DEVELOPMENT DEVICE, TONER AGITATION CONVEYANCE UNIT USED IN THE SAME, AND IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS USING THE SAME

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a development device which can suppress increase in an installation area while preventing the occurrence of printing unevenness, a toner agitation conveyance unit used in the same, and an image formation apparatus having the same.SOLUTION: A development device comprises: first agitation conveyance means which is arranged in the first chamber and conveys toner from both ends in an axial direction to the center while agitating toner stored in the bottom of the first chamber and newly-supplied toner with rotation around a rotation shaft; second agitation conveyance means which is arranged in the first chamber and conveys toner exceeding a prescribed height of the toner conveyed to the center by the first agitation conveyance means from the center in the axial direction to both end sides; third agitation conveyance means which is arranged in the second chamber communicating the first chamber via an opening and newly supplies toner to the first chamber via the opening. The first agitation conveyance means and the second agitation conveyance means arranged in the first chamber and the third agitation conveyance means arranged in the second chamber are arranged so that the rotation shafts become parallel to each other, and aligned in the longitudinal direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1 【課題】印刷むらの発生を防止しつつ、設置面積の増大を抑制することが可能な現像装置及びこれに用いられるトナー攪拌搬送装置並びにこれを備える画像形成装置を提供することである。【解決手段】第１の室内に配置され、回転軸周りに回動して第１の室の底部に貯留されるトナーと新しく供給されたトナーとを攪拌しつつ、軸方向の両端部から中央部に搬送する第１の攪拌搬送手段と、第１の室内に配置され、第１の攪拌反応手段により中央部に搬送されたトナーの内、所定高さを超えるトナーを軸方向の中央部から両端部側に搬送する第２の攪拌搬送手段と、開口部を介して第１の室に連通される第２の室内に配置され、開口部を介して第１の室にトナーを新しく供給する第３の攪拌搬送手段と、を備え、第１の室に配置される第１の攪拌搬送手段及び第２の攪拌搬送手段と、第２の室に配置される第３の攪拌搬送手段が、それぞれの回転軸が平行に配置されると共に、縦方向に並列されてなる現像装置である。【選択図】 図１