Patent ID: 7826757
Filing Date: 2010-11-02
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrying member for carrying a toner image; exposure means for forming an electrostatic latent image by exposing said image carrying member to light on the basis of image information; developing means for developing the electrostatic latent image with a developer comprising toner and a carrier; density detecting means for detecting a density of a reference toner image formed by said developing means; supply control means for controlling an amount of toner supplied to said developing means on the basis of a detection result of said density detecting means; exposure area control means for controlling an exposure area per pixel of said exposure means on the basis of the image information during normal image formation for forming a toner image on a recording material; and switching means for switching an exposure condition for forming an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the same density level between during reference toner image formation and during the normal image formation, wherein said switching means switches the exposure condition so that an exposure intensity during the reference toner image formation is smaller than that during the normal image formation and an exposure area per pixel during the reference toner image formation is larger than that during the normal image formation.