Patent ID: 8200129

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a developer-carrying body having a developer-carrying surface formed in parallel with a predetermined main scanning direction and configured to carry a developer thereon, and configured such that the developer-carrying surface is allowed to move along a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction; and a developer feed device disposed to face the developer-carrying body and configured to feed the developer in a charged state to the developer-carrying surface; wherein the developer feed device comprises: a plurality of transport electrodes configured to have their longitudinal direction intersecting with the sub-scanning direction and arrayed in a predetermined developer transport direction along the sub-scanning direction; an electricity supply wiring section connected to root portions of the transport electrodes, the root portions being one end portions of the transport electrodes with respect to the longitudinal direction; a developer transport body having a developer transport surface parallel to the main scanning direction, configured such that the transport electrodes and the electricity supply wiring section are provided along the developer transport surface and such that the developer transport surface faces the developer-carrying body, and configured to transport the developer along the developer transport direction by traveling-wave electric fields which are generated on the developer transport surface through application of predetermined transport voltages to the plurality of transport electrodes; and a pair of developer transport guide members provided on the developer transport surface at opposite end portions, with respect to a width direction perpendicular to the developer transport direction, of the developer transport body, and configured to define an areal range within which the developer is transported on the developer transport surface along the developer transport direction, wherein each of the paired developer transport guide members is provided to cover the electricity supply wiring section and the root portions and distal end portions of the transport electrodes, the distal end portions being end portions of the transport electrodes opposite the root portions.