Patent ID: 9568883
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: G03G

Claim:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image supporting member; a developing device configured to supply a developer used to develop a latent image formed on the image supporting member to the image supporting member; a transfer member configured to transfer the developed image from the image supporting member to a transfer medium; a blade configured to remove the developer left on the image supporting member after transfer therefrom; a storing member located downstream from the transfer member and upstream from the blade, the storing member configured to temporarily store a part of the developer left after transfer therein; and a control unit configured to control each component, wherein the storing member is controlled by the control unit to release the temporarily stored developer therefrom toward the image supporting member after a lapse of a predetermined time from when an image density, which is a ratio of a square measure of an image area to a square measure of a print medium, of an image to be formed becomes lower than a predetermined value, and the lower the image density is, the less the predetermined time is.