Patent ID: 7941075
Filing Date: 2011-05-10
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image carrier to carry an image thereon; a charging unit disposed in a vicinity of the image carrier to charge the image carrier, the charging unit including a charge member facing the image carrier across a gap therebetween, the charge member charging the image carrier using electrical discharge caused by applying thereto a voltage including an alternating current component superimposed on a direct current component; a latent image forming unit disposed in a vicinity of the image carrier to form a latent image on the image carrier; a developing unit disposed in a vicinity of the image carrier to supply toner for developing the latent image formed on the image carrier into a toner image and to collect residual toner remaining on the image carrier; a transfer unit disposed in a vicinity of the image carrier to transfer a toner image formed on the image carrier onto a recording medium; and a toner spreading member to spread toner on the image carrier, disposed upstream from the charging unit in a direction of movement of the image carrier and downstream from the transfer unit in the direction of movement of the image carrier, wherein the toner spreading member contacts the image carrier with a first contact pressure during toner collection and with a second contact pressure different from the first contact pressure during toner discharge.