Developing device and image forming apparatus equipped with the same

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a latent image carrier that carries a latent image;
• and
• developing means for developing the latent image on the latent image carrier by means of a developer,
• wherein the developing means comprises:
• a developer carrier, which rotates while carrying a two-component developer composed of a magnetic carrier and a toner on a surface of the developer carrier, supplies the toner to the latent image on a surface of the latent image carrier at a section where the developer carrier faces the latent image carrier, and develops the latent image;
• a developer supply conveyance path, which conveys the developer in a direction of axis of the developer carrier and is provided with a developer supply conveyance screw for supplying the developer to the developer carrier;
• a developer recovery conveyance path, which has a developer recovery conveyance screw for conveying the developer recovered from the developer carrier after passing through the section where the developer carrier faces the latent image carrier, in the direction of axis of the developer carrier and in the same direction as a direction of the developer supply conveyance screw;
• and
• a developer agitation conveyance path, which supplies the developer to the developer supply conveyance path and which has a developer agitation conveyance screw for receiving a supply of an excess developer conveyed to the lowermost stream side of the developer supply conveyance path in a developer conveyance direction without being used in development, and a recovery developer recovered from the developer carrier and conveyed to the lowermost stream side of the developer recovery conveyance path in the developer conveyance direction, and conveying the excess developer and the recovery developer in the direction of axis of the developer carrier and in a direction opposite to the direction of the developer supply conveyance screw while agitating the excess developer and the recovery developer,
• the developer conveyance amount on the upstream side of the developer agitation conveyance screw in the developer conveyance direction being equal to or larger than the developer conveyance amount on the downstream side of the developer recovery conveyance screw in the developer conveyance direction,
• wherein the developer agitation conveyance path and the developer recovery conveyance path are provided in parallel with each other on substantially the same level, the developer supply conveyance path is provided so as to be positioned above the other two developer conveyance paths.

A developing device, comprising:

• a developer carrier, which rotates while carrying a two-component developer composed of a magnetic carrier and a toner on a surface of the developer carrier, supplies the toner to a latent image on a surface of a latent image carrier at a section where the developer carrier faces the latent image carrier, and develops the latent image;
• a developer supply conveyance path, which conveys the developer in a direction of axis of the developer carrier and is provided with a developer supply conveyance screw for supplying the developer to the developer carrier;
• a developer recovery conveyance path, which has a developer recovery conveyance screw for conveying the developer recovered from the developer carrier after passing through the section where the developer carrier faces the latent image carrier, in the direction of axis of the developer carrier and in the same direction as a direction of the developer supply conveyance screw;
• and
• a developer agitation conveyance path, which supplies the developer to the developer supply conveyance path and which has a developer agitation conveyance screw for receiving a supply of an excess developer conveyed to the lowermost stream side of the developer supply conveyance path in a developer conveyance direction without being used in development, and a recovery developer recovered from the developer carrier and conveyed to the lowermost stream side of the developer recovery conveyance path in the developer conveyance direction, and conveying the excess developer and the recovery developer in the direction of axis of the developer carrier and in a direction opposite to the direction of the developer supply conveyance screw while agitating the excess developer and the recovery developer,
• wherein the developer conveyance amount on the upstream side of the developer agitation conveyance screw in the developer conveyance direction is equal to or larger than the developer conveyance amount on the downstream side of the developer recovery conveyance screw in the developer conveyance direction,
• wherein the developer agitation conveyance path and the developer recovery conveyance path are provided in parallel with each other on substantially the same level, the developer supply conveyance path is provided so as to be positioned above the other two developer conveyance paths.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a latent image carrier that carries a latent image;
• and
• developing means for developing the latent image on the latent image carrier by means of a developer,
• wherein the developing means comprises:
• a developer carrier, which rotates while carrying a two-component developer composed of a magnetic carrier and a toner on a surface of the developer carrier, supplies the toner to the latent image on a surface of the latent image carrier at a section where the developer carrier faces the latent image carrier, and develops the latent image;
• a developer supply conveyance path, which conveys the developer in a direction of axis of the developer carrier and is provided with a developer supply conveyance screw for supplying the developer to the developer carrier;
• a developer recovery conveyance path, which has a developer recovery conveyance screw for conveying the developer recovered from the developer carrier after passing through the section where the developer carrier faces the latent image carrier, in the direction of axis of the developer carrier and in the same direction as a direction of the developer supply conveyance screw;
• and
• a developer agitation conveyance path, which supplies the developer to the developer supply conveyance path and which has a developer agitation conveyance screw for receiving a supply of an excess developer conveyed to the lowermost stream side of the developer supply conveyance path in a developer conveyance direction without being used in development, and a recovery developer recovered from the developer carrier and conveyed to the lowermost stream side of the developer recovery conveyance path in the developer conveyance direction, and conveying the excess developer and the recovery developer in the direction of axis of the developer carrier and in a direction opposite to the direction of the developer supply conveyance screw while agitating the excess developer and the recovery developer,
• the developer conveyance amount on the upstream side of the developer agitation conveyance screw in the developer conveyance direction being equal to or larger than the developer conveyance amount on the downstream side of the developer recovery conveyance screw in the developer conveyance direction,
• wherein a rotational speed of the developer agitation conveyance screw is higher than a rotational speed of at least the developer recovery conveyance screw.