Patent ID: 8331835

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image carrying member to carry an electrostatic latent image; a developer container to accommodate developer, the developer comprising: toner, carrier to electrically charge the toner and having magnetism, and reverse polarity particles electrically chargeable with a reverse polarity against the electrically charged polarity of the toner and different from the carrier; a toner carrying member to carry toner to a developing region arranged opposite to the image carrying member in order to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image carrying member with the toner; a first developer carrying member arranged opposite to the toner carrying member so as to carry developer fed from the developer container and to supply toner to the toner carrying member, wherein the first developer carrying member comprises a first magnet therein to hold the developer via the carrier, wherein the toner and reverse polarity particles are movable relative to the carrier and are movable to the toner carrying member; second developer carrying member arranged opposite to the toner carrying member at a position of an upstream side of the first developer carrying member in terms of the toner conveying direction of the toner carrying member so as to carry developer and to recover toner on the toner carrying member, wherein the second developer carrying member comprises a second magnet therein to hold the developer via the carrier; wherein an ability to move the reverse polarity particles from the toner carrying member to the first developer carrying member is larger than an ability to move the reverse polarity particles from the second developer carrying member to the toner carrying member.