Patent ID: 7639969

Claim:
A developing device, comprising: a toner chamber that contains a developing agent; a developing agent carrier that carries the developing agent; a supply device that is disposed facing the developing agent carrier and in contact with the developing agent carrier and supplies the developing agent stored in the toner chamber to the developing agent carrier, the developing agent carrier and the supply device disposed below the toner chamber when the developing device is mounted in an image forming apparatus; a first wall that covers the entire supply device and prevents a weight of the developing agent contained in the toner chamber from directly acting in a vertical direction on an entirety of the supply device; a layer thickness regulating member that regulates a thickness of the developing agent carried on the developing agent carrier at a downstream side from a facing position of the developing agent carrier and the supply device with respect to a movement direction of the developing agent carrier; and a second wall having a first end disposed near a facing position of the developing agent and the layer thickness regulating member over the layer thickness regulating member when the developing device is mounted in the image forming apparatus, the second wall having a second end opposite of the first end, the second wall being inclined with the first end lower than the second end, wherein the second wall is structured to guide the developing agent scraped from the developing agent carrier by the layer thickness regulating member to flow toward the toner chamber.