A developing unit includes a conveying member which rotates to convey the developer to the developer bearing member. The conveying member includes a sheet portion with one end fixed to a rotation shaft and a free end which enters the developing chamber through an opening when the conveying member rotates around a rotation center, wherein relations C>A and B>A are satisfied, where A is a distance from the rotation center to an upstream end of the opening in a rotational direction, B is a distance from the rotation center to a downstream end of the opening in the rotational direction, and C is a length from the rotation center to the free end of the sheet portion in an unbent state. The upstream end of the opening is lower in a direction of gravitational force than the downstream end at an orientation in use.

A developing device includes a developing container storing a two-component developer containing a magnetic carrier and a toner, a developer carrying member carrying the developer on its outer circumferential surface, and a regulation member arranged to be opposed at a prescribed distance to the developer carrying member. The developer carrying member includes a developing sleeve on which a magnetic brush is formed, and a magnet secured in the developing sleeve and having a plurality of magnetic poles including a regulation pole opposed to the regulation member and a downstream-side magnetic pole arranged downstream of the regulation pole with respect to the rotation direction of the developing sleeve. The magnet is such that the vertical magnetic force gradient [mT/° ] has a local minimum value near a position at which the vertical magnetic force is 0 [mT] between the downstream-side surface of the regulation member and the downstream-side magnetic pole.

According to one embodiment, the developing device includes a developing case containing toner, a mixer configured to diffuse the toner in the developing case, and a developing roller configured to develop a latent image formed on an image carrier. The developing case includes a circulation path through which air containing the toner flows. The developing roller is partially exposed from the developing case. The developing roller includes a sleeve rotating along with the movement of the image carrier and a plurality of magnetic pole portions disposed inside the sleeve. The developing roller holds the toner on the sleeve and supplies the toner to the image carrier to develop the latent image. The developing device further includes a magnet disposed apart from the developing roller. The magnet faces one of the magnetic pole portions across the sleeve.

An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an exposure device configured to expose the image bearing member to form an electrostatic latent image thereon, and a developing device including a rotatable developing member configured to carry and feed a developer containing toner and a carrier to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member, and a magnet provided non-rotatably and stationarily inside the rotatable developing member including a developing magnetic pole, wherein magnetic chains formed by the carrier, on the rotatable developing member, magnetized by the magnet contact the electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member in a developing region of the rotatable developing member, wherein a maximum peak position where a magnetic flux density of the developing magnetic pole is maximum with respect to a normal direction of the rotatable developing member exists within a range of the developing region with respect to a rotational direction of the rotatable developing member, and wherein a ratio of an 80%-value-width which is a width of a portion where the magnetic flux density of the developing magnetic pole with respect to the normal direction of the rotatable developing member is 80% of the maximum of the magnetic flux density of the developing magnetic pole with respect to the normal direction of the rotatable developing member to a half peak width which is a width of a portion where the magnetic flux density of the developing magnetic pole with respect to the normal direction of the rotatable developing member is half of the maximum of the magnetic flux density of the developing magnetic pole with respect to the normal direction of the rotatable developing member is 0.65 or more.

An example developing device includes a housing to contain a developer and having an opening, a developing sleeve provided in the housing and partially exposed to the outside of the housing through the opening, a magnetic member including a plurality of magnetic poles and located inside the developing sleeve, and an elastic member blocking an inflow of air through a space between a downstream edge of the opening in a rotation direction of the developing sleeve and an outer circumferential surface of the developing sleeve. The elastic member includes a fixed portion fixed to the housing at a position adjacent to the downstream edge of the opening and an extension portion extending from the fixed portion in a bent form in the rotation direction of the developing sleeve to be elastically in contact with the surface of the developing sleeve.

An example magnetic material supply apparatus includes a reservoir to contain a magnetic material, a connecting member having a first end coupled to the reservoir to receive the magnetic material, and a magnet. A magnetic field produced by the magnet controls supply of the magnetic material through the connecting member.

An example developing device includes a housing to contain a developer and having an opening, a developing sleeve provided in the housing and partially exposed to the outside of the housing through the opening, a magnetic member including a plurality of magnetic poles and located inside the developing sleeve, and an elastic member blocking an inflow of air through a space between a downstream edge of the opening in a rotation direction of the developing sleeve and an outer circumferential surface of the developing sleeve. The elastic member includes a fixed portion fixed to the housing at a position adjacent to the downstream edge of the opening and an extension portion extending from the fixed portion in a bent form in the rotation direction of the developing sleeve to be elastically in contact with the surface of the developing sleeve.

A third communicating portion is disposed downstream of the first communicating portion and upstream of the second communicating portion in the first direction. The third communicating portion is disposed above a rotational axis of a first conveyance screw and a rotational axis of a second conveyance screw in a vertical direction. The third communicating portion is configured to allow air inside the developing container to move between the first chamber and the second chamber. An opening portion for discharging the air inside the developing container outside the developing container is disposed above the second chamber in the vertical direction.

A developing unit includes a conveying member which rotates to convey the developer to the developer bearing member. The conveying member includes a sheet portion with one end fixed to a rotation shaft and a free end which enters the developing chamber through an opening when the conveying member rotates around a rotation center, wherein relations C>A and B>A are satisfied, where A is a distance from the rotation center to an upstream end of the opening in a rotational direction, B is a distance from the rotation center to a downstream end of the opening in the rotational direction, and C is a length from the rotation center to the free end of the sheet portion in an unbent state. The upstream end of the opening is lower in a direction of gravitational force than the downstream end at an orientation in use.

According to one embodiment, the developing device includes a developing case containing toner, a mixer configured to diffuse the toner in the developing case, and a developing roller configured to develop a latent image formed on an image carrier. The developing case includes a circulation path through which air containing the toner flows. The developing roller is partially exposed from the developing case. The developing roller includes a sleeve rotating along with the movement of the image carrier and a plurality of magnetic pole portions disposed inside the sleeve. The developing roller holds the toner on the sleeve and supplies the toner to the image carrier to develop the latent image. The developing device further includes a magnet disposed apart from the developing roller. The magnet faces one of the magnetic pole portions across the sleeve.