Patent ID: 8532539
Filing Date: 2013-09-10
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier that carries an electrostatic latent image; a development device that includes a toner carrier which is disposed opposite to the image carrier, carries and supplies toner to the image carrier, and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of the image carrier; and a control means that performs a refresh process in which toner is ejected from the toner carrier to the image carrier in a time when an image is not formed to form a toner ejection pattern which is formed by ejecting a straight line image a plurality of times at an acute angle to a main scan direction and at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction of the image carrier over a total width of a development region, and is substantially even in toner ejection amount in the main scan direction over the total width of the development region, wherein each line image has a line width of 0.3 mm or larger to 2 mm or smaller; and a length of the toner ejection pattern in the circumferential direction of the image carrier is longer than an outer circumferential length of the toner carrier.