Patent ID: 8571446

Claim:
A developing device comprising: an agitating and conveying unit that receives a developer formed of carrier and toner, and includes at least one agitating and conveying member to mix and agitate the developer and convey the developer in a developer conveying direction; and a developing roller that is installed facing a photosensitive drum to receive an electrostatic latent image is formed thereon, and that attaches the developer mixed and agitated by the agitating and conveying unit to an outer circumferential surface of the developing roller and that supplies the developer to the photosensitive drum, wherein the agitating and conveying member comprises: a support shaft that extends in the developer conveying direction and is rotatably coupled to the developing device to convey toner from an upstream end to a downstream end thereof; a plurality of agitation wings that are disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the support shaft to define a pitch between adjacent agitation wings and to mix and agitate the developer and to convey the developer along the developer conveying direction; and at least one paddle which protrudes in a radial direction from the support shaft and extends along a direction of the support shaft in the pitch and has an upstream-most end having a first height and a downstream-most end having a second height such that the second height increases from the first height in a non-linear manner.