Patent ID: 7496320

Claim:
A toner supply device for supplying toner to a developing unit, the developing unit positioned to have recording paper delivered therealong in a paper feeding direction, the toner supply device comprising: a toner container configured to store toner; and a toner feed device disposed adjacent to the toner container and comprising: a toner reservoir configured to hold the toner supplied from the toner container; a toner input portion configured to allow entrance of toner from the toner container in a toner input direction into the toner reservoir; a toner conveyor configured to convey at least a first portion of the toner entering through the toner input portion in a direction which is opposite to the toner input direction before feeding the first portion of the toner to the developing unit and configured to convey and agitate at least a second portion of the toner entering through the toiler input portion in a toner circulation path having at least a component parallel to a width direction of the recording paper before feeding the second portion of the toner to the developing unit; a toner feed portion configured to feed toner from the toner reservoir to the developing unit; wherein the toner feed device and the toner feed portion are arranged at a location near a side edge portion and on the same side with respect to a direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction.