Patent ID: 7027753

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a latent image carrier configured to carry a latent image on a surface of the latent image carrier while moving; a charging member configured to uniformly charge the surface of the latent image carrier, the charging member being one of in contact with and adjacent to the surface of the latent image carrier; a conductive brush member including a brush configured to remove foreign substances from the surface of the charging member; a developing device configured to develop the latent image carried on the surface of the latent image carrier with toner, the developing device comprising: a developer carrier configured to carry a developer including the toner on a surface of the developer carrier while moving; and a casing configured to accommodate the developer carrier, the casing having an opening exposing a portion of the developer carrier, and having an edge portion adjoining the opening, the surface of the developer carrier exposed through the opening of the casing facing the surface of the latent image carrier in a developing region; a developer scatter preventing member configured to prevent the developer from scattering, comprising: a first end portion fixed to the edge portion of the casing; a second end portion flexed on an upstream side of the developing region in a moving direction of the surface of the latent image carrier, wherein a gap between the edge portion of the casing and the surface of the latent image carrier is blocked by bringing the second end portion of the developer scatter preventing member into contact with the surface of the latent image carrier, and wherein a contact pressure of the second end portion of the developer scatter preventing member relative to the surface of the latent image carrier is set such that a brush portion, which falls from the conductive brush member and is carried on the surface of the latent image carrier, passes through a contact part between the second end portion of the developer scatter preventing member and the surface of the latent image carrier.