Patent ID: 9207562
Filing Date: 2015-12-08
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member that bears a developer image; a transfer apparatus configured to transfer the developer image borne on the image bearing member; a charge apparatus configured to charge a surface of the image bearing member; an exposure apparatus configured to expose the surface of the image bearing member with light to form a latent image on the surface of the image bearing member; a control unit configured to control an exposure amount for exposing the surface of the image bearing member by the exposure apparatus; and a developing apparatus configured to collect a developer that is not transferred by the transfer apparatus and remains on the image bearing member and also supplies the developer to the latent image formed on the surface of the image bearing member to form the developer image on the surface of the image bearing member, wherein an image formation area where the latent image on the surface of the image bearing member can be formed is divided into an image part where the developer image is formed and a non-image part where the developer image is not formed, wherein the exposure apparatus exposes the non-image part with light at a first exposure amount and exposes the image part with light at a second exposure amount, the first exposure amount being lower than the second exposure amount, wherein when the charge apparatus charges a first area, on the surface of the image bearing member, in which the developer does not remain, a potential of the first area becomes a first potential (VO), and when the charge apparatus charges a second area, on the surface of the image bearing member, in which the developer remains, a Potential of the second area becomes a second potential (VO′), the second potential being lower than the first potential, wherein when the exposure apparatus exposes the first area charged by the charge apparatus with the first exposure amount, the potential of the first area becomes a third potential (Vd), and when the exposure apparatus exposes the second area charged by the charge apparatus with the first exposure amount, the potential of the second area becomes a fourth potential (Vd′), the fourth potential being lower than the third potential, and wherein the control unit sets the first exposure amount in such a way that a difference between the third potential and the fourth potential is smaller than a difference between the first potential and the second potential.