Patent ID: 6898385

Claim:
An image forming apparatus that forms an electrostatic latent image on an image carrier, the image forming apparatus comprising: a charging unit for charging the image carrier; a charge voltage loading unit for applying a charge voltage to the charging unit; an exposure unit for exposing the image carrier charged by the charging unit to form an electrostatic latent image corresponding to image signals; a development unit for forming a toner image by developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier; an image transfer unit for continuously transferring the toner image formed by the development unit onto a plurality of recording materials; and a control unit for controlling an AC charge voltage applied by the charge voltage loading unit to the charging unit, wherein, when the transport interval of the plural recording materials is shorter than a predetermined time, the AC charge voltage applied to the image carrier during the transport interval is a first AC charge voltage, and when the transport interval is longer than the predetermined time, the AC charge voltage applied to the image carrier during the transport interval is a second AC charge voltage, and wherein the control unit makes the current running in the charging unit when the second AC charge voltage is applied lower than the current running in the charging unit when the first AC charge voltage is applied.