Patent ID: 8620198
Filing Date: 2013-12-31
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier which carries an electrostatic latent image; a container which has an opening and contains toner; a toner carrier provided in the opening and carries and conveys the toner to the electrostatic latent image; a toner supply member which is in contact with the toner carrier and is provided within the container, has a foam layer on its surface, rotates in a predetermined direction for image formation and supplies the toner to the toner carrier and has a contact area with the toner carrier with an uppermost stream position in the predetermined direction of the contact area being higher than a lowermost stream position; a detector which detects the toner amount within the container; and a control unit which executes a mode for rotating the toner supply member in the opposite direction of the predetermined direction to increase the toner amount contained in the foam layer in response to the toner amount within the container detected by the detector being equal to or lower than a predetermined amount.