Image forming apparatus

An image forming method comprising steps of:

• forming a latent image on an image bearing member;
• and
• selectively supplying toner to the latent image formed on said image bearing member to develop the latent image, using a developing device having a housing having a wall surface extended in a first direction parallel with the direction of a rotational axis of the image bearing member and having a cylinder or part thereof having its radius defined in a direction orthogonal with the first direction, the housing holding the developer supplied to the latent image formed on the image bearing member, a developing roller located below the rotational axis of the image bearing member in a vertical direction, having a rotational center parallel with said first direction, and formed so as to rotate around the rotational center, and an agitating member having a rotational center extended in said first direction and rotated within said housing along said wall surface, said agitating member having a sheet-like member with a plurality of fin-like portions arranged therein and which are polygons each having a first free length extending from said rotational center in a circumferential direction toward the wall surface of said housing and a second free length that is longer than said first free length, each of the fin-like portions having an opening formed in a section thereof, the agitating member conveying said developer to said developing roller and dispersing the developer in said first direction for agitation when said sheet-like member is rotated along an inner wall of said housing,
• wherein in each of the fin-like portions of said sheet-like member, the side of said first free length is arranged outward with respect to said first direction.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• a developing device including:
• a photosensitive body on which a latent image corresponding to image information to be output is formed;
• a developing magnet having N and S poles alternately arranged inside, the developing magnet being rotated;
• a sleeve formed so as to rotate around an outer periphery of the developing magnet to supply an image bearing member with toner to be supplied to the latent image formed on the photosensitive body;
• a toner hopper constituting part of said housing, provided below a rotational center of said sleeve at a predetermined interval in a vertical direction, and having a table section for temporarily holding toner supplied to said sleeve in order to accommodate the toner supplied to the sleeve;
• and
• an agitating member having a rotational center extended in a first direction and rotated within said housing along said wall surface, said agitating member having a sheet-like member with a plurality of fin-like portions arranged therein and which are polygons each having a first free length extending from said rotational center in a circumferential direction toward the wall surface of said housing and a second free length that is longer than said first free length, each of the fin-like portions having an opening formed in a section thereof, the agitating member conveying said developer to said developing roller and dispersing the developer in said first direction for agitation when said sheet-like member is rotated along an inner wall of said housing,
• the developing device developing said latent image formed on said photosensitive body by selectively supplying said latent image with said toner,
• the image forming apparatus further including a transfer device for transferring the toner formed on said photosensitive body by said developing device, to a transfer object,
• wherein in each of the fin-like portions of said sheet-like member, the side of said first free length is arranged outward with respect to said first direction.

A developing device for developing a latent image formed on an image bearing member by supplying the latent image with a developer that is a visualizing agent, the developing device comprising:

• a housing having a wall surface extended in a first direction parallel with the direction of a rotational axis of the image bearing member and having a cylinder or part thereof having its radius defined in a direction orthogonal with the first direction, the housing holding the developer supplied to the latent image formed on the image bearing member;
• a developing roller located below the rotational axis of the image bearing member in a vertical direction, having a rotational center parallel with said first direction, and formed so as to rotate around the rotational center;
• an agitating member having a rotational center extended in said first direction and rotated within said housing along said wall surface, said agitating member having a sheet-like member with a plurality of fin-like portions arranged therein and which are polygons each having a first free length extending from said rotational center in a circumferential direction toward the wall surface of said housing and a second free length that is longer than said first free length, each of the fin-like portions having an opening formed in a section thereof, the agitating member conveying said developer to said developing roller and dispersing the developer in said first direction for agitation when said sheet-like member is rotated along an inner wall of said housing,
• wherein the second free length of said sheet-like member of the agitating member extends toward a toner supplying position.