Patent ID: 8155539

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic latent image at a surface thereof; a developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image, said developing device including: a developer accommodating chamber for accommodating developer used for developing the electrostatic latent image, a developer carrying member for developing the electrostatic latent image by feeding the developer to said image bearing member, and a developer feeding member which is contactable to said developer carrying member to feed the developer to said developer carrying member and which has a foam layer at a surface thereof; a holding unit for holding said developing device, wherein said holding unit is capable of changing a position of said developing device to a first position in which said developing device takes a developable attitude and to a second position in which said developing device takes an attitude in which the developer having been located above a nip between said developer carrying member and said developer feeding member in the first position drops from the nip; and a detecting device for detecting electrostatic capacity generated between a metal core of said developer feeding member and a metal core of said developer carrying member, said detecting device detecting the electrostatic capacity at the second position.