is divided into a first containing part and a second containing part that are communicated with each other at communication parts on the opposite end sides; which has a discharge port at one end side of the second containing part; and in which a developer including a toner and a carrier is contained; a developer carrying member that carries the developer within said developer container to adhere it to an image carrying member; a first conveyance member that is arranged in the first containing part of said developer container and conveys the contained developer while agitating it; a second conveyance member that is arranged in the second containing part of said developer container, conveys the contained developer while agitating it, and supplies the developer to said developer carrying member; a third conveyance member that is arranged between said second conveyance member and said discharge port; a first driving member that rotary-drives said first conveyance member and said second conveyance member; and a second driving member that drives said third conveyance member so that its rotation can be changed from a forward direction being a discharge direction of the developer to a reverse direction, and so that its rotation can be stopped, wherein one of said communication parts is arranged in the vicinity of a region where said second conveyance member is close to said third conveyance member, and said second driving member drives said third conveyance member in the reverse direction so that the developer accumulated in said third conveyance member is returned to said one of said communication parts inside the developer container when the amount of developer in the developer container is less than a lower limit of a predetermined range, and stops rotation of said third conveyance member when the amount of developer in the developing container is within a predetermined range.