Patent ID: 7986892

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image carrying member which is adapted to carry an electrostatic latent image; a developer container which is adapted to contain a developer including a toner, a carrier for charging the toner, and reverse polarity particles to be charged reverse to a charge polarity of the toner; a toner carrying member which is adapted to convey a toner to a development position, at which the toner carrying member faces the image carrying member, to develop the electrostatic latent image on the image carrying member; a first developer carrying member which is adapted to carry the developer supplied from the developer container and is disposed facing the toner carrying member to supply a toner to the toner carrying member; a second developer carrying member which is adapted to carry a developer and is disposed, to collect the toner on the toner carrying member, facing the toner carrying member at an upstream side position from the first developer carrying member in a direction in which the toner carrying member conveys the toner; a controller which is adapted to cause a collecting operation to be executed in which reverse polarity particles remaining in a region surrounded by the toner carrying member, the first developer carrying member and the second developer carrying member are conveyed to the developer container at a timing at which development of the electrostatic latent image is not affected by the collecting operation, wherein when the collecting operation is being executed, the controller causes the first developer carrying member to convey the developer thereon to the developer container, and during a period in which the development of the electrostatic latent image is executed, the controller causes a developer, which exists on the first developer carrying member and from which a toner has been supplied to the toner carrying member, to move onto the second developer carrying member.