IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

An image forming apparatus includes the following elements. Plural developing units supply charged developers to electrostatic latent images formed on plural associated image carriers disposed along a direction in which an intermediate transfer body is transported. Plural first transfer units transfer the associated developers onto the intermediate transfer body when the intermediate transfer body passes the associated image carriers while being transported so as to superpose the developers on each other. A second transfer unit transfers the superposed developers transferred onto the intermediate transfer body by the plural first transfer units onto a recording medium. A charge-amount adjusting unit decreases an amount of electric charge of a developer which forms a lower layer developer among the superposed developers transferred onto the intermediate transfer body. A brightness level of the lower layer developer is lower than that of a developer which forms an upper layer developer among the superposed developers.

主权项

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a plurality of developing units configured to supply charged developers to electrostatic latent images formed on a plurality of associated image carriers which are disposed along a direction in which an intermediate transfer body is transported; a plurality of first transfer units configured to transfer the associated developers onto the intermediate transfer body when the intermediate transfer body passes the associated image carriers while being transported so as to superpose the developers on each other; a second transfer unit configured to transfer the superposed developers which are transferred onto the intermediate transfer body by the plurality of first transfer units onto a recording medium; and a scorotron and a roller configured to decrease an amount of electric charge of a developer which forms a lower layer developer among the superposed developers transferred onto the intermediate transfer body by the first transfer units based on a brightness level of the developer, wherein a brightness level of the lower layer developer being lower than a brightness level of a developer which forms an upper layer developer among the superposed developers.