Patent ID: 8086147

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of image carriers for carrying developed images; a plurality of developer containers for containing a developer, each of the developer containers having a developer supply port; a plurality of developing devices provided beneath the corresponding developer containers, each of the developing devices having a developer receiving port; an intermediate device arranged between the developer containers and the developing devices; and a developer conveying path for conveying the developer from the developer supply port to the developer receiving port, the developer conveying path including a plurality of developer inlet ports positionally corresponding to the developer supply ports, respectively, a plurality of developer outlet ports positionally corresponding to the developer receiving ports, respectively, a plurality of developer supply paths for connecting between the developer inlet ports and the developer outlet ports respectively, and at least one of the developer supply paths having a horizontal path formed in a substantially horizontal direction and a vertical path formed in a substantially vertical direction; a developer conveyor mechanism for conveying the developer, the developer conveyor mechanism including a screw section provided in the horizontal path, and a rotational drive unit for rotationally driving the screw section so that the developer conveyor mechanism conveys the developer in a horizontal direction within the horizontal path; and a driving mechanism for imparting a driving force to the intermediate device, the rotational drive unit transmitting the driving force of the driving mechanism to the screw section to thereby rotatably drive the screw section.