Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, L.L.P.
Developing device and image forming apparatus including same which includes a supply path and a recovery path
A developing device including a developer container casing, a developer bearing member to supply toner to a latent image, a supply path to convey developer in an axial direction of the developer bearing member, a supply conveyance member to apply a force to the developer in the supply path to convey the developer, a recovery path to return the developer reaching a downstream end of the supply path to an upstream end of the supply path relative to a direction of conveyance of the developer, and a recovery conveyance member to apply a force to the developer in the recovery path to convey the developer. A bottom surface of the supply path is tilted such that the bottom surface at the downstream end of the supply path relative to the direction of conveyance of the developer is lower than the bottom surface at the upstream end of the supply path.
Ricoh Company Limited
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additional inventional inventional additional additional
Tsukuru Hisashi Norio Nobuo Yasuo
Kai Kikuchi Kudo Iwata Miyoshi