Patent ID: 8135295

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an electrostatic latent image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed; and a developing device that has a developer bearing member and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the electrostatic latent image bearing member with toner by applying an alternating voltage superimposed on a DC voltage to the developer bearing member, the alternating voltage to be applied having an alternating voltage waveform in which a development-side potential to move toner from the developer bearing member to the electrostatic latent image bearing member and an opposite development-side potential to move toner from the electrostatic latent image bearing member to the developer bearing member alternate with each other, and in the alternating voltage, a first period during which a first peak-to-peak voltage is applied and a second period during which a second peak-to-peak voltage lower than the first peak-to-peak voltage is applied being alternately repeated and a frequency of the alternating voltage in the second period being lower than a frequency of the alternating voltage in the first period, and wherein the following expression is satisfied in the alternating voltage: 0.1≦Vpp(2)/Vpp(1)≦0.3, where Vpp( 1 ) denotes a peak-to-peak voltage in the first period and Vpp( 2 ) denotes a peak-to-peak voltage in the second period.