Patent ID: 7676180

Claim:
A liquid development apparatus, comprising: an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; a development roller which is arranged in an opposing position to the image carrier and develops the electrostatic latent image with a thin layer of liquid developer, provided on a surface of the development roller, containing toner and carrier liquid; a storage tank which stores the liquid developer; a liquid developer supply head which includes a discharge outlet which is elongated in a direction of an axis of the development roller and throughwhich the liquid developer is discharged from the storage tank onto the surface of the development roller, wherein the discharged developer forms the thin layer of the liquid developer to be used to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image carrier; and a viscosity reducing member which is provided in a vicinity of the discharge outlet to reduce viscosity of the liquid developer discharged onto the surface of the development roller, wherein the liquid developer whose viscosity has been reduced by the viscosity reducing member is discharged through the discharge outlet.