Patent ID: 7676181

Claim:
An image forming device comprising: an image support member; an electrostatic charging member configured to charge the image support member at a predetermined electric potential; and a developing unit having a developing member being in contact with the image support member charged at the predetermined electric potential, and configured to supply the image support member with liquid developer, a developer supply member configured to supply the developing member with liquid developer, and an unattached region forming member configured to form an unattached region on the developing member, the unattached region being a region from which liquid developer has been removed, the unattached region extending at least from a first contact point between the developing member and the image support member to a second contact point between the developing member and the developer supply member in a direction opposite a rotation direction of the developing member, the developer supply member being configured to have its rotation stopped while the developing member continues to rotate, the developer supply member being configured to rotate such that its timing is controlled after starting a driving of the developing member in response to an image forming operation to block supply of liquid developer to the image support member to define a second unattached region from a contact position between the developing member and an uncharged region of the image support member to another contact position between the developing member and a charged region of the image support member, the electrostatic charging member and the developing member being arranged so that a first distance extending in a direction opposite a rotation direction of the image support member from a developing position of the image support member at which an electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing member to a charging position of the image support member at which the electrostatic charging member charges the image support member is less than or equal to a second distance extending in a direction opposite the rotation direction of the developing member from the first contact point between the developing member and the image support member to the second contact point between the developing member and the developer supply member.