Provided is a powder transporting device including: a powder transport path through which a powder loading port, from which powder is loaded in the path, communicates with a powder unloading port disposed with being shifted in a horizontal direction from a position perpendicularly below the powder loading port, and which has a lateral direction transport path and a longitudinal-direction transport path, is disposed to be bent with respect to the lateral direction transport path; a powder transport member that includes a lateral direction transport member, which is movable along the lateral direction transport path, and a longitudinal-direction transport member and that transports powder along the lateral direction transport path and the longitudinal-direction transport path; a drive input portion that leaves a rotational track; and a regulation member that regulates the behavior of the powder transport. member.

A developing device includes a developing roller and a conveyor roller. The developing roller includes a first magnet. The conveyor roller includes a second magnet. The first magnet includes a first magnetic pole and a second magnetic pole. The second magnet includes a third magnetic pole and a fourth magnetic pole. The first and fourth magnetic poles are magnetic poles having the same polarity. One of the second and third magnetic poles is a magnetic pole having the same polarity as the first magnetic pole. The other of the second and third magnetic poles is a magnetic pole having a polarity different from the first magnetic pole. The developer is transferred from the conveyor roller to the developing roller by the third and second magnetic poles. The developer is transferred from the developing roller to the conveyor roller by the first and fourth magnetic poles.

A developing device includes a developing roller, a conveyor roller and a developer stirring unit. The developing roller is arranged to face a photoconductive drum at a predetermined developing position. The developing roller includes a fixed first magnet and a first sleeve. The conveyor roller is arranged to face the developing roller at a predetermined facing position. The conveyor roller includes a fixed second magnet and a second sleeve. The developer stirring unit stirs the developer and supplies the developer to the conveyor roller. The first magnet includes a first magnetic pole composed of a predetermined magnetic pole and a second magnetic pole arranged downstream of and adjacent to the first magnetic pole and having the same polarity as the first magnetic pole. The developer is transferred from the developing roller to the conveyor roller after passing through a repulsive magnetic field formed by the first and second magnetic poles.

A cartridge includes a rotating body, a blade that extends in an axial direction of the rotating body and is disposed on the rotating body, a supporting member that is fixed to the blade and configured to support the blade in such a manner that the blade protrudes toward the rotating body in a shorter direction crossing the axial direction, a frame body including a placing surface that supports the supporting member, and a fixed portion that is disposed on the placing surface via the supporting member and fixed to the frame body. The supporting member includes a cut portion extending in the axial direction. The fixed portion includes a deformed portion deformed by given energy, and the deformed portion engages with the cut portion so that movement of the supporting member with respect to the frame body is restricted.

A developing device configured to develop a latent image formed on an image bearing member includes a rotatable developing-agent bearing member configured to bear developing agent, a developing container configured to form a developing-agent storage chamber that stores the developing agent, a developing-agent regulating portion provided in the developing container to regulate an amount of the developing agent born on the developing-agent bearing member, a support portion configured to support the developing-agent bearing member movably relative to the developing-agent regulating portion, and a pressurizing member configured to pressurize the developing-agent bearing member toward the developing-agent regulating portion. A contact portion of the developing-agent regulating portion with the developing-agent bearing member is fixed to the developing container without forming a gap from the developing container on a downstream side in a pressurizing direction of the pressurizing member.

A developing apparatus includes a sleeve for carrying a developer including toner and magnetic carrier, the sleeve having a plurality of grooves extending in a longitudinal direction; a magnet provided inside the sleeve, a non-magnetic regulating member, provided spaced from the sleeve, wherein an amount M/S (mg/mm.sup.2) of the developer carried on a unit area of the sleeve after passing by the regulating member, a gap SB (mm) between a free end of the regulating member and the sleeve, a density G (mg/mm.sup.3) of the developer, and a groove ratio α which is a ratio of the grooves in the surface of the sleeve satisfy,
0.1≦M/S (mg/mm.sup.2)≦0.5
0.2≦SB (mm), and
m/S (mg/mm.sup.2)×¼≦α×{SB (mm)+D (mm)}×G (mg/mm.sup.3)<M/S (mg/mm.sup.2).

A developing apparatus for use in an image forming apparatus includes a developing frame, a rotatable developing member, a regulation blade to regulate developer borne on a developing member surface, and a seal member to prevent developer from leaking outside the developing frame. The regulation blade includes a support plate, a plate-shaped member, and a regulation member. The seal member is fixed to a facing surface of the plate-shaped member, is arranged at a plate-shaped member end portion, is arranged side by side with the regulation member in a rotational axis direction, contacts an end surface of the regulation member, and is disposed between the plate-shaped member and the developing member in a direction intersecting with the rotational axis direction. The plate-shaped member is welded to a region of the support plate excluding a region outside the end surface of the regulation member in the rotational axis direction.

A developing cartridge includes: a casing configured to accommodate therein toner; a developing roller; a supply roller configured to supply the toner to the developing roller; a layer thickness regulation blade in contact with a circumferential surface of the developing roller; a developing electrode electrically connected to the developing roller; and a supply electrode electrically connected to the supply roller and the layer thickness regulation blade. The supply electrode includes: an electrode member electrically connected to a rotation shaft of the supply roller and movable in a direction perpendicular to the rotation shaft; and a connection member in contact with and electrically connecting the electrode member and the layer thickness regulation blade. The electrode member is movable relative to the connection member in the direction perpendicular to the rotation shaft in a state where the electrode member is in contact with the connection member.

A print agent application assembly is disclosed. The print agent application assembly includes a print agent transfer roller to receive print agent and transfer a portion of the print agent to a photoconductive surface. The print agent application assembly may further include an electrode to provide an electric charge to the print agent transfer roller. The print agent transfer roller and the electrode may define walls of a cavity through which print agent is to pass. The electrode may comprise an aperture via which a portion of the print agent is able to exit the cavity. A method and a print apparatus are also disclosed.

An image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium and includes a rotatable image bearing member, and a rotatable developer carrying member that carries a developer, forms a developing portion by contacting the image bearing member, and forms a developer image on a surface of the image bearing member by supplying the developer to an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image bearing member in the developing portion. After performing an image forming operation, a controller controls driving of the image bearing member and the developer carrying member to perform a rotation operation for rotating the image bearing member with rotation of the developer carrying member stopped in a state where an amount of carried developer in the developing portion during the rotation operation is smaller than the amount of carried developer in the developing portion during the image forming operation.