Patent ID: 8600249

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a rotatable image bearing member; a plurality of rotatable developer carrying members contactable to a surface of said image bearing member to supply developers to electrostatic latent images formed on the surface, respectively; a plurality of developing devices in each of which a respective one of said developer carrying members is provided; and a developing device supporting member rotatable in a direction of codirectional peripheral movement with said image bearing member at a position where said developing device supporting member and said image bearing member are opposed to each other and integrally supporting the plurality of said developing devices, wherein said developer carrying members are capable of contacting to and separating from the surface of said image bearing member sequentially by rotation of said developing device supporting member, wherein each of said developer carrying members develops the electrostatic latent images, moves toward a downstream direction with respect to a rotational direction of said developing device supporting member while said developer carrying member rubs the developer on said image bearing member, and then separates from said image bearing member, and wherein a peripheral speed of said developing device supporting member divided by a peripheral speed of said image bearing member at a time when each of said developer carrying members is about to finish separating from the surface of said image bearing member and is still rubbing the surface of said image bearing member with the developer is not smaller than 0.3 and smaller than 1.