Patent ID: 8170454
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a latent image holder that holds on its surface an electrostatic latent image in which an image portion to which toner is to be adhered and a non-image portion to which toner is not to be adhered have different potentials; a toner carrying roller that has a roller shape to be opposed to the latent image holder with a predetermined gap therebetween, and carries a toner layer including both a contact toner which directly contacts a surface of the roller and a non-contact toner which contacts the contact toner but does not contact the surface of the roller; and an electric field forming unit that forms, when an electric field strength needed for a surface of the toner carrying roller to cause the non-contact toner to fly from the surface of the toner carrying roller is defined as a non-contact toner fly start electric field strength, and an electric field strength needed for the surface of the toner carrying roller to cause the contact toner to fly from the surface of the toner carrying roller is defined as a contact toner fly start electric field strength, an alternating electric field to cause the electric field strength exerted between the non-image portion on the surface of the latent image holder and the surface of the toner carrying roller to be lower than the contact toner fly start electric field strength and higher than the non-contact toner fly start electric field strength, between the latent image holder and the toner carrying roller, as a toner fly electric field.