Patent ID: 8036579

Claim:
A developing device comprising: a first housing that receives a developing roller; a second housing that is attachable to and detachable from the first housing and stores developer; a first communication path that is provided opposite the developing roller at a midpoint between both end portions in an axial direction of the developing roller and that allows an inside of the first housing to communicate with an inside of the second housing; a second communication path that is provided opposite the developing roller at both end portions in the axial direction of the developing roller and that allows the inside of the first housing to communicate with the inside of the second housing; and an agitator that is provided within the second housing and conveys the developer from the first communication path toward the second communication path, wherein the agitator comprises: a rotational shaft disposed such that an axial direction of the rotational shaft is substantially parallel to the axial direction of the developing roller; and a first blade that is provided at a midpoint between both end portions in the axial direction of the rotational shaft and conveys the developer from the midpoint in the axial direction of the rotational shaft to both end portions in the axial direction of the rotational shaft, and wherein the first blade is provided around the rotational shaft so as to intersect the axial direction of the rotational shaft.