Patent ID: 8417142

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a latent image carrier; a latent image forming unit to form an electrostatic latent image on the latent image carrier; at least one developing device, in each of which a predetermined amount of developer is preliminarily stored, disposed to contact the latent image carrier to develop the latent image on the latent image carrier with the developer, the developing device provided with at least one rotary member whose shaft is rotationally supported by at least one bearing, the developing device not to be supplied with new developer while any developer remains therein; a cooling mechanism including at least one cooling device disposed close to the developing device to cool the developing device; a developer amount detector electrically connected to the developing device to detect an amount of the developer remaining in the developing device; and a cooling mechanism controller connected to the cooling mechanism to change a cooling power of the cooling mechanism according to a detection result generated by the developer amount detector, wherein the cooling device is switched between a first cooling mode and a second cooling mode in which a cooling power is greater than a cooling power in the first cooling mode, and the cooling mechanism controller sets the cooling device to the second cooling mode when a first condition that the amount of the developer remaining in the developing device detected by the developer amount detector is equal to or less than a predetermined amount is satisfied; and a temperature sensor connected to the cooling mechanism controller to detect a temperature around the image forming apparatus, wherein the cooling mechanism controller changes the cooling mode of the cooling device from the first cooling mode to the second cooling mode when both the first condition and a second condition that a detected temperature around the image forming apparatus is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature are satisfied.