Patent ID: 7639961

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: (a) a photoreceptor on which a toner image is formed by a charging device which charges both an image area and a non-image area on the photoreceptor in a rotation direction thereof so that a surface potential of the photoreceptor is maintained at a predetermined value in both the image and non-image areas during an execution of an image formation job, an image exposure device and a developing device; and (b) a transfer section for transferring the toner image on the photoreceptor, wherein DC bias and AC bias voltage is applied between a development roller of the developing device and a grounded base of the photoreceptor, wherein the DC bias and AC bias voltage is set to a prescribed value for the image area on the photoreceptor, and only the AC bias voltage is changed for the non-image area on the photoreceptor, wherein an exposure operation of the image exposure device to the non-image area on the photoreceptor is not carried out before a developing operation is conducted, and wherein the charging device charges both the image area and the non-image area at a predetermined output.