Developing device

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a developing device of a simple construction which reduces limitations on the locations where it can be positioned, which can uniformly charge a developer on a developer carrier and form a developer layer of even thickness on the developer carrier, which prevents toner from being scattered around to guard against contamination of the developing device, and which is capable of producing toner images free of fogging and different toner densitities.
To achieve the above object, a developing device according to the present invention includes a casing for containing a developer, a movable developer carrier mounted in the casing for carrying a developer thereon, a cylindrical resilient body mounted in the hopper means and disposed in a first position confronting the developer carrier for supplying the developer to the developer carrier, means for applying a voltage between the developer carrier and the resilient body to coat a layer of the developer on the developer carrier, a thickness limiting member fixedly disposed on the hopper means for limiting the thickness of the layer of the developer on the developer carrier, the thickness limiting member being disposed in a second position confronting the developer carrier downstream of the first position with respect to the direction in which the developer carrier moves, the casing being arranged to prevent the developer therein from being supplied to an area downstream of the second position and upstream of the first position with respect to said direction .