Development apparatus

Abstract

A development apparatus comprises an auger conveyor member of stirring and conveying a developer, the gravity of the developer being eccentrically distributed with respect to a center of rotation, a drive transfer member of driving and rotating the auger conveyor member, the drive transfer member being capable of being engaged and disengaged, and a rotation detector of detecting a rotational state of the auger conveyor member. The remaining amount of the developer is detected based on the rotational state detected by the rotation detector. Alternatively, a development apparatus comprises the auger conveyor member and the drive transfer member, in which the eccentric gravity distribution is achieved by a rod-like weight member eccentrically provided with respect to a rotational axis, the auger conveyor member includes a first coil spring having an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the weight member, and the first coil spring is inserted around the weight member in a manner which allows the first coil spring to be rotated and limits an angle of rotation of the first coil spring to a predetermined angle. Alternatively, a development apparatus comprises the auger conveyor member and the drive transfer member, in which the auger conveyor member is provided near a development supply roller, and a uniforming member of making the developer uniform is provided in a space portion between the development supply roller and the auger conveyor member.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.