Patent ID: 8073350

Claim:
A developing apparatus comprising: a toner carrier having plural electrodes disposed at predetermined intervals; a first voltage supply unit configured to apply a bias voltage to the electrodes of the toner carrier in order to generate an electric field between the electrodes that varies with time, wherein toner carried on the surface of the toner carrier is caused to hop by the electric field between the electrodes, forming a cloud of toner so that the toner attaches to a latent image formed on a latent image carrier which is disposed opposite the toner carrier, thereby developing the latent image; a toner layer thickness regulating member configured to regulate the amount of the toner that is carried on the toner carrier; and a second voltage supply unit configured to apply a bias voltage to the toner layer thickness regulating member, wherein the bias voltage applied to the toner layer thickness regulating member has an average value that is equal to an average value of the bias voltage applied to the electrodes of the toner carrier by the first voltage supply unit.