Patent ID: 7450889
Filing Date: 2008-11-11
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: image carriers, on whose surfaces electrostatic latent images are formed; a plurality of development units, each being provided in correspondence to a different color, each having developing-agent carriers that carry developing agents of corresponding colors, and each developing the electrostatic latent images on the surfaces of the image carriers through use of the developing agents by the developing-agent carriers; and an agitation member provided to each of the development units, for agitating the developing agent in a developing-agent storage chamber that stores the developing agent, wherein developing-agent images are sequentially formed on the image carriers by developing the electrostatic latent images by the respective development units, and the developing-agent images are transferred to a transfer-target material, thereby forming a multi-color image, and agitation capabilities of the respective agitation members are determined such that the development unit which is last in sequence of formation of a developing-agent image is higher in agitation capability than at least the development unit which is first in sequence of formation of the developing-agent image and such that one development unit is higher in agitation capability than another development unit which is immediately before the one development unit in sequence of formation of the developing-agent image.