A development device includes a development container and a second agitation member. The development container includes a second transport chamber and a developer discharge port which is provided at the end portion of the second transport chamber on a downstream side. The second agitation member includes a second transport blade, a damming member which dams a developer, a regulation portion which transports the developer in a direction opposite to the second transport blade and a discharge blade which discharges the developer from the developer discharge portion. A second rotation shaft includes a large shaft diameter portion on which the second transport blade is provided, a small shaft diameter portion on which the regulation portion and the discharge blade are provided and a shaft diameter change portion. The damming member is arranged between the shaft diameter change portion and the end portion of the second transport blade on the downstream side.

A development device includes a development container, a first conveying member, a second conveying member, a toner concentration sensor, and a developer carrier. The first and second conveying members are equal to each other in outer diameter and shaft diameter, the outer diameter being 1.3 times the shaft diameter or more but 1.6 times the shaft diameter or less. Where L represents an axial length of the first conveying member, K represents a distance of a center position of the sensing surface of the toner concentration sensor from a downstream end of a first conveying chamber of the development container in the first direction, P represents a pitch of the conveying blade of the first conveying member, and R represents a rotational speed of the first conveying member, formula (1) is satisfied: 30000<(P×R×L)/K<45000 (1).

A development device includes a development container, a first conveying member, a second conveying member, a toner concentration sensor, and a developer carrier. The toner concentration sensor is arranged at a wall portion of the first conveying chamber in which the first conveying member is arranged. The first and second conveying members are equal to each other in outer diameter and shaft diameter, the outer diameter being 2.3 times the shaft diameter or more but 3.0 times the shaft diameter or less. Where D represents the shaft diameter of the first conveying member, L represents an axial length of the first conveying member, and K represents a distance of a center position of a sensing surface of the toner concentration sensor from a downstream end of the first conveying chamber in the first direction, formula (1) is satisfied: 500<(L.sup.2×K)/D.sup.4<2500 (1).

A developing device includes: a first transport member and a second transport member that are disposed in a first transport path and a second transport path provided at an upper side and a lower side in a gravitational direction and that transport a developer so as to cause the developer to circulate between the first transport path and the second transport path; an ejecting mechanism that is provided in the first transport path disposed at the upper side in the gravitational direction and that ejects an excess developer; and a reverse helical section that is disposed in front of a support that supports the second transport member disposed at the lower side in the gravitational direction, the reverse helical section helically extending in a reverse direction relative to a helical section provided for circulating the developer, the developer being transported to the ejecting mechanism by the reverse helical section.

A developing device includes a first transport member and a second transport member that are respectively disposed in a first transport path and a second transport path arranged in a vertical direction and that transport developer so as to circulate the developer between the first transport path and the second transport path; a developing member that is disposed to face the first transport path and that receives the developer from the first transport path; and a third transport member that is disposed in a third transport path through which the developer that has not been used by the developing member is collected and transported to the second transport path. A central shaft of the second transport member is disposed farther in a vertically upward direction than is a central shaft of the third transport member.

A developing device includes a first transport member and a second transport member that are respectively disposed in a first transport path and a second transport path arranged in a vertical direction and that transport developer so as to circulate the developer between the first transport path and the second transport path; a developing member that is disposed to face the first transport path and that receives the developer from the first transport path; and a driving device that operates such that a relative speed ratio between a rotational speed of the developing member and a rotational speed of the second transport member is changeable.

A developing device includes a first transport member and a second transport member that are respectively disposed in a first transport path and a second transport path arranged in a vertical direction and that transport developer so as to circulate the developer between the first transport path and the second transport path; a developing device body in which the first transport path and the second transport path are formed; and a developer discharging structure that discharges excess developer discharged from the first transport path to outside through the second transport path or through a space between an end portion of the second transport path and the developing device body.

A developing device includes: a development-region passing body that passes a development region while holding a developer; a first transport path in which the developer to be supplied to the development-region passing body is transported at least in a first transport direction; a second transport path in which the developer to be sent to the first transport path is transported at least in a second transport direction; a first connection portion through which a portion of the first transport path positioned short of a first-transport-direction-downstream end of the first transport path and a portion of the second transport path positioned short of a second transport-direction-upstream end of the second transport path are connected to one another; and a first transport member having a rotating shaft on which a helical first forward-transport blade is provided, the helical first forward-transport blade rotating to forward-transport the developer in the first transport direction in the first transport path. The first transport member has a helical reverse-transport blade that reverse-transports the developer in a reverse direction reverse to the first transport direction, the reverse-transport blade is provided on at least a portion of part of the rotating shaft adjacent to the first connection portion, and a reverse-direction-downstream end of the reverse-transport blade reaches at least a first-transport-direction-upstream end of the first connection portion.

A developing device includes a first transport member and a second transport member that are respectively disposed in a first transport path and a second transport path arranged in a vertical direction and that transport developer so as to circulate the developer between the first transport path and the second transport path. The developing device includes a developing device body in which the first transport path and the second transport path are formed. The developing device also includes a developer discharging structure that discharges excess developer discharged from the first transport path to outside through the second transport path or through a space between an end portion of the second transport path and the developing device body.

A developing device including a first transport path in which the developer to be supplied to the development-region passing body is transported at least in a first transport direction; a second transport path in which the developer to be sent to the first transport path is transported at least in a second transport direction; and a first connection portion through which a portion of the first transport path positioned short of a first-transport-direction-downstream end of the first transport path and a portion of the second transport path positioned short of a second transport-direction-upstream end of the second transport path are connected to one another. A first transport member in the first transport path has a helical reverse-transport blade that reverse-transports the developer in a reverse direction reverse to the first transport provided adjacent to the first connection portion.